With the trade for star safety Jamal Adams in July 2020, the Seattle Seahawks sacrificed the mid-term future for immediate success. But because that failed to materialise, the trade is cast in a pretty bad light following Adams’ injury a year later – and is emblematic of the franchise’s sudden fall.

Munich/Seattle – July 25, 2020 will go down as a memorable date in recent Seattle Seahawks franchise history.

Trade shocks NFL world

The trade for star safety Jamal Adams before last season was supposed to lay the groundwork for an assault on another Super Bowl in the era under head coach Pete Carroll. In exchange for two first-round picks (2021 and 2022), Adams moved from the New York Jets to Seattle.

Almost one and a half years later, the Seahawks are disillusioned. The longed-for title is a long way off and now Adams has also suffered a serious injury.

Due to shoulder surgery, he will miss the rest of the season – which, with a record of four wins and eight losses, can already be classified as a mess.

Because a look at his time in Seattle so far shows: The Seahawks already lost this trade before Adams’ injury – and are slowly but surely having to admit it to themselves.

Seattle and Adams – a big misunderstanding?

Ahead: Jamal Adams continues to be one of the NFL’s best physical safeties, playing every game with more than 100 percent effort. The problem: He can rarely help the Seahawks with his style of play, often looking lost in defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.’s system.

Even the experts at Pro Football Focus, who rank all the players at a position each year based on analytical data, see Adams as far from the difference-maker the Seahawks had hoped for before the trade.

Because he was able to at least make an impact in the pass rush last season with 9.5 sacks, Adams finished the season 53rd out of 94 ranked safeties.

He will finish the 2021 season, however, without a sack of his own due to his early season exit. Adams thus slips even further in the rankings and is now 63rd. Only his good values as a physical run defender (78 tackles) prevent an even further drop.

Although he recently made his first two interceptions of the season, even that is not enough for the vulnerable Seahawks secondary. His major weaknesses in pass defence were not least evident against the San Francisco 49ers. In the private duel against George Kittle he allowed 181 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Pete Carroll denies reality

That makes it all the more surprising that Head Coach Carroll continues to vehemently defend the trade to the outside world. “It was excellent for us,” the 70-year-old told “SiriusXM NFL Radio. “We hope he gets back to fitness as soon as he can. I’m very sorry for him and also for us.”

Since he certainly helped rubber-stamp the trade as head coach and vice president of athletic operations, his own fate also hangs on risky team decisions. Carroll still has a contract in Seattle that runs until 2025, but calls for a regime change have recently become much louder among fans.

The rest of the team is not exactly in a mood of optimism for the coming years either. Stars like linebacker Bobby Wagner or tackle Duane Brown are not getting any younger and last but not least, the ongoing trade rumours about superstar quarterback Russell Wilson are causing unrest.

The playmaker has been rumoured for some time to be no longer really satisfied in Seattle and especially in Carroll’s run-heavy game. He is even said to be willing to waive his no-trade clause for several teams. The Seahawks certainly don’t want to give him up, but the question will be how much leverage they would have.

Adams’ future in Seattle: trapped in mediocrity?

Jamal Adams’ future, on the other hand, is likely to be little affected by a potential complete shakeup. The safety signed a new contract through 2025 before the current season, with which the Seahawks incidentally made him the highest-paid safety in the entire NFL.

If the Seahawks were to consider trading Adams, the expensive contract would likely put a crimp in their plans. He could earn up to 70 million US dollars in total, 38 million US dollars of which are already guaranteed.

Moreover, it is questionable what the Seahawks would currently receive in return for Adams. Due to the poor performances in the current season, it is hard to imagine that a team would offer even close to two first-round picks for Adams – the equivalent value that migrated from Seattle to New York back then.

Adams will thus remain trapped in mediocrity for the next few years. He is thus emblematic of the entire Seattle team, which could have little to do with the playoffs in the coming seasons – also because of the trade for Jamal Adams.