How Will Seahawks Proceed at Safety in 2023 and Beyond?
Amid an unexpected flurry of activity in the first week of NFL free agency, the Seattle Seahawks prioritized improving their defense, particularly shaking up the front seven by signing defensive tackles Dre'Mont Jones and Jarran Reed as well as an athletic inside linebacker in Devin Bush.
Considering the glaring troubles Seattle dealt with ranking 31st in the league in rushing yards allowed last season, nobody should have been surprised to see general manager John Schneider attacking the defensive line pursuing upgrades. With Jordyn Brooks potentially sidelined to start next season due to a prolonged recovery from a torn ACL and Cody Barton fleeing for Washington, linebacker also stood out as a major hole on the roster.
But while the additions of Jones, Reed, and Bush were predictable based upon everything from roster needs to scheme fit, the move to sign former Giants safety Julian Love left some experts and fans scratching their heads. After all, the Seahawks have two star safeties in Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams already on the books for $32 million in 2023 and reliable veteran Ryan Neal received a right of first refusal tender from the organization last week, pushing the tab at the position above $34 million.
On the surface, signing Love seems like a luxury signing by Seattle with other far more pressing needs to address with limited salary cap flexibility, especially with the two-year deal being worth up to $12 million. When compared to the one-year, $8 million deal Chauncey Gardner-Johnson signed with Detroit on Sunday, that's borderline starter money invested by Schneider and company for a player who doesn't have a starting spot ready for him at the moment.
However, that's exactly why the Seahawks felt they needed to make this move. If everyone on the depth chart stays healthy, it may be difficult to find defensive snaps for Love. But the past three seasons have proven the franchise can't count on that happening and there's no such thing as too much insurance, particularly when it comes to Adams.
Since being acquired from the Jets before the 2020 season for a pair of first round draft picks and additional compensation, Adams has played at a high level when available. Living up to his billing as a unicorn at the position for his pass rushing prowess as a blitzer and run stopping ability, he registered 83 tackles and an NFL record 9.5 sacks as a defensive back, earning Second-Team All-Pro honors.
Looking to get ahead of the curve when he originally made the trade almost three years ago, Schneider saw flashes of Adams' brilliance playing a hybrid role where he split snaps between playing two-deep coverages and lining up in the box like an extra linebacker to create extra schematic flexibility against modern offenses.
"All the linebackers really look like strong safeties now, you don't have the heavy Mikes or the heavy Jacks anymore. They're really rare." Schneider explained at the NFL combine last month. "So to project those guys to be coming downhill and slamming into guards and everything is pretty hard. That's kind of the easiest way to think about that position, the linebackers, the defensive line, but I would say safety is probably the biggest utility position you can have right now."
Returning from a torn labrum to start the season opener in September 2021 after signing a four-year, $70 million extension during camp, Adams didn't enjoy the same success as a blitzer, failing to record a single sack in 12 games. He did make strides in coverage, however, picking off two passes in four games before he reinjured his shoulder and missed the final five contests.
Injured again in the season opener last September, Jamal Adams has missed 25 regular season games in three seasons with the Seahawks.
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Back healthy in time for training camp last August after multiple offseason surgeries, the Seahawks had exciting plans for the playmaker in a new 3-4 scheme coordinated by Clint Hurtt, including using him as a linebacker in nickel and dime packages. Unfortunately, such grandiose visions never became realized as Adams suffered a torn quad tendon in a season-opening win over the Broncos and missed the final 16 games on injured reserve.
Luckily for Seattle, Neal sat waiting in the wings and once again filled in admirably for Adams, thriving in the box safety role. Building off his starting experience from the two previous seasons, he amassed 66 tackles, an interception, a sack, two forced fumbles, and seven pass breakups to earn 14 points in All-Pro balloting.
Seeing how well the Seahawks have withstood Adams' extended absences the past few years behind Neal's stellar play at a fraction of the cost, it's easy to see why speculation about the safety's future has ran rampant in the aftermath of Love's signing last week. If the franchise has reached the point where they are ready to move on and admit the trade didn't pan out, they could cut him with a post-June 1 designation to create $8.44 million in cap relief.
Based on comments from Schneider as well as coach Pete Carroll, Seattle isn't thinking about turning the page on Adams just yet. Still believing in his unique talents when healthy, they are backing the veteran through his latest challenging setback while banking on him returning to prior All-Pro form this fall.
"When he came out and visited with other guys and checked in, everything's going the way it's supposed to go," Carroll said of Adams' rehab in late February. "It is a difficult recovery. And we went through this with Jimmy [Graham] and so we've been through that before, really intricate and they got to do a really good job. It's always you've got to avoid the setbacks. As long as we can do that, then he should be on schedule and be back."
But while the Seahawks are unlikely to bite the economic bullet and cut ties with Adams right now, the organization isn't taking any chances by spending to not only retain Neal, but also add a young, versatile talent in Love to the mix. Schneider has no intention of being burned again if the talented defender can't avoid injury again and the latter signing carries significant ramifications that show the team has started preparing for a future without him.
Julian Love logged more than 500 snaps with the Giants at free safety, strong safety, and slot cornerback in four NFL seasons.
Due to his versatility and athleticism, Love could vie for playing time out of the slot against incumbent nickel cornerback Coby Bryant while also seeing occasional snaps as a third or even fourth safety in specific sub packages next season. If he impresses and Adams either struggles with durability again or doesn't look like the same player following multiple injuries, Seattle can easily cut the cord next offseason to create $9.3 million in cap relief with a viable replacement already in house.
Having extensive free safety snaps on his resume as well, Love could also be considered an eventual heir for Diggs, who carries a $15.1 million cap hit on the final year of his deal in 2024. Though moving on from Diggs seems like a long-shot given his outstanding ball production and on-field leadership and wouldn't be advised at this point, he will turn 31 years old before the last year of the contract and his release would open up more than $11 million in cap space.
In a best case scenario, with Adams and company flying around the field making plays, Seattle will have a ridiculously deep and talented stable of safeties that give Hurtt and his staff countless options to defend all different types of opponents and schemes. Nobody would complain about that outcome.
The bottom line? While the franchise isn't giving up on Adams bouncing back to his former self and Diggs remains a glue guy on defense, keeping both Love and Neal in the equation now ensures insurance in the present at safety and provides a potential long-term contingency plan beyond next season if necessary while allowing the Seahawks to use draft capital elsewhere.
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