The Seahawks paid quite a price to acquire Jamal Adams as the 2020 season quickly approached, a trade which yielded the Jets a pair of projected starters in 2025.
Over the holiday weekend Field Gulls took a poke at projecting the initial 53 man roster for the 2025 Seattle Seahawks, first looking at the defense before moving on to the offensive side of the ball.
Now, however, it’s time to take a step back and look at a huge trade that almost feels like distant Seahawks history, as the five year anniversary of John Schneider opting to effectively punt on the 2021 NFL Draft because of COVID lockdown restrictions and a limited ability to scout quickly approaches.
Original terms of the Jamal Adams trade
- Seahawks receive: Jamal Adams, 2022 fourth-round pick
- Jets receive: Bradley McDougald, 2021 first-round pick, 2022 first-round pick, 2021 third-round pick
Who did the Jets select with the picks from the Jamal Adams trade
The two picks the Jets received in the 2021 NFL Draft, which settled at pick 23 overall and pick 86 in round three, were both sent to the Minnesota Vikings as part of a package to move up and select guard Alijah Vera-Tucker at pick 14. The Jets also their native third round selection, pick 66, in the trade.
With the 2022 first round pick, which turned out to be the tenth overall selection, following the first losing season for the Seahawks in a decade, the Jets chose wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Through the first three seasons of his career Wilson has recorded 3,249 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns while catching passes from a host of quarterbacks, including Zach Wilson, Mike White, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle, Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor.
Who did the Seahawks select with the pick from the Jamal Adams trade
The fourth-round pick the Seahawks received in the 2022 NFL Draft turned out to be pick 109, and which Seattle used to draft Coby Bryant. After failing to find a home at cornerback early in his career, Bryant moved to safety ahead of the 2024 season and proceeded to record the best season of his career. To date Bryant has played 1,688 defensive snaps, while pulling down a trio of interceptions. Assuming he stays healthy, Bryant should push his snap count total past 2,200 defensive snaps played for the Seahawks during the 2025 campaign.
How was Jamal Adams’ performance for the Seahawks
Adams hit the ground running in 2020, setting an NFL record for defensive backs by recording 9.5 sacks in a season that was cut short by a shoulder injury. In spite of that shoulder injury the Seahawks opted to make Adams the highest paid safety in NFL history ahead of the 2021 season, a season which was unfortunately cut short by another shoulder injury. That was followed up by a 2022 season that ended with a torn quadriceps tendon on just the fifteenth snap of the year.
Adams returned to the field in 2023, but was a shell of his former self, and was released for cap purposes ahead of the 2024 season. He finished his time in Seattle having played 2,189 snaps in 34 games, while recording 9.5 sacks and snagging a pair of interceptions.
Who won the Jamal Adams trade between the Seahawks and Jets
Vera-Tucker has battled injuries during his career, but has proved to be a competent guard when healthy and the Jets opted to exercise the fifth year option to keep him around. Add in the AVT is just 25 years old, though will turn 26 ahead of training camp, and there is ample reason to continue to be excited about his future. At the same time, Wilson has proven to be a dangerous threat at receiver, and at 25 years of age could continue to be a highly productive receiver for the Jets for a very long time, assuming they can figure out who is going to get the ball to him.
On the other side of the trade, in spite of a splashy first season in Seattle, many fans likely wouldn’t even consider Adams the most productive member of the roster that the Seahawks received in the trade. With Bryant showing signs of having a home at safety in Macdonald’s defensive system, the 26 year old has the possibility to stick around and be a member of the roster for several years to come, though that likely won’t be enough to erase the sting of the price paid by the Seahawks.
WINNER: Jets