Three-time Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams reportedly requested his release from the Tennessee Titans, and the 1-4 club honored his request. A first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the LSU product quickly established himself as one of the most ferocious run-stuffing safeties in the league. After earning two Pro Bowl appearances in his first three years, the rebuilding New York Jets sent him to the Seattle Seahawks where he continued his high level of play. In 2020, he earned Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro honors for the third consecutive season.
Unfortunately, the wheels soon fell off the wagon. Injuries limited Adams to 22 games over the next three seasons, and the bruises combined with natural aging made him a liability in coverage. The Seahawks had no choice but to release Jamal Adams during the 2024 offseason, and he eventually signed with the Titans. However, the safety recorded just four tackles while appearing in three games, and is again looking for a change of scenery. While he’ll never be the player he once was, the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints could kick the tires on the veteran.
Ravens, Saints Could Pursue Jamal Adams After Release
Following the Seattle release, the Baltimore Ravens were one of the first teams to publicly display interest in Jamal Adams. While they ultimately went with former Chicago Bear Eddie Jackson, they could revisit that decision in the coming weeks. According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson has a 51.8 overall grade on the season while recording an abysmal 154.2 passer rating when targeted. These struggles are representative of the entire defense, as Baltimore ranks 23rd in EPA/play allowed, something you rarely see from John Harabugh’s squad.
Jamal Adams won’t do much to improve the coverage, but he could bolster the run defense after his Titans release. At this stage in his career, Adams lacks the speed to handle deep safety responsibilities and is at his best near the line of scrimmage. If he’s open to it, Baltimore could turn him into a pseudo-linebacker, playing him on early downs and asking him to deliver punishing hits in the box. Perhaps his days of being a three-down player are done, but Adams can prolong his career if he accepts a more limited role that plays to his remaining strengths.
Injury Reinforcements
Few teams, if any, have dealt with more injuries than the New Orleans Saints. Following their 2-0 start, the Saints dropped four straight games in large thanks to the absurd amount of bad luck they’ve taken on the injury front. While players like Derek Carr, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and effectively the entire offensive line justifiably earn the headlines, New Orleans also has Tyrann Mathieu playing through a bad forearm. While Mathieu doesn’t plan on missing time, New Orleans should still check in with Jamal Adams after the release.
Tyrann Mathieu is a versatile safety who can play in the box and deep in the secondary. While injuries can happen on any play, it’s safe to assume that the more physical, contact-heavy trenches could irritate his forearm more than playing deep coverage. Signing Jamal Adams could allow Mathieu to spend more time playing deep, putting less stress on one of the Saints few healthy players as they hope to weather this injury storm and save their season.
