Seahawks safety Jamal Adams spoke to members of the Seattle media for the first time on Thursday. (Getty)
For the first time as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, safety Jamal Adams spoke to members of the Seattle media on Thursday about joining his new team and the trade that brought him to the Pacific Northwest.
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The roughly 40-minute discussion saw Adams, 24, talk about who he is as a player, person, and teammate and how he ended up being the Seahawks’ newest member after three great seasons with the New Jets. York.
Great first press conference with the media @Seahawks. Thanks for the warm hug. Hopefully we can all speak safely in person soon!
– Jamal Adams (@Prez) July 30, 2020
We can’t cover everything Adams discussed, so here are five big conclusions from Adams’ first press conference in Seattle.
1) He is excited to be a Seahawk and was pretending to be in Seattle.
After the first reports that Adams wanted to be traded from New York, it was soon reported that Adams had a list of teams he would like to trade for, a list that included the Seahawks.
“The teams that were there, and this is not taking away from the other teams, I just thought that these were the best for me,” Adams said. “I have a lot of respect in the league for a lot of teams and coaches, a lot of players as well, and I felt that Seattle was a top notch organization from top to bottom.”
Adams noted that the organization has drafted and developed key players like Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright who “have done it and seen it all” and have a Super Bowl ring to prove it. That was just one of the many reasons why Adams said Seattle really was at the top of his preferred choices.
“Having a great locker room, that brotherhood they talk about here, that’s what it’s about, man,” Adams said. “I knew Seattle was definitely the perfect place for me, I just couldn’t go out there and say it.”
When Adams learned that the exchange was nearing completion last weekend, he said he “burst into tears of joy,” but he also had some mixed emotions due to the relationships he had in New York. But after last week’s whirlwind, Adams believes Seattle is the place for him.
“I am going to miss a lot of guys there, but at the end of the day, this is my vocation, this is where I have to be and this is where I was supposed to be,” he said. “… I am here to stay and I am excited to be a Seattle Seahawk like I said and really, I am overwhelmed, but at the same time it is so surreal to be close to a great organization like Seattle and to be trained by legendary coaches, coaches from the Salon de Fame, playing with the Hall of Fame from Russ to Bobby, KJ, Bruce Irvin, Quandre Diggs, the list goes on and on. I’m excited to be here, I’m here to help and I can’t wait to get out in front of the 12 ” .
2) You are not concerned about a new deal, but you want to retire in Seattle.
One big reason Adams, a 2019 All-Pro First Team, wanted to leave New York was because of a new contract that the team reportedly didn’t want to give him at the time. Now Adams is with a new team in Seattle and still signed until 2021 on his original five-year rookie contract.
While contract talks were one of the main reasons he left the Jets, that’s not something he’s looking for now with the Seahawks.
“That’s not something I’m really focused on,” he said. “Obviously, those things will resolve on their own. Again, I’m here to play ball. (General manager John Schneider) and coach Pete Carroll, those guys brought me over and I’m here to play soccer, man. I’m here to help those guys win or keep winning, I must say, and as I said, we’ll let those other things take care of themselves. “
The Seahawks invested heavily in Adams, giving up the team’s next two first-round picks, a 2021 third-round pick and security veteran Bradley McDougald, leading many to believe that Adams will eventually sign a lucrative contract extension. long-term. Adams would be on board with that.
“The plan is to retire here, you know what I mean? That is my plan, ”he said. “But obviously, those things handle themselves. All you have to do is go to the field and act, do the right thing on and off the field and those things will take care of themselves. “
3) Sounds like a Pete Carroll boy.
Adams’ new head coach is known for his love of competition. Adams tested that philosophy in college at LSU, where he played for Ed Orgeron, who was a key assistant at USC under Carroll. Adams told reporters that Orgeron used the Seahawks’ practice themes such as “Competition Tuesday” and “Rotation Thursday” at LSU.
Carroll always preaches competing for roles and playtime, and Adams is everything for that.
“At the end of the day, I am here to compete. There is no starting role for me, I have to win it, and that’s what it’s always about for me, ”she said. “You don’t just find yourself in a situation and expect to be there. There is a lot of talent here, a lot of guys fighting for those positions and, at the end of the day, nobody really has a starting position yet. “
Carroll’s number 1 rule is “protect the team” and Adams appears to be on board, saying he will do whatever he is asked to do to make the team succeed.
“Whatever these guys want me to do, I said to Bobby the other day, we talked for a long time in person and I said, ‘I’m here to help you. I’m here to help them, I’m here to help Russ, I’m here to help the whole team, man, ‘because the ultimate goal is to get to the big dance and I’m just here to help, man, ”Adams said.
And his new head coach has experience in defensive backs, especially security. Adams said he is excited to learn from him and play for him.
“Pete is a boy who said the first time we had a conversation” I’m going to let you be you. “He is not going to change me, he is going to help me, he is going to train me and that is what I want. I want to be trained I want to be trained tough, “Adams said. “… I feel totally 100% when it comes to Pete putting me in the right positions to make plays and he’s a guy who’s been around the ball for a long, long time … I’m excited to learn from him and as I said I’m very lucky to be in this situation. “
4) He is paired with one of his best friends.
The Seahawks made a trade for safety last year also at Diggs, who in five games of the regular season in 2019 had three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), as well as a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Seattle’s defense seemed to be able to take the ball much better with Diggs on the field, so when it emerged that Adams would be joining the Seahawks, many were excited at the prospect of those two joining at the rear of the defense of Seattle.
What can help that relationship on the field is the fact that those two are already extremely close.
When Diggs was playing college ball in Texas, Adams was a high school student and made a recruiting visit to Texas. Diggs hosted Adams on the visit, and although Adams chose LSU instead of Texas, the two became great friends.
“Quandre and I have been close since then. Even when I was in Detroit, we talked literally every day, “said Adams.
As you would expect from two good friends in the league, they have discussed playing as teammates.
“He would hit me and say, ‘Man, I like that play you made,’ and I would hit him and say, ‘Man, you’re playing,'” Adams said. “Whatever it is, we have always talked and he is like a brother to me. We have known each other for a long time and we always talk about ‘What would happen if we played together, man?’ ”
Acts! ✊🏾 https://t.co/iKLB8ievJ7
– Nino (@ qdiggs6) July 30, 2020
Adams called Diggs last year after it was announced that he was being traded to the Seahawks from Detroit. Adams said he told Diggs how he was going to a great team and organization where he could prosper.
“And look where we are now, do you know what I mean?” Adams said.
Diggs was also one of the first people Adams called last weekend as the exchange was nearing completion despite his agent telling him not to tell anyone.
“It was Saturday and my agent said, ‘Don’t tell anyone that they are going to move you to Seattle.’ And I was like, ‘Okay,’ and I called Quandre and said, ‘Man, it could happen. It could happen,'” Adams said. with a big smile on his face. “… It finally happened and he called me and he was excited, I was excited and I’m excited to play with him.”
5) He is all-in and wants to make a new legacy for the defense.
Leaving New York after contractual disputes, asking for an exchange, and also giving a revealing interview with the New York Daily News on why he felt the organization was off the track has led some to speculate that it could be a locker room problem or not the best teammate. He says that is not a problem with him at all.
“I think these guys know that, man,” she said, referring to him being “all-inclusive.” “They know and I’ve had conversations with a couple of guys, not all the guys yet, but these guys know that I’m here to play ball.” This is how I am. I’m not a locker room distraction, I’ve never had a problem in my life growing up, it just never happened. Anyone who has been my teammate or knows me will tell you that I am far from a problem. All I want to do is win and bring the best. “
When asked what he is wearing in the locker room, Adams said, “Lots of fun and juice, man. Lots of energy. I’m a fun guy, but when it comes to ball, we’re talking about ball and we’re getting down to business. ”
With the acquisition of Adams and players like Diggs cornerback and Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin, some have speculated that the Seahawks may have a second version of the Legion of Boom, which featured perennial members of Pro Bowlers and All -Pro, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. It is safe to say that Adams was a fan of that group.
“I respect everyone who was in the Boom Legion. I used to see those guys from Earl to (chancellor) to (Sherman), ”Adams said of his time in college. “… I used to see these guys and get inspired by the energy, passion and love they played with and I always had that passion and energy, so I admired him from afar. These guys play very hard and that’s what I know. it’s about this building, it’s about winning, and you can’t ask for anything better. “
As for the goals or expectations of being “LOB 2.0”, Adams said that is not the goal.
“Your chapter ended with a defensive group and a defensive group, we have to create our own legacy, right?” he said.
You can watch the full Adams press conference at this link.
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