I think if he hadn’t been injured the team would have gotten more from him. He was special his first year here.
Presently he’s an overpriced and underperforming questionable liability. He’s still got quality instincts but he’s not got much ball hawking ability. He’s a tweener in reality, neither SS nor OLB.
I doubt anyone thinks the team didn’t overpay to acquire him.
Don’t know if he’s playing hurt but he seems late to arrive at his assignments which could indicate he lost his speed.
You have to remember what our pass rush was like when we first signed him in 2020. It was so inept that at one point, we were on pace to have a historically bad season in that department. Adams stepped into that void and thrived.
But it didn't take offenses long to figure him out. In 2021, his numbers dropped off dramatically. Anytime he threatened to blitz, the offense moved a tight end or running back to his side to account for him.
I can't attribute his being late to his assignments to his injuries. The man just doesn't have good reactions. You said it yourself when you noted his lack of ball hawking ability. We've all seen him drop interceptions, had them bounce off his facemask or something. It's the same problem he has in coverage. By the time he reacts to a receiver coming into his zone, the receiver is already past him and he has to chase him. No one is going to catch up with a guy like Deebo Samuel when they react as slowly as he does.