He was blitzed almost constantly b/c the team had no other effective pass rushers until late in the season. The collective defence was absolutely awful but that wasn't on Adams who was a rare bright spot along with a slowing Wagner and Wright. He actually got 9.5 sacks in his first season and to me showed he was worth the trade.
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He was being blitzed so much because there was no other pass rusher AND because he was being torched in coverage. 9.5 sacks looks great on paper. but when a defense is giving up historical numbers, is it really that impressive? Those 9.5 sacks were practically meaningless.
Last season for some reason the bright spark KNJ decided to have Adams play back which was difficult to understand when he had previously shown such success playing forward, Adams' stats suffered and he re-injured his previously repaired labrum shortening and ending an inconsistent and unproductive season. Adams had not had a significant injury history previously either. I'd bet he's back after being cleared to play this season and playing at the level he has shown for the best part of his pro career.
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Adams has had two straight seasons now of surgeries and shoulder injuries. What he was before doesnt matter at this point. Chances are high he will end up injured again this season. It will be a chronic problem with him for the rest of his career.
The team traded 2 firsts and 3rd to the Jets for a top player who had been elected to the Pro Bowl 3 times in his first 4 seasons. Adams to this point had shown no difficulty in covering and had a good number of passes defended. There is no doubt the team paid a top price for Adams but Adams was a top level player then and still is a top level player. The idea that the team burned itself by trading for Adams is historical reconstruction seeming based upon some unfounded belief that he can't cover based upon a situation of positional misuse. Frankly the whole freaking D under KNJ couldn't cover that well. The idea he can't cover is inconsistent withe the totality of his play as a pro.
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Have you even watched him in Seattle? Guy gets burnt on a regular basis. Pass coverage is not his strength no matter how you want to twist it.
Adams is a fierce player who lifts the guys around him with his competitive energy and his physicality. It's not hard to understand why the team traded a late first and a 3rd for Adams in last years draft. I doubt they even thought the D would continue to suck as bad as it did this last season or that RW would so publicly indicate he wanted out while not playing well in the new scheme of Coach Waldron. To most observers it was hard to understand why Norton was playing Adams back instead of ahead but Norton's continuing ineptitude as a DC was now totally revealed. There is now a new scheme and the new defensive staff have promised to use Adams genuine skills better. He will prove he was worth the the trade.
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Adams was a typical luxury pick when the team couldnt afford it. The team needed pass rushers and Carroll bought a band-aid to cover up the wound (as usual). Him proving he was worth the trade is being very optimistic. In order to do so, he would have to ball like a HOFamer every season because that was the scope of the trade.
I'm certain the the team is happy with Adams and they did pay him as they believed he was worth a top level contract as top level SS. Kvetching about spent draft capital is fine but Adams helped the team through a period where they had no other pass rush or KNJ was too dumb to organize it.
Adams is an elite player and makes the Seahawks a better team.
Adams didnt help the team when there was no pass rush. The defense was on pace to give up more yards through the air than any team ever. The defense didnt settle in until Dunlap signed mid season. Adams did nothing to make that defense better. It was actually worse.
It was a horrible trade all around.
