Seahawks have reportedly given Jamal Adams a ‘take it or leave it’ offer

As Jamal Adams continues to “hold-in”, the Seattle Seahawks have reportedly given him a final offer.

The Seattle Seahawks have two contract situations on their hands during training camp, as safety Jamal Adams and left tackle Duane Brown stage what can best be called “hold-ins” as they await an extension. On the Adams front, according to Adam Jude and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, the Seahawks made what they consider a final offer last Friday.

According to Jude and Condotta, the two sides were roughly $4 million apart in annual compensation when camp began. The Seahawks’ “final’ offer was reportedly a four-year, $70 million deal with roughly $38 million guaranteed. That would make Adams the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

Going further, the Seahawks apparently want linebacker Bobby Wagner ($18 million average per year) to remain the highest-paid defensive player on the team. Adams’ representatives reportedly countered with a proposal that would include $40 million guaranteed, rather than $38 million. Adams’ camp also wants to move bonus money into the first three years of the deal, while the Seahawks want to spread it over all four.

Jamal Adams has solid leverage on the Seahawks

In July of 2020, the Seahawks traded two first-round picks (2021 and 2022), a 2021 third-round pick and safety Bradley McDougald for Adams and a 2022 fourth-rounder. He was everything he was expected to be in his first season, with 83 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits and 9.5 sacks in 12 games last year.

But Seattle’s defense was record-pace abysmal early last season, due in part to Adams’ absence for four games, before improving as the schedule also got softer. But they still finished just 22nd in the league in total defense, and 31st against the pass. That won’t cut it for a coach with defensive roots like Pete Carroll.

The notion the Seahawks may be hesitant to extend Brown, Russell Wilson’s blindside protector, even as contract talks with Adams have stalled, proves the three-time Pro Bowl safety’s leverage. What Seattle had to give up to get him practically requires him to stick around longer than two years.

Without knowing all the terms of the counter-proposal offer by Adams’ agent, it seems odd to quibble over $2 million in guaranteed money and the structure of bonus payouts if that’s the case. But this stare-down is bound to be won by Adams, as long as he’s willing to keep withholding his services.