Pete Carroll doesn’t even want to give the Jets this one.
The Jets have the Seahawks’ first-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL Draft thanks to the Jamal Adams trade, and with Seattle scuttling at 4-8, it would currently be the No. 5 pick. On top of that, the Seahawks lost Adams for the year with a shoulder injury this week.
Still, the Seahawks coach declared it a “terrific trade for us” in an interview with SiriusXM on Wednesday.
The hosts of the show, Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller, noted some of the critiques around the trade and of Adams himself.
“To get a guy who is a top-5, top-10 player in the draft (Adams was selected No. 6 in 2017) you have to give up at least one to get there,” said Carroll of Adams, who is a three-time Pro Bowler.
“When you think of it that way, then the guy gets to play for you immediately. You don’t have to wait for the draft and develop him and all that kind of stuff. It was a terrific trade for us. He’s had a huge impact for us. He had a great year for us statistically last year. A lot of the attention went to the sacks, which kind of dried up for us this year… they are targeting 33, he’s not getting neglected at all. He still made a ton of plays and is an inspirational player, too. He has a real fire about him.”
The deal sent the star safety to Seattle for two first-round picks (2021, 2022), a third-round pick, and safety Bradley McDougald.
From the Jets’ perspective, McDougald is a free agent now, and they used the 2021 draft pick to trade up for USC guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, who has started all 12 games this season. What the Jets do with this year’s pick will likely determine just how much of a win this trade will be for their franchise.
For the Seahawks, though, it is hard to argue this was a good trade, let alone terrific. Adams has been a solid player for them when healthy, but does not play a premium position and has struggled in coverage for large stretches. The Seahawks were eliminated in the wild-card round last season and are a long shot to reach the postseason this year. They did, however, sign Adams to a four-year, $70 million extension this offseason to keep him with the franchise long-term.
“Unfortunately, he got hit just the wrong way and he’s going to have to get fixed up,” Carroll said Wednesday of Adams’ shoulder injury. “He’s been through this before and he’s really rocked by it, of course. We are all pulling for him to come out and get back at this thing as soon as possible. I’m really disappointed for him, as well as us.”
The Seahawks take on the Texans on Sunday, hoping to keep their bleak playoff hopes alive.
