The Seattle Seahawks upped the stakes in what’s sure to be a hotly contested race for the NFC West crown. Last year’s division runner up agreed to a trade with the New York Jets that will send All-Pro safety Jamal Adams to the Pacific Northwest. The Seahawks will send safety Bradley McDougald, a 2021 first-round pick, a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 first-round pick to the Jets for Adams and a 2021 fourth-round choice. San Francisco’s defense of their NFC West title gets a little bit more difficult with that addition for Seattle.
The 49ers and Seahawks split their season series last year with the road team earning a victory in the final moments in each contest. San Francisco’s thrilling Week 17 win in Seattle clinched their first division title since 2012.
Adams will join a very good secondary that already featured safety Quandre Diggs and cornerback Shaquill Griffin. His ability to line up all over the field is one way to help combat an offense as diverse as Kyle Shanahan’s. There aren’t many players in the league capable of hanging with players like Deebo Samuel and George Kittle in coverage, but Adams is one of them. He’s also an excellent run defender which may actually be the more relevant piece of his expansive skill set when facing the 49ers.
There were some whispers on the internet that San Francisco was interested in trading for Adams. They were one of the seven teams on his list of preferred destinations according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. No reports of an offer ever surfaced though. Instead, Adams is joining the 49ers’ biggest rival just in time for the rivalry to reach a boiling point again. Had he joined the 49ers, they might’ve run away with the NFC West. By joining the Seahawks, it ensures the division race will be tight again in 2020.
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