Seahawks SAFs Training Camp Preview: Bold Predictions, Projected Depth Chart

RENTON, Wash. - Standing out as one of the most unexpected signings in NFL free agency this offseason with Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams already on the roster, the Seattle Seahawks surprised many by handing former New York Giants safety Julian Love a two-year contract worth up to $12 million in March.

After all, prior to agreeing to terms with Love, Seattle already had more than $32 million dollars invested at the safety position for 2023 alone after placing a right of first refusal restricted free agent tender on Ryan Neal to go with massive contracts for Diggs and Adams. With numerous other needs on the roster, the signing instantly created speculation about Adams' future with the team after he missed all but one game last season with a torn quad tendon.

But speaking with reporters at the NFL's annual meetings back in Arizona in March, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll couldn't have been more firm stating that Love's addition wasn't a precursor for moving on from Adams or Diggs and he wasn't signed as a replacement for either. Instead, as he hoped to do the past few years with Neal as part of the trio, he plans to see all three players on the field together extensively, letting their unique skill sets complement one another.

"I know there's some conversation about what we did with Julian, does that have some impact on Jamal or Quandre?" Carroll said. "It doesn't. We have a clear thought of what we're going to do with our guys and how we want to play them, and we feel very fortunate to have all of our guys."

Since acquiring Adams from the New York Jets for multiple first round picks and a third round pick prior to the 2020 season, the Seahawks have been on a mission to utilize three-safety personnel groupings frequently. After transitioning to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Clint Hurtt last summer, they planned to play Adams, Diggs, and Neal together with great frequency, sliding the All-Pro safety to a pseudo-linebacker role in nickel and dime packages.

Unfortunately, making positive early returns moot after a strong start in the season opener, Adams went down in the second quarter of the Week 1 win over Denver, forcing Seattle to adapt on the fly and scrap previous plans once again. Neal eventually supplanted Josh Jones as the new starting strong safety and while players such as Johnathan Abram and Teez Tabor saw a handful of snaps as a third safety late in the season, such sub-packages weren't used often.

By bringing Love into the equation and investing a sixth-round pick in versatile defensive back Jerrick Reed II from New Mexico, even with Neal bolting for the Buccaneers after his tender was rescinded, the Seahawks granted themselves the flexibility to continue deploying three-safety looks on the regular and added extra insurance in case injuries strike again.

Making his intentions clear, Carroll was asked at the league meetings in a follow up if he expected to see Love, Adams, and Diggs, who finished strong with four interceptions in the final seven games last year, play around 25 percent of Seattle's defensive snaps next season. Seeing that baseline as way below expectation, he quickly responded, "Oh no, they'll play together a lot more than that."

Formerly a fourth round pick out of Notre Dame, Love caught Seattle's attention as a free agent target for multiple reasons, including his remarkable positional versatility. Since entering the NFL in 2019, per Pro Football Focus, the Swiss army knife has logged over 500 defensive snaps at both safety spots as well as slot cornerback. He also has played more than 200 snaps as an outside cornerback, further exhibiting his rare flexibility playing everywhere except the defensive line and inside linebacker.

As NFL defenses adapt towards employing more position-less players to counter fast, pass-heavy spread attacks that continue to permeate throughout the league, talents such as Love who can play both safety spots, nickel cornerback, and climb up into the box carry substantial value. Adding in his leadership and football IQ to the equation, Carroll has already been blown away by what he will bring to the mix for an already talented Seattle secondary.

“He’s been fantastic,” Carroll told reporters during Seattle's mandatory minicamp in June. “He’s a young kid still, a young man still. But he’s like he’s been around forever. ... He looked great. I know that it’s been obvious to Quandre that he’s got a guy that really can command what’s going on. And so they’re sharing the duties and working together and growing. And so he’s another guy who made a great first impression on us.”

As for Adams, while many jumped to the conclusion Love's arrival could be the beginning of the end for the talented, oft-injured safety, Carroll has continued to provide position updates on his latest significant injury through the offseason. While it remains unknown whether or not he will open camp on the PUP list as he wraps up rehab, there seems to be guarded optimism about his availability for the start of the regular season.

Now nearly a year removed from surgery, Adams has posted several videos over the past several months on social media participating in activities such as running on the treadmill, doing quick feet drills on stairs, and other workouts, documenting his steady progress as he works back onto the field.

"It sounds like he's doing great," Carroll said of Adams earlier in the spring. "He's pushing it, and he's going to try to bust whatever projections that would keep him from not being ready for the start of the season, he's looking to get that done, and we're counting on it, hoping it."

While the Seahawks hope to have Adams back on the field for the start of training camp, however, Carroll has cautioned that Seattle won't rush him back and make sure to protect the player from himself in regards to hurrying back to action. Until he's 100 percent ready, the team won't force the issue getting him back into a helmet and shoulder pads with hopes he can stay healthy this time around and return to his game-wrecking ways.

Not surprisingly, Adams will open training camp on the PUP list and it remains unknown when he will be activated and return to action.

In the best case scenario, Adams will return to pre-injury form and working alongside Diggs and Love, the safety trifecta will finally fulfill the vision Carroll and his staff have had ever since the blockbuster trade happened nearly three years ago. Until then, the Seahawks will have to exercise patience with the long game in mind, but they have the pieces in place with quality backups in Joey Blount, Reed, and undrafted rookie Jonathan Sutherland to get by until he's ready to roll.

With such intriguing depth and a wide variety of skill sets at the position, Carroll has been scheming like a mad scientist all offseason, including during the recent six-week moratorium between OTAs and training camp, and while Adams' status remains the ultimate wild card, he's eager to put the pieces of the puzzle together on the practice field starting on Wednesday.

"My wheels are turning," he said. "Yes, they've been turning, they aren’t going to stop either. It doesn't matter how long a vacation this is, they aren’t stopping. This is really exciting. The dimensions that we have at the safety position, really, really special."

Projected Depth Chart

Competition to Watch

Blount vs. Reed vs. Sutherland: Based on Carroll's comments and desire to utilize Adams, Diggs, and Love together as a triad defensively, there won't be any drama with those three players atop the depth chart. But behind them, the Seahawks could have a fascinating three-way battle brewing for one or two roster spots, depending on Adams' health at the start of the season.

Continuing Seattle's tradition of finding undrafted gems, Blount used a strong training camp and preseason to snag one of the final spots on the 53-man roster in September and quickly made his mark as a core special teamer making tackles on kick and punt coverage as well as downing punts. Unfortunately, a knee injury landed him on injured reserve and with Reed's arrival as a dynamic do-it-all safety project and Sutherland as a capable successor to Neal as a box safety, it's far from a guarantee he sticks this time around.

Coaches and players alike remain high on Blount, who impressed throughout his rookie season. With that said, Reed comes into the NFL with a more dynamic athletic skill set and was extremely productive at New Mexico while playing both safety spots as well as slot corner at a high level in the Mountain West. That versatility coupled with 4.4 speed, elite explosiveness, and ample special teams experience make him the top candidate to surpass Blount on the depth chart.

Wild Card

Sutherland: A four-year captain at Penn State, Sutherland shouldn't be counted out as a candidate to win a roster spot either, especially after seeing first-team snaps during Seattle's OTAs and minicamp. While he isn't as big as Neal and didn't have gaudy tackle numbers in college, his past experience lining up as a "money" linebacker in the box and physical play style near the line of scrimmage adds extra value from an insurance standpoint if Adams isn't ready for the start of the season. He also excelled as a special teams player for the Nittany Lions, including blocking two punts in one game, so he will be a viable competitor for a spot on the 53.

Bold Predictions

1. Jamal Adams will play 14 or more games for the first time in his four seasons with the Seahawks.

After undergoing multiple surgeries to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, getting his chronically fractured fingers fused, and most recently repairing his torn quad tendon, many fans may understandably be skeptical about Adams staying healthy enough to make an impact for Seattle moving forward. He has missed 25 regular season games in three seasons with the team, struggling mightily to stay on the field.

But prior to joining the Seahawks in 2020, Adams only missed two games in his first three seasons with the Jets. Assuming the team doesn't rush him back and makes sure he has fully recovered from a tricky lower body injury, fingers will be crossed hoping he can buck recent injury misfortune and round back into form as one of the NFL's best defensive weapons. With Love's presence potentially helping limit his workload upon his return to ease him back in, there's reason to believe he can stay healthy this time around, which would be a major difference maker for Carroll's defense.

2. Quandre Diggs will join Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon as one of three Seahawks to record at least four interceptions.

Based on his track record, this shouldn't necessarily be viewed as a bold take from an individual perspective. The ball-hawking Diggs has picked off four passes in each of the past three seasons for Seattle, earning Pro Bowl honors each time, and has at least three interceptions in six straight seasons, the longest streak in the NFL currently.

But interceptions can be hard to come by year-to-year and the team hasn't had three defensive backs pick off four or more passes in the same season since they won the Super Bowl back in 2013. However, with Woolen and Witherspoon setting up shop at the boundary positions, quarterbacks will be pressing their luck throwing their direction. Meanwhile, Diggs has been an eraser taking away posts and seam routes in center field and with an improved corner group and pass rush, he may have more opportunities to get his hands on the ball by default, setting this secondary up for a historic season.

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