An unforeseen Jets-Seahawks rivalry is heating up.
Not even a day has passed since Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams claimed Jamal Adams 'may get bored' in the Seahawks' defense, and Pete Carroll has already countered.
"Well let's just pass it back: we don't make as many mistakes as he does," Carroll on Thursday. "Let's let him have a chance to come back. We might as well do something coast-to-coast -- that will be fun."
Adams, who Seattle acquired two weeks ago via trade, joins a Cover 3 scheme in Seattle that has produced numerous All-Pro defensive backs and, of course, the Legion of Boom defense that once dominated the NFL. Coming off a first-team All-Pro bid in 2019, Adams will assume the strong safety position, which was facilitated by Kam Chancellor during Seattle's glory days. Adams brings a different dynamic than the hard-hitting Chancellor, however, especially when it comes to his knack as a pass-rusher having notched 12 sacks in just three years as a pro.
Will he be utilized the same way in Seattle?
"Gosh, we're so simple here you know and basically we probably won't get to that stuff. That might be a good idea, thanks for bringing it up.," Carroll joked before explaining an interesting caveat to the 2020 offseason. "I'm not telling you what we're doing with the guy. C'mon, what do you think? You think we're just going to give our hand away? We don't have to. See, there's no preseason games, so nobody's going to know. We're not going to know what the other guys are doing, they're not going to know what we're going to do, and so the first couple weeks of the season are going to be a little different than they've been in the past, which will be exciting for the coaches to try to play that chess game. We will see when the time comes. Certainly, I will be much more tight-lipped than ever before because we don't have to show anything."
While Carroll wasn't going to reveal detailed plans for the Seahawks' new weapon, the coach recognized Adams has the capabilities to do it all. Of course, Carroll's answer to what Adams brings to Seattle would first come with another friendly jab at the Jets DC.
"Well, he's not bringing Gregg Williams with him, that's for sure," Carroll quipped. "C'mon Gregg, fire back. Let's have some fun with this."
Fortunately for all parties involved, including the fans, the New York Jets will visit Seattle in Week 14, and this newfound rivalry will get its first chapter.
"(Adams) is a very versatile football player and there is a bunch of stuff he can do," Carroll said. "I've had the good fortune of coaching some really good safeties over the years and there's reason to believe that this guy can do just about anything the other guys have ever done, so that's a cool part of his game that he brings. We will see how all that works out for us when we get to the ball games."
