Grade the Signing: Vikings GM Nolan Teasley takes a swing at adding a potentially impactful defensive weapon
Nolan Teasley hasn’t made a big swing yet since being named general manager, but he made a decent sized swing on Monday night.
The Minnesota Vikings wasted no time making a move once players reported to training camp, signing former Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams to what figures to be a veteran minimum deal.
Adams, the former 4th overall pick, no longer plays safety. He has transitioned to linebacker, and that transition is what makes this signing so fascinating for Brian Flores’ defense. Why did they choose to bring in Adams? There are a few different reasons.
Nolan Teasley connection
The dots are easy to connect here. Ahead of the 2020 season, the Seattle Seahawks traded two first-round picks to the New York Jets to acquire Adams. Vikings assistant general manager Nolan Teasley was on Seattle’s pro personnel side at the time and played a role in acquiring Adams. He was someone who could reshape the Seahawks’ defense with the Legion of Boom era fading out.
That first year in Seattle worked out well. Adams earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors with 9.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 14 quarterback hits. He was a dominant box safety who could blitz, stop the run, and wreak havoc near the line of scrimmage. The problem was always coverage on the back end, where Adams would get burned deep.
Adams made 3 Pro Bowls and 3 All-Pro teams across his career, including a first-team selection in 2019 with the Jets. After that initial strong season in Seattle, though, things fell apart. He played 12 games in 2021, just one game in 2022, and nine in 2023 before the Seahawks moved on. He has not been able to stay healthy, and that remains a legitimate concern heading into Year 10.
What Jamal Adams brings to Brian Flores’ defense
Adams spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, playing 17 games and starting four as a linebacker. His grades were modest (67.0 overall, 71.4 in pass rush, 69.2 in coverage, 62.3 in run defense), but the tackling grade of 36.5 needs significant improvement if he wants to stick with Flores.
The appeal is clear. Adams is exactly the type of player Flores has prioritized throughout his tenure. He can drop into coverage, blitz from the A-gap, rush from depth, move laterally or linearly. You can ask him to do a little bit of everything, and he creates schematic flexibility that Flores craves.
Pairing Adams with Josh Metellus creates an intriguing combination of box-capable, versatile players. With Adams and Jake Golday both able to blur the line between linebacker and defensive back, Flores could deploy more 3-3-5 looks or run a 4-3 base with two corners and two safeties while keeping players on the field who handle multiple responsibilities.
Potential implications for Ivan Pace Jr.
This signing is a potential signal. It could mean the Vikings aren’t fully confident Jake Golday is ready yet, given his lack of traditional linebacker experience. Golday is a strong blitzer who sets the edge well and covers in the slot, but the full linebacker role is still developing.
More pointedly, Adams’ arrival could spell the end for Ivan Pace Jr. Adams is likely signing for the veteran minimum ($1.3 million), while Pace carries a $3.52 million cap number. If Adams can contribute on special teams, the math gets uncomfortable for Pace quickly. That’s a conversation we’ve had for months with Pace.
We need to be realistic
For all the schematic excitement, the realistic perspective matters. Adams is entering Year 10. He has never been a full-time linebacker. The Vikings signed him the day before veterans reported to training camp, which is not exactly a ringing endorsement. He has bounced from the Seahawks to the Lions, Titans, and Raiders over the past three years. Seattle didn’t buy into the sunk cost fallacy after trading two first-round picks for him, and they took dead money to move on.
Adams will likely need a couple weeks to acclimate. He may use the preseason games to find his footing before the coaching staff makes a final determination on his roster spot
The signing grades out well on the risk-reward scale. Low cost, high potential upside, and zero regret if it doesn’t work. The Teasley connection, the Flores schematic fit, and the competition it creates at linebacker all make this a worthwhile addition. Whether Adams can translate the idea into on-field production at this stage of his career is the question that training camp will answer.
Grade: B+
