They say as things change, they tend to stay the same. 

And in 2023, the key to the Seattle Seahawks defense isn't going to be a new rookie or a new free agent signing, but instead, it will be a familiar face — Jamal Adams — who suffered through injuries in 2022 that limited his ability to be an impact player. 

The splashy move of the summer, signing New York Giants safety Julian Love to a contract with Seattle, brought much fanfare and earned the organization praise on post-free agency power rankings. That celebration is fair. Despite the uncertainty around Adam's role, media personality and former Seattle Seahawks quarterback turned media personality Brock Huard explained why he believes Adams is still good enough to be an impact player in Seattle's secondary. 

“Even at the end of last year, not as an excuse nor an explanation, but you did hear (Seahawks defensive coordinator) Clint Hurtt and those guys say, ‘Yeah, once we lost Jamal, we lost some of our playbooks, we lost some of what we were going to do, that we had plans to do this season to adapt some of our schemes to be a little bit creative,'” Huard said in a recent edition of Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports. “And that was the one area not just in personnel – the Jimmies and the Joes – but the X’s and O’s last year. There just wasn’t a ton of creativity very often.”

Love started every game last season for a Giants team that won a playoff game, Huard remains convinced Adams is the center of Seattle's defense.

“The ability to be creative and use big nickel [a defensive formation with three safeties] and play Jamal down where Jamal is best," Huard explains. "And that really is a nickel linebacker in his feel for the run game and his ability to tackle near the line of scrimmage.”

Currently, the central question about Seattle's defense entering training camp will surround Adams' health and his position. The three-time All-Pro was at his best in 2020, when he set an NFL record with 9.5 sacks.

The good news is that Seattle head coach Pete Carroll believes that Adams will play a factor for the Seahawks in 2023. 

"We've sent our guys out to see him about 10 days ago and he's coming in in the next couple weeks, too, so we're keeping track," Carroll said to Brady Henderson of ESPN. "It sounds like he's doing great. He's pushing it and he's going to try to bust whatever projections that would keep him from … being ready for the start of the season. He's looking to get that done. We're counting on it, hoping it.

"I know there's some conversation that what we did with Julian, does that have some impact on Jamal or Quandre — 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 our guys."

As things stand, Seattle and Adams are linked. And he the star defensive back may play a massive role for Seattle come training camp of the 2023 NFL season. When things change, they tend to stay the same.