What the Titans signing free agent safety Jamal Adams means for Amani Hooker
The Tennessee Titans raised plenty of eyebrows across the football world on Thursday morning as the team signed free agent safety Jamal Adams to a one-year deal. The Titans were in need of safety help, but many thought Tennessee would be in the market for a free safety to pair with Amani Hooker. General manager […]
The Tennessee Titans raised plenty of eyebrows across the football world on Thursday morning as the team signed free agent safety Jamal Adams to a one-year deal.
The Titans were in need of safety help, but many thought Tennessee would be in the market for a free safety to pair with Amani Hooker. General manager Ran Carthon's decision to ink Adams reveals the Titans could view Hooker as the team's starting free safety in 2024.
Like Adams, Hooker has plenty of experience playing at strong safety. However, Hooker's ball skills and playmaking ability gives the Titans the option to let him play more freely and contribute more in pass defense than he has up to this point.
On the flip side, Adams might be at the point in his career where he could entertain a switch to linebacker. Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson coached Adams with the New York Jets from 2017-2019 serving as the team's defensive backs coach, so he is familiar with the strengths and weaknesses in the LSU product's game.
Adams has spent the entirety of his seven-year career playing at the strong safety spot. His hard-nosed approach to defense helped him earn Pro Bowl honors in three consecutive seasons from 2018-2020. Adams spends most of his playing down in the box and posted 39 tackles for loss in his first four seasons along with 9.5 sacks in 2020 which is the most single season sacks for a defensive back in NFL history.
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has struggled mightily with injuries throughout his career and has played in just 10 games in the past two seasons. Far from reliable as of late, Adams will have to earn a role no matter where he plans to play within Wilson's defensive scheme.
At the end of the day the addition of Adams is one that doesn't involve much risk on a one-year contract. Wilson was there when Adams was playing the best football in his career, so it will be interesting to see just how he deploys the Titans' newest addition in training camp.
