If this offseason has proven nothing else to Las Vegas Raiders fans, they at least know by now how heavily Pete Carroll was influencing John Spytek's decision-making in his first season as the GM. Chiefly, the contingent of former Seattle Seahawks brought to Las Vegas was both large and a failure.
Geno Smith and Stone Forsythe were unmitigated disasters, Kyu Blu Kelly was given too long a leash, and Tyler Lockett and Jon Rhattigan never did anything. Jamal Adams, however, was the lone former Seahawk who actually made a good impression during his time in Las Vegas.
After humbly accepting a position switch from safety to linebacker, a project Carroll was actually right about, Adams performed well in his lone season with the Raiders. But he wasn't re-signed by Spytek this offseason, and he went months and months without finding a home.
But just when his NFL mortality seemed to be lurking, he signed with a team before training camp. And it is the perfect fit for Adams at this stage in his career.
Former Raiders LB Jamal Adams signs with Vikings for 10th NFL season
Adams announced on Monday that he was signing with the Minnesota Vikings for his 10th NFL season. And as both credible analysts and former players noted immediately, this is a hand-in-glove fit for both Adams and the Vikings.
Not only was new Minnesota general manager Nolan Teasley in the Seattle front office when they made a blockbuster trade for Adams all those years ago, which helps with comfortability, but DC Brian Flores is the exact right coach with the precise scheme and style to get the most out of Adams.
Flores' defense is aggressive and pressure-based, and he values versatile players with speed who aren't afraid of big collisions. For anyone who watched Adams settle into the linebacker role last year in Las Vegas, that describes him to a T.
As a backer with tons of experience as a defensive back, though, Flores can blur the lines between the positions and confuse opposing offenses. Adams' ability to drop into coverage and control the flats while also being a blitzing threat and a major help in the run game is coveted by Flores.
It was never going to work out in the long term for Adams in Las Vegas, simply because his fate was tied to Carroll's, and the Raiders wanted to rebuild this offseason. A player entering his age-31 season doesn't really fit that timeline.
However, Adams was one of the few pieces of the Silver and Black's defense that wasn't a net negative during the 2025 NFL season, and he played his role about as well as he could. He's not a game-changer anymore or a guy you build your game plan around, but Adams can contribute.
And if he can clean up some of the missed tackle issues that kept him off the field at times in Las Vegas last year, then he can stave off the NFL's grim reaper even longer. Adams' arrival at Raiders HQ was confusing and a bit disconcerting, but he quickly worked his way into the fanbase's good graces.
Good for Adams extending his shelf life and finding another home; a great one, at that.
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