Ex-Jets All-Pro's surprise position switch sparking late-career resurgence

There was a time not too long ago when Jamal Adams was one of the best defensive players in the NFL. A two-time All-Pro with the New York Jets, Adams was viewed as a cornerstone piece of the franchise’s future and one of the most dominant safeties in football.

Needless to say, a lot has happened since then. Adams was shipped to the Seattle Seahawks in a blockbuster trade, only to see his career derailed by injuries and inconsistencies.

Once a rising star of the league, Adams spent the last few years bouncing around rosters on the fringes of the NFL. However, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, a long-overdue position switch might finally have unlocked the next chapter of his career.

Adams made his debut for the Raiders as a linebacker in Sunday's Week 1 win over the New England Patriots, and the former Jets first-round pick turned back the clock a few years with a stellar performance.

Ex-Jets safety Jamal Adams thriving in new LB role with Raiders

Adams played 35% of the Raiders' defensive snaps, posting an elite 90.9 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked second among all linebackers in the NFL. He recorded three run stops, two pressures, and allowed just one catch for five yards in coverage.

Adams signed a one-year deal with the Raiders prior to the start of training camp, reuniting him with former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. He was expected to compete for a roster spot after splitting last season between the Tennessee Titans and Detroit Lions.

The LSU product was one of the Raiders' most impressive preseason performers, not only earning a roster spot but carving out a role on defense in the process. The switch to linebacker is already paying off.

Injuries have derailed much of Adams’ career, but at 29, he looks healthier than he has in years. Raiders fans are already calling for the former All-Pro to take on a larger role in the defense moving forward.

The move to linebacker feels like a natural progression for Adams at this stage of his career. His downhill explosiveness, physicality in the box, and knack for disrupting plays near the line of scrimmage have always been his calling cards, while his struggles in deep coverage were well-documented.

By shifting him closer to the action, the Raiders are putting him in a position to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. That's a formula that could give Adams the best chance to recapture some of the dominance he once showed in New York.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll have the support of Jets fans, many of whom are still bitter about how his exit from Florham Park played out. Any resurgence he enjoys will likely be cheered everywhere but New York.

But if this position switch really does unlock a second act for Jamal Adams, the Raiders may have just stumbled onto one of the league’s most unexpected late-career turnarounds.

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