Seahawks GM John Schneider says George Kittle factored into Jamal Adams trade

The NFC West is undoubtedly the best division in football, and it got even better when the Seattle Seahawks traded for All-Pro safety Jamal Adams.

Seahawks’ GM John Schneider hopped on NBC Sports’ Peter King’s podcast, and was asked about what motivated him to give up a 2021 first-round and third-round pick, a 2022 first-round pick and safety Bradley McDougald to the New York Jets for Adams (h/t NBC Bay Area’s Josh Schrock):

“We needed to get faster on our team this year, especially on defense, and I feel like we have done that. If you look at the National Football League now, especially our division, with all the crossers and talented tight ends that we have, it’s important Ugo [Amadi] and [Marquise] Blair and [Quandre] Diggs and now Jamal, it’s a really good group ... But you have to have so much speed on the back, especially when we’re playing against Kyler Murray and George Kittle and Robert Woods and all these guys that seem like they are just running all over the place. You’ve got to have as much speed on the field. So adding a guy like Jamal who has that versatility to play down in the box and play in the hole and play man coverage is really important to us.”

There is no doubt about George Kittle’s talent, and impact on any given game. He will be the highest-paid tight end in NFL history for a reason. He’s just that good. Kittle missed the Week 10 matchup against the Seahawks. He was targeted seven times in the season finale in Seattle, catching all seven balls for 86 yards.

Adams could be used in man coverage against Kittle, and will be a force on the field, but the 49ers are still more talented on paper than the Seahawks, and although Adams helps to close the gap, he won’t make up for the difference alone. Couple that with the fact that Adams will command top-dollar after the season, and it could be a steep price to pay when all is said-and-done.

No can deny the fierce rivalry between the Niners and Seahawks. The teams split their two meetings last season, with each being decided in the final seconds. Russell Wilson is one of the best QBs in the NFL, and he gives Seattle a chance to win any game it plays. But, the Niners are deep, and stacked on both sides of the ball going into the 2020 season, and should be atop the NFC West again when all is said-and-done.