Jamal Adams embracing move to weakside linebacker

Jamal Adams was a Pro Bowl safety for Pete Carroll in Seattle, but when Adams signed with Carroll’s Raiders in July, the head coach had some news for Adams.

“He straight up told me, ‘You’re going to be in the linebacker room, so get over it,’” Adams said with a laugh, via Levi Edwards of the team website. “So I was just like, ‘Alright, shit, let’s do it.’”

Adams had never been a full-time linebacker, not even in Pop Warner, before joining the Raiders. The transition hasn’t been a problem.

“Obviously I’m just a football player, man,” Adams said. “See ball, get ball.”

Adams is listed as the backup weakside linebacker to Germaine Pratt, so he is fighting for not only a roster spot but playing time. He played 15 snaps in the preseason opener against the Seahawks.

“He’s always been so instinctive and so aggressive and such a run-through guy, been a fantastic blitzer over his time,” Carroll said. “So, I want to put him in position to do that. He’s jumped right into the WILL spot, and that gives us some flexibility that we’re going to grow with. He looks really good.”

Adams has played only 15 games the past three seasons, missing time with a torn labrum, torn quad tendon and a hip injury.