Indianapolis Colts: Keeping Mike Adams not a hard decision

Going into the 2014 season, it looked like the Indianapolis Colts would have major problems at safety, especially since Delano Howell was placed on the injured reserve before the start of the regular season with a career-threatening neck injury. Howell wasn’t exactly a sure thing himself, but it really started to look like the safety starting across from LaRon Landry would be a big liability on this defense. It’s not like Landry established himself as a strength in coverage either, so many wondered if the Colts would feel Antoine Bethea‘s absence in a big way.

That’s not how things shook out, though, because veteran signing Mike Adams played much better than anyone could have imagined. After being a journeyman third safety for much of his career before looking like a replacement-level player in coverage with the Denver Broncos in 2012 and 2013, Adams immediately became a starter on the Colts. When he was first signed, we knew Adams would be the front-runner to start, but nobody could have imagined him starring.

But that’s exactly what Adams did in his only season with Indy, making the most of his one-year deal with the team and posting a career year. He and shutdown corner Vontae Davis, who was arguably the best player at the position after signing a lucrative contract in the 2014 offseason, were the cornerstones of this defense. The Colts still had a bottom-half defense, but they allowed less net yards per pass attempt despite an ineffective pass rush thanks to 2013 DPOY candidate Robert Mathis‘s absence in 2014.

The strength of the Colts defense was clearly in the secondary, and Adams was either the second or third-best player on the entire defense, depending on whether or not you would take veteran defensive lineman Cory Redding over him. Either way, he was as safe as they come in coverage, which was a surprise considering his track record in Denver.

Adams heads into the offseason with an opportunity to finally make some money and establish himself as the unquestioned top dog on a defense. It’s not surprising, however, to read that he is interested in re-signing with Indianapolis. He’s in a great situation with a shutdown corner in front of him, a winning organization, and a safety partner, Landry, who can now focus on an in-the-box role that suits him much better.

The Colts have a decision to make when it comes to Adams, but it shouldn’t be a particularly difficult one. Although it’s more than possible that the 33-year-old breakout star is a one-year wonder, it’s important for this team to bring him back. They can’t afford to overpay him, but it’s hard to see other teams being that interested in him. Yes, they’ll recognize how fantastic he was last season, but 33-year-old safeties who suddenly play better with a new team are usually much more valuable to that specific team. Adams fits the Colts perfectly, and the leadership he gives this organization is a really nice bonus.

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Statistically speaking, Adams had a profound impact on the Colts defense just by the plays he made, recording 87 tackles with five picks, 11 passes defended, and both a pair of forced and recovered fumbles. Aside from a rough AFC Championship performance, Adams consistently held up well in coverage over the course of the 2014-15 season, allowing just two touchdown passes to go with his five picks, per Pro Football Focus.

For the first time since Bethea and Bob Sanders formed the game’s best safety duo, the Colts could actually boast to having well above-average play at the position last season. While Greg Toler struggles upon his return to health in 2014, the Colts secondary was mostly solid, and you can only wonder how well this pass defense can do if they re-sign Adams and if he still plays well, since the Indianapolis Colts pass rush will inevitably improve.

There’s clearly a chance of Mike Adams busting with whomever he signs with, since he’s set to become 34 in March, and it’s rare to see safeties play this well in coverage at that age. This should scare enough teams, and it should make it even easier for the Colts to get a hometown discount from Adams, who is interested in re-signing.

The Colts need to make upgrades to their defense anyway, so re-signing Adams would give them one less need to worry about. A one-year, incentive-laden deal is ideal for the Colts, and it’s hard to see a 34-year-old free safety getting more than that; I can’t think of a team who would give a more competitive offer than the Colts, let alone a multi-year contract.

As of right now, Adams isn’t completely a sure thing to his age, but he looked like a sure thing last season and is clearly a leader on this Colts defense. The fact that Landry could be a veteran cut makes Adams even more important to the Colts, so, provided his demands are as modest as we would expect them to be, it makes plenty of sense for the Colts to keep him around. It’s a number game financially, but it’s hard to see Adams costing more than his value, even accounting for the risk of a let-down year.

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