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The Most Important Packers: Adrian Amos Brings Stability To Safety Position

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The Green Bay Packers begin training camp on July 25.

Between now and the start of camp, I will count down the ‘30 Most Important Packers’ heading into the 2019 season.

Strong safety Adrian Amos checks in at No. 11. The other players that have been revealed in the top-30 are listed at the bottom of the story.

No. 11

SS ADRIAN AMOS

Last season: Amos had a career-high two interceptions in 2018, along with nine passes defensed and 73 tackles. Amos also graded out as a top-10 cover safety by Pro Football Focus for the second straight year.

The Packers liked what they saw and gave Amos a four-year, $37 million deal in free agency that included an $11 million signing bonus. Not only did Green Bay upgrade a position of tremendous need, it hurt a division rival at the same time.

Career to date: Amos was the 142nd pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

He was the eighth safety selected that year, and it could be argued that of that group, only Washington’s Landon Collins has had a better start to his career than Amos.

Nothing came easy for Amos in Chicago.

Amos beat out Brock Vereen and Sherrod Martin for a starting job his rookie year, then was forced to battle rookie DeAndre Houston-Carson in 2016. Amos lost a training camp battle in 2017 to Eddie Jackson, then didn't move into the starting lineup until Week 4 that year when Quintin Demps fractured his forearm.

Jackson and Amos were then paired together the majority of the past two seasons.

Outlook: Amos was primarily a box safety in Chicago, and most scouts believe that’s the role he’s best suited for in Green Bay. The Packers will start Amos at strong safety and rookie Darnell Savage at free safety. But Amos said he has more flexibility than many believe.

“I feel like I’m versatile, so whoever they want in there (next to him) … I can do the opposite,” Amos told reporters after signing with Green Bay. “I feel like you can plug me in anywhere, and I feel like that’s what I have been doing. I’ve only been in one system in the NFL, but who’s to say that another system is not my best system?

“I had four different D-coordinators in college. I’m able to do multiple different things. I just don’t have to be in the box, I just don’t have to be in the post or I just don’t have to play the half. I don’t even have to just play safety. I feel like I can move around in that way.”

COMMENTS

“He’s a young ascending player. He has great physical traits. He’s an explosive athlete, very good tackler. I thought he could play in the box, near the line of scrimmage. You can move him around, blitz him, do some different things with him. He can play the post, as well. In his career, I thought you saw as he grew and his instincts grew, he became more and more of a playmaker. And just again someone we kind if liked coming out of college, watched him grow, think his best football is ahead of him and we’re excited to have.” — Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst on Amos

“I feel like I’ve been overlooked my whole life coming out of high school to college and then coming out in the fifth round. So it’s that constant chip if you want to call it that, but it’s that desire to get to that next level. I don’t think I’ve played my best football yet. I think I have a lot more to prove, a lot more to show.” — Amos told reporters after signing with Green Bay

“He gets guys down easily in the open field and in traffic. And to me, when you can get guys down and allow the defense to play another snap, those are splash plays, particularly when you get dynamic guys down, and he has the ability to do that. Now, interceptions and things like that, they haven’t come, but we all know interceptions can come in bunches. So splash plays, he makes really good plays as a safety, and his consistency is really what attracted me to him.” — Packers defensive backs coach Jason Simmons on Amos

“I don’t like to do a lot of comparisons (with Chicago), but we have all the pieces to be great here. We’ve got the speed, we’ve got the players at all levels. And it’s just about putting it together and working together. You don’t want to be a paper champion. It’s about what happens when you go out there on the field.” — Amos told reporters this spring

 

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