Baltimore Ravens: Top 15 free agent signings of all-time

Sam Adams was having a good career before he signed with the Ravens. Like Michael McCrary, Adams started his career with the Seattle Seahawks. In his six seasons in Seattle he racked up 23 sacks.

Adams came to Baltimore and became a dominant force on a dominant defense. He was one of the best run stuffing defensive tackles in the history of the NFL and he pushed the pocket quite a bit. In tandem with Tony Siragusa on the Ravens four-man defensive line, the middle of the Ravens defense was running back proof. Adams made the Pro Bowl in both of his seasons with the Ravens.

Adams would go on to play for the Oakland Raiders, the Buffalo Bills, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos. He was a shockingly good player, considering his résumé makes him seem like a journeyman. He may have had six stops in the NFL, but none of them were more important than Baltimore where he earned his Super Bowl XXXV ring.

The one thing that defines Adams was how physically imposing he was. We’re talking about a 6-foot-3, 350-pound man. Adams was a testament to the notion that teams are built up front and confirms that defenses win championships.

Ozzie Newsome knew what he was doing when he brought in Adams. The pairing of Adams and Siragusa remains one of the best combination of defensive tackles the NFL has ever seen. Adams was a major piece to the puzzle that got the Ravens their first Super Bowl.