Getty Jamal Adams of the New York Jets
The New York Jets could finally be nearing their breaking point when it comes to their back-and-forth, drawn-out impasse with star safety Jamal Adams over his contract demands.
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini “the two sides have had multiple conversations since the NFL draft, but the Jets told him [Adams] they prefer to wait on a long-term extension and Adams wants a deal before the season.”
Cimini also added that “Adams camp is upset, claiming the Jets are dragging their feet,” and that “the possibility of a trade came up in a conversation between the two sides.”
Should Adams hit the open market, it would likely cause an uproar amongst Super Bowl contending teams looking to find that final piece to put them over the edge.
Below, we examine the top-5 landing spots for arguably the best all-around safety in football.
Top-5 Trade Destinations for Jamal Adams
5. Denver Broncos
The Broncos are likely perceived as a step below the rest of the teams on this list. However, John Elway has made it a priority to elevate his roster this offseason. The Hall of Fame QB has been wheeling and dealing as the team’s general manager.
Denver has already added the likes of 5x-pro bowler Jurrell Casey and lockdown cornerback AJ Bouye to their roster via trade this offseason. Who’s to say Elway won’t dip into the trade market one last time?
Kareem Jackson is currently set to start at strong safety for the Broncos in 2020. However, his cornerback background would allow flexibility in Denver’s secondary.
4. Baltimore Ravens
Much like the Broncos, the Ravens have a solid starting option at strong safety at the moment in Chuck Clark. However, a safety duo of Adams and Earl Thomas may be too intriguing to pass up.
Baltimore has also moved on from the likes of safeties Brandon Carr and Tony Jefferson this offseason. Not many players can take a defense which ranked 4th-best in the NFL a season ago to new heights, but Adams can.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
Again, a trade for a safety wouldn’t make sense for a middle of the road team. However, for a team like the Chiefs, Adams could be the type of player that helps turn one Lombardi trophy into multiple.
Safety Juan Thornhill is set to return from injury this season, and his rookie performance certainly warrants him a place in Kansas City’s starting lineup. With that said, Thornhill played cornerback during his days at Virginia, arguably the weakest position on K.C.’s defense.
Even if the Chiefs opted to keep Thornhill at safety, there shouldn’t be an issue with overcrowding at the position. While Tyrann Mathieu is listed as a safety, that’s more for roster designation purposes. He plays all over the field, and stars from the slot.
2. Seattle Seahawks
Pete Carroll and the Seahawks love to make the big splash move. They traded for Percy Harvin in the past and they inked Josh Gordon to a deal mid-way through last season. Hell, there’s even been recent reports that the team was prepared to draft Patrick Mahomes coming out of college, despite Russell Wilson on the roster.
Bradley McDougald, Seattle’s current starter at strong safety, is coming off a disappointing 2019 campaign in which he posted an overall PFF grade of just 62.0. He’s also managed to surpass a PFF grade of 67.8 just twice over his six-year career.
Adams on the backend of the Seahawks defense would bring an eerie resemblance to Kam Chancellor roaming the secondary for the Legion of Boom back in the day.
1. Dallas Cowboys
I mean really, who else did you think it would be?
The Cowboys reportedly offered the Jets a trade for Adams ahead of last year’s deadline. There’s also a belief that a phone call discussion between the two teams regarding Adams occurred prior to the NFL Draft, per Sports Illustrated.
Dallas signed HaHa Clinton-Dix this offseason, who is a nice, solid player. But if you think that’s going to get in the way of Jerry Jones getting what he wants, then you’re sadly mistaken.