Jamal Adams got his wish and the Jets got a ransom.
The Jets shipped the disgruntled safety out of town Saturday, agreeing to a trade with the Seahawks. Jets general manager Joe Douglas got a massive haul in return, receiving two first-round picks (2021, ’22), a third-round pick in 2021 and safety Bradley McDougald, who should replace Adams in the starting lineup.
The deal ends a drama that has played out this offseason with the Pro Bowl safety seeking a contract extension and then asking for a trade after not receiving one. Adams has criticized the organization over the past two months, everyone from owner Woody Johnson to coach Adam Gase and general manager Joe Douglas.
Sources said the recent criticism by Adams was not received well inside the organization but was not the driving force behind the deal that had been in the works before Adams went scorched Earth. The key piece to making the deal happen was clarity on the salary cap, which was in flux because of the coronavirus pandemic. That was settled on Friday by the NFL and the players, and cleared the way for the trade.
The Jets had maintained they were not interested in trading Adams unless they were blown away by an offer. That is exactly what Seattle did.
It is astonishing that Douglas was able to secure two first-round picks for Adams, who seemingly hurt the Jets’ leverage in a trade by making it clear he wanted out. Safety is also not considered a premium position. In the last few years, Jalen Ramsey (cornerback), Laremy Tunsil (tackle) and Khalil Mack (edge rusher) have all brought back two first-round picks in a trade but all played elite positions. There was belief around the NFL that the Jets would be unable to get that kind of return.
“While we had maintained our interest in Jamal Adams having a long and successful career with the Jets, we know it’s important to be prepared and willing to adjust to new offers and circumstances,” Douglas said in a statement. “As I have always said, my job is to listen to calls and this offer was one we could not ignore.”
Seattle clearly fell in love with Adams, who has been to the Pro Bowl in each of the past two years and was first-team All-Pro last year and is just 24. The Seahawks made the deal for Adams without extending his contract. He has two years left on his deal.
He posted a goodbye to Jets fans on Twitter.
“To NY & especially the Jets fans:
“I love you & will always love you. You all will hold a special place in my heart forever. When I came into the league, you embraced me & watched me grow! We went through it all together. Thank you for the Luv & support these 3 years.”
The trade weakens the 2020 Jets. Adams was widely considered the best player on the team and was named team MVP in each of the past two years. The trade is about the long term outlook. They dumped an unhappy player who was asking for a massive payday they did not want to give him and got draft capital that can potentially help Douglas reshape the roster. Now comes the tricky part for the Jets — landing good players with those draft picks. The Seahawks are perennial contenders, so those first-round picks figure to be in the 20s.
It would have been unthinkable just a year ago that the Jets would trade Adams, who was viewed as a key piece of their core. But things deteriorated between the player and the organization. He was miffed about getting benched last year late in a Week 2 loss to the Browns after he committed back-to-back penalties. Then, he blasted Douglas for engaging in trade discussions about him at the October deadline. He did not speak to Douglas and Gase for a short time after that.
His play never fell off and he actually posted some of his best games as a Jet in the weeks after.
Then, the offseason came. Adams made it clear he wanted a new contract despite having two years left on his rookie contract. Douglas said the Jets wanted Adams to be a “Jet for life.” The Jets never promised him a deal this year, according to a source, but Adams has publicly said they did. Adams was seeking a contract that would make him the highest-paid player on the team, eclipsing C.J. Mosley’s annual average value of $17 million. The Jets were not interested in meeting that price and things were further complicated when the coronavirus pandemic hit and the economic picture in the NFL became uncertain.
When the Jets informed him in May that a contract offer was not coming, he asked to be traded and launched attacks on the organization.
The Jets are scheduled to report to training camp Tuesday.
Adams should see his former teammates on Dec. 13 when the Jets are scheduled to travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks.