Should the Jets Trade Jamal Adams?

Earlier in the week I proposed an idea which was heavily debated and has been talked about online since the 2019 trade deadline. Should the Jets trade Jamal Adams?

I would like to pose this argument with a perspective on both sides rather than simply my opinion. Both sides have a solid argument to be made and it could be a decision the Jets front office is faced with in the next few days leading up to and throughout the draft.

For the idea of keeping Jamal Adams, he is the face of the franchise. He is a generational talent, and elite at his position. Jamal has been the heartbeat of the Jets defense, and. the franchise since the moment he was drafted. The most versatile piece in the Jets defense, a playmaker, and a vocal leader. He is a foundational player which is hard to come by.

Jamal has 2 more years left of his rookie contract, and can be controlled for an additional 2 years via the franchise tag. Without a doubt, he is the top safety in the NFL. A 2-time Pro Bowl player, and a First Team All Pro selection. He is 24 years old and has arguably 6-8 years left of his prime.

He’s a rare breed of a player and is someone the Jets could regret losing or moving on from. There is a slim chance any player in this draft will have nearly the talent and production he has had.

Here is where the debate gets interesting.

Now, I must present this idea with: I would simply not just trade Jamal to trade him. The Jets have to get a fair offer and for that I am going to propose a similar trade to the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. The trade involved the Dolphins sending Fitzpatrick, a 2020 fourth-round pick and a 2021 seventh-round pick, in exchange for a first- and fifth-round pick in 2020 and a 2021 sixth round pick.

For this situation, I will propose the Jets get the Cowboys 2020 first-round (pick 17), third-round (pick 82) and a 2021 fourth-round pick. I know this doesn’t seem like much, but it’s far more of an upgrade from what the Dolphins got for Minkah. It unfortunately is not as high as Jalen Ramsey’s trade, which netted two first-round picks and a fourth for a player of equal talent but at a premium position. The Jets are unlikely to get two first round selections for Jamal, I could see them making a push for the 2020 third-round selection to be a second-round selection.

With this trade, the Jets would then hold 6 selections in the top 100, 10 selections overall, and a future mid-round pick in 2021. For a team heavily depleted of talent and having numerous holes to fill, it makes the odds of filling those voids more likely. Jets have holes at the entire offensive line outside of McGovern, Cornerback, and Edge most notably. The roster is very depleted and filled with players with durability concerns and on 1 year prove-it deals.

For my argument I would only consider this trade, IF, the Jets are able to land a top 4 tackle in the draft and at 17 at least one of the top 3 WR (Jeudy, Lamb, and Ruggs) are available. I would not consider this trade if the top 4 tackles are all off the board and the jets are picking from the top 3 WR and Jones left on the board. For me, this offseason has to have an emphasis on Sam Darnold and giving Adam Gase zero excuses as to if he is the right coach for the job. With this scenario, you can determine both.

If the Jets were to trade Jamal Adams for the picks mentioned above, a first- and third-round selection in 2020 and a fourth- in 2021. The Jets land a top four tackle, say Andrew Thomas. Then, at 17, are able to select CeeDee Lamb (potential slide down the board as 49ers select Jeudy and Denver selects Ruggs). The Jets have now landed their future Left Tackle who can protect Sam Darnold’s blind side for the next 10 years, and a dynamic playmaker/number one Wide Receiver.

This gives the Jets flexibility throughout the rest of the draft to then select an edge rusher in round 2, and then three third-round selections to draft a corner, additional interior lineman, a possible safety replacement and/or another WR. Joe Douglas would supply Sam and Gase what they need to turn around a 32nd ranked Offense. On top of that, Douglas would provide Greg Williams with another Edge rusher, a potential starting corner and safety. Yes, this is a huge risk for the Jets to really put all of their stock into their coaching staff and the development of their talent.

The NFL has transitioned to an offensive driven league which has an emphasis on the passing game. With this proposal, Joe Douglas and the Jets would give Adam Gase and Sam Darnold zero excuses next year and truly find out if they have a franchise quarterback at 22 years old, or need to start looking for a new coach, or a combination.

#TakeFlight