Jamal Adams

Latest On Adam Gase, Jamal Adams

June 26th, 2020 at 1:36pm CST by Rory Parks

Jets safety Jamal Adams formally requested a trade last week, and since then, the already lengthy saga took another couple of turns. For instance, we learned that Adams may be seeking an extension worth upwards of $20MM per year, and that his relationship with head coach Adam Gase is one of the reasons why he wants out.

Adams, among other Jets players, reportedly do not “trust” Gase and are skeptical of his leadership abilities. Offensive lineman Alex Lewis, however, took to Instagram to defend his HC.

“I have mad respect for Coach Gase,” Lewis wrote. “We are building a winning culture and mentality from the top down. I believe in this staff, this organization, and most importantly my teammates.”

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News was the one who reported the animosity that Adams and his teammates feel towards Gase, and Lewis addressed Mehta directly.

“I felt like all of this needed to be said on the heels of reading Manish Mehta’s article lumping all players in one mindset disparaging the head coach,” Lewis continued. “You (Mehta) don’t speak for the locker room or myself. You got no place in the locker room if you are going to overgeneralize all players. Manish you are a poison to this team.”

Regardless of how he is perceived by his team, plenty of folks outside of the Jets’ locker room are also unsure about Gase’s viability as a head coach, but he remains at the helm for now. Gase was asked today about his relationship with Adams, and he had nothing but good things to say.

“My relationship with Jamal has been good since the time I’ve gotten here,” Gase said (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). … “To me, we’ve always gotten along well. There’s been a lot of dialogue between us, especially about on and off the field type topics.”

Gase confirmed that he wants Adams to stay with the Jets, though he did not say whether the team is amenable to giving him the extension he wants before the season starts. He did, however, talk about Adams as a player.

“He’s been one of our best players and most consistent guys that we had last year,” the 42-year-old HC said. “I covered a lot of this at the end of the season, the value that he brings to this team and what he does on not only game day but in practice. This is the tough part of the business. It’s something that we’ve got to keep working through.”

AFC Rumors: Adams, Manning, Broncos

June 25th, 2020 at 5:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jets safety Jamal Adams has submitted a trade request and may well have issues with Adam Gase — months after voicing frustration with GM Joe Douglas listening to offers at last year’s trade deadline. However, Jets DC Gregg Williams came to the All-Pro’s defense Thursday.

“He has to handle his contract,” Williams said, via the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta. “He’ll do all that kind of stuff. … I’m hoping everything goes well. I love coaching him. And I got his back.

“… I think the world of him. I’ve had a chance to coach a lot of really good players. Some that are already in the Hall of Fame. And many others that are going to go in the Hall of Fame. And he’s going to have a legitimate chance staying healthy to be one of those guys later on that we’ll all talk about.”

The second-year Jets defensive boss added that he wants Adams to “feel good about being here.” Given the events of the past eight months, that will take some doing. Here is the latest from the AFC:

Were the Jets to trade Adams, they do have rookie third-rounder Ashtyn Davis as a candidate to replace him alongside contract-year starter Marcus Maye, Connor Hughes of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Jets were also interested in Tony Jefferson before he signed with the Ravens in 2017 and a month before they drafted Adams. Jefferson is back in free agency after Baltimore released him earlier this year. Eric Reid also remains unsigned, providing some options if the Jets seriously entertain trading their top player.
Bryce Callahan‘s injury altered the Broncos‘ cornerback plans last season, forcing slot dynamo Chris Harris to play almost exclusively on the outside. Callahan has recovered from his latest bout of foot trouble, and the Broncos are hoping to play him in the slot, per The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala. Denver still appears thin at corner, but Jhabvala adds the team hopes third-round rookie Michael Ojemudia can seize the outside corner job opposite A.J. Bouye. That may be difficult, however, with Vic Fangio using a complex scheme and the Broncos having seen multiple third-round corners (Brendan Langley and Isaac Yiadom) struggle in recent years.
Peyton Manning has said years ago he was close to signing with the Titans, but the Broncos won out for the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Discussing the fallout from Manning’s 2012 free agency, ex-Titans exec Mike Reinfeldt said the acclaimed passer’s timetable affected the Titans’ plans. “The only thing I wished had happened was that Peyton could have made the decision earlier,” Reinfeldt said, via The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “But I don’t know that he was in position to do so because of his health. … There is no magic way to build a team, but what you can’t do is get caught in between one plan and the other plan. That is what happened to us.” The Titans earmarking Manning money during the first week of free agency, and then waiting on the ex-Colt’s decision, caused them to miss out on pursuits of Mario Williams and Pro Bowl guards Carl Nicks and Ben Grubbs, with Sando adding each was a target of then-GM Ruston Webster. Tennessee finished 6-10 in 2012 and would not post a winning season again until 2016.

Adam Gase A Factor In Jamal Adams’ Trade Request?

June 24th, 2020 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The trade request Jamal Adams submitted may not be entirely a financial matter. Adam Gase serves as a “major factor” in the All-Pro safety’s desire to leave the Jets, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).

Although Gase was hired just last year, he loomed briefly as a hot-seat occupant after the Jets’ poor start. While Gang Green decided to keep him, with Gase ally Joe Douglas having been hired as GM, this has not been a smooth ride. Other Jets have taken issue with the team’s new head coach, Mehta tweets.

A lack of trust and a skepticism toward his leadership ability reside at the root of certain Jets’ problems with their head coach, Mehta adds. Adams no longer wishes to be part of a Jets turnaround and seeks a team with a more stable leadership structure compared to what the Jets have in place, per Mehta.

Reports of friction between Gase and former Jets GM Mike Maccagnan spawned quickly after the franchise paired the two, and an icy draft followed with minimal Gase input. The second-year Jets HC also took issue with the team’s Le’Veon Bell signing and was believed to frequently voice his frustrations about the running back during the season.

This marks the first report linking Gase to Adams’ desire to be traded, but it adds another layer to a quickly developing saga. The Jets have not responded to Adams’ trade request and have leverage because of the defender’s contract running through 2021. Adams took issue with Douglas listening to offers for him last year, and the then-third-year safety said he’d voiced a desire to be a long-term Jet with both Gase and Douglas before those trade talks surfaced. Issues with Jets management continue eight months later.

NFC East Notes: Manning, Adams, Cowboys

June 23rd, 2020 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Peyton Manning‘s decision to sign with the Broncos eight years ago changed the franchise’s trajectory, but the future Hall of Famer did not get the chance to strongly consider a team that would likely have been on his list. While it is not certain the Redskins would have beaten out the Broncos, the presence of Mike and Kyle Shanahan would have given Washington a key selling point. The then-free agent passer met with the Shanahans while in Denver to watch film, and Manning indicated he was “very impressed” with Kyle — then Washington’s OC. Mike Shanahan, then in his third year as Washington’s HC, confirmed the franchise was interested in Manning when the Colts released him on March 7, 2012. But in between Manning’s Colts exit and his Broncos commitment, the Redskins sent the Rams a monster haul for the No. 2 overall pick.

“I had known Mike for a long time, played for him in a Pro Bowl, and we’ve stayed in touch, and so I felt comfortable talking to them,” Manning said in an expansive piece on his 2012 free agency by The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, Lindsay Jones and others (subscription required). “But they had made a trade for the second pick of the draft, which they ended up taking Robert Griffin III. So as soon as they made that trade, even Mike kind of knew that eliminated them. It just wasn’t going to make sense.”

The Redskins-Rams trade became official March 13 — three days after the Manning-Shanahans film session took place, per The Athletic — but the teams agreed to the deal March 9. Years later, John Elway informed his former head coach he believed the Redskins may have held more appeal than the Broncos ultimately presented in the Manning sweepstakes.

“I think Peyton was disappointed,” Mike Shanahan said. “Kyle and I were kind of surprised that he still wanted to meet with us. I can remember talking with Elway one time not too long ago, a few years ago. He said, ‘Mike, do you realize that Peyton, I think, was going to go to your place? I think he really wanted to go to your place more than our place.’”

Shifting back to the current NFL landscape, here is the latest from the NFC East:

A report last week indicated the Cowboys reside on Jamal Adams‘ list of preferred trade destinations, and the Jets safety confirmed he will try to make a Dallas venture happen. In a short response to a fan, an in-transit Adams said he will try to maneuver his way to the Cowboys, via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Jets have yet to indicate they will honor Adams’ trade request. Adams wants a monster extension, but were the fourth-year defender to be dealt to Dallas, he may not be as demanding for an new deal this year.
Although the Eagles re-signed Rodney McLeod and agreed to terms with Jalen Mills with the intention of moving him to safety, Geoff Mosher of InsidetheBirds.com views an Adams-to-Philadelphia path as an ideal match. The Eagles made a big splash at corner, giving Darius Slay a lucrative extension that essentially doubles as a two-year pact. But they remain $24MM-plus under the cap, providing intriguing flexibility on this front. However, the Jets having Adams under contract through 2021 gives them leverage in against the disgruntled defender.
With Dak Prescott signing his franchise tender, the Cowboys are now the only team with three players — Prescott, Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence — earning $20MM per year, per ESPN Stats & Info’s Evan Kaplan (on Twitter). Cooper’s deal averages $20MM per year, but the Cowboys can get out of it — if need be — fairly easily by 2022. Prescott is tied to a $31.4MM payment, and the Cowboys have barely three weeks to extend him.

Extra Points: Patriots, Jets, Carson

June 22nd, 2020 at 6:53pm CST by Ben Levine

Denard Robinson is back in the NFL, this time as a coach. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars have hired Robinson as an offensive quality control coach.

Following a standout career as Michigan’s quarterback, Robinson was selected by the Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. The organization ended up transitioning him into a running back, and he ultimately spent four seasons with Jacksonville. His best season came in 2014, when he had 706 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.

The 29-year-old spent the 2019 season as an offensive analyst for the Jacksonville University football team.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

While the Patriots would presumably like to sign Joe Thuney to an extension, ESPN’s Mike Reiss opines that the offensive lineman will end up playing next season on the franchise tag. As Reiss explains, Thuney has the leverage in negotiations, as he should be more-than-satisfied with his current one-year, $14.78MM deal. The reporter could see a scenario where the lineman signs a two-year deal that would buy the Patriots a bit of cap space for 2020, and Reiss believes that’s more realistic than Thuney getting traded or signing a long-term pact.
While Jamal Adams may already be saying farewell to some of his teammates, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport believes the Jets will “stand pat” and let the situation play out (Twitter link). The safety has two years remaining on his contract, and that’s part of the reason why New York hadn’t felt any urgency in signing the former first-rounder to an extension.
Seahawks running back Chris Carson has signed with Octagon Football for representation, tweets Liz Mullen of Sports Business Daily. “From our perspective, he’s an elite running back in this league,” said agent Casey Muir. After averaging 1,190 rushing yards and eight touchdowns between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Carson is set to hit free agency following the 2020 campaign.

Poll: Will The Jets Trade Jamal Adams?

June 21st, 2020 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Jamal Adams wants out. Last week, after taking a couple of shots at the Jets via social media, the star safety formally requested a trade. For now, the Jets are holding the line, but Adams feels that he can force their hand.

Contractually speaking, the Jets hold all the cards. Adams is under contract through 2021 thanks to his fifth-year option and the Jets aren’t exactly rushing to give him an early extension. Then, after 2021, the Jets could theoretically use the franchise tag to keep him away from the open market, perhaps even twice to delay his free agency for several more years.

Still, Adams is livid. He says the Jets told him that their extension proposal was in the mail in January. Months later, he has yet to receive that offer, and he’s not taking the pandemic as an excuse. For months, we’ve heard that Adams would look to become the league’s highest-paid safety by a healthy margin. Now, per one report, Adams has advanced his asking price even further. He wants to become the league’s highest-paid defensive player, which means a deal in excess of $20MM/year.

Interestingly, Adams is reportedly willing to table his extension demand for certain teams. The 24-year-old (25 in October) says he’d be willing to play for the Chiefs, 49ers, Cowboys, Ravens, Eagles, Texans, Seahawks, or Buccaneers. At least a few of those eight teams could trade for Adams and wait until next year before getting into talks.

“[Adams] was a big reason I was excited about coming here,” Jets GM Joe Douglas said earlier this year. “I feel this guy is a core player. The main goal that I’m trying to do right now is to surround him with like-minded players, because we know Jamal is a dog.”

The Jets clearly want to smooth things out, but it’s fair to wonder whether this situation is beyond repair. In the past, the Jets have rebutted trade offers from the Ravens and Cowboys by setting a sky-high asking price, but they’re working with significantly less leverage now that Adams has gone public with his complaints.

Will the Jets trade Adams? Cast your vote below (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comment section.

Jets’ Jamal Adams Has Bucs On Trade Destination List

June 19th, 2020 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Jamal Adams wants out. The Jets Pro Bowl safety has a few preferred spots in mind and he tells ex-NFL safety Ryan Clark that the Buccaneers are among the teams on his list (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates).

A trade to the Buccaneers would reunite Adams with Todd Bowles, his former head coach with the Jets. Bowles currently serves as the Bucs’ defensive coordinator and he’d surely love to add Adams to his secondary. And, even though they’re on the other side of the ball, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski would likely love to welcome their old divisional foe to Tampa Bay.

Adams is also said to have the Cowboys, Ravens, Texans, Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, and Seahawks on his not-so-short list. And, depending on where he lands, he’d reportedly be willing to wait on a contract extension. Still, teams taking the long view may be warded off by the sticker price. Ultimately, Adams is seeking a deal worth about $20MM/year – far beyond the ~$15MM/year it would take to make him the NFL’s all-time highest-paid safety.

The Jets, for now, are sticking to their position – they want to keep Adams for the long haul. But, in order to do that, they’ll have to pony up some serious cash, and get that offer in front of him quickly.

Jamal Adams Seeking $20MM+/Year?

June 19th, 2020 at 10:22am CST by Rory Parks

Jets safety Jamal Adams has been in the news a great deal this offseason as he pushes for a new contract, and he made another splash yesterday when he requested a trade. As Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv writes, the Jets’ stance on the issue has not changed, and the team has no intention of trading him or allowing him to seek a trade on his own. New York still wants to keep him long-term and pay him as a top-of-the-market safety, but the team is hoping for a little patience from him in light of the uncertainty created by the pandemic.

After all, Adams remains under club control for two more seasons and can be hit with the franchise tag after that, and teams are generally loathe to extend a player with that much time remaining on his existing deal. While Adams continues — with reason — to point to the Panthers’ recent extension for Christian McCaffrey as justification for his demands, the C-MAC deal is an exception to the rule. After all, players like Jalen Ramsey, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Cameron Heyward are still waiting for their new deals, and it’s clear that potential salary cap cuts and other fiscal concerns are the primary reason for those delays. And as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes, GM Joe Douglas is under cash-flow restrictions imposed by ownership, which helps explain why the team is reluctant to do an Adams deal now (and perhaps why Douglas stayed out of the deep end of the FA pool, though his restraint in that regard has generally been lauded given the team’s recent history with splashy signings).

Adding to the Jets’ frustrations with Adams is the fact that, if he is traded to certain teams, he would not demand a contract extension. And further compounding the problem is that Adams may not be content to be the league’s highest-paid safety, which would give him an AAV of roughly $15MM. Instead, a source who has looked into acquiring Adams tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that Adams is actually seeking a contract that would put him among the highest-compensated defensive players at any position, which would mean an AAV in excess of $20MM (Twitter link). Given his youth and skill level, it’s not surprising to see Adams shoot for that goal, but it would be surprising to see him achieve it.

As for a couple of the teams on Adams’ list of preferred destinations? Field Yates of ESPN.com believes the Cowboys remain the best fit (Twitter link), but regardless of fit, the draft capital it would take to land the First Team All-Pro — not to mention the eventual extension — is a huge obstacle to clear. Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com does not believe the 49ers will swing a deal given the club’s preference to keep as many draft picks as possible going forward, a desire underscored by the number of players on the current roster that are under or will soon be under premium contracts (Twitter links).

Similarly, although Zach Berman of The Athletic thinks the general concern over the Eagles‘ 2021 cap situation is overblown, he does not see the team parting with a first-round pick and ponying up a big-money deal at some point in the next year for a DB. If Philadelphia were to make that type of move, Berman believes it would be for a pass rusher like Jacksonville’s Yannick Ngakoue.

Chiefs, 49ers, Cowboys Among Teams On Jamal Adams’ Preferred Destination List

June 18th, 2020 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jamal Adams has made an official trade request, and although the Jets have yet to grant it, the All-Pro safety has formed a list of teams he would be fine with joining.

Both of the Super Bowl LIV participants — the Chiefs and 49ers — headline the list. The Cowboys — who submitted an offer for Adams last October — are also included among a seven-team contingent that features the Ravens, Eagles, Texans and Seahawks, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Cowboys are the only team on this list that did not qualify for the playoffs last season. Adams, however, is a Texas native. Dallas offered a first-rounder and a Day 3 choice for the Jets standout last year.

As of now, the Jets are not prepared to trade Adams. But the safety may be more amenable to playing the fourth year of his rookie contract with one of the seven teams on this trade wish list than he is with the Jets, who have not made the playoffs since 2010.

The Jets are taking their time on extension talks for their top player, but with Adams signed through 2021 via the fifth-year option, that is not exactly uncommon. Teams often slow-play extensions for former first-rounders because of the option, but Adams is attempting to force the issue.

Jets’ Jamal Adams Requests Trade

June 18th, 2020 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets’ situation with Jamal Adams continues to escalate. Shortly after an Instagram reply where the All-Pro safety said it was maybe time for him to move on, he has requested a trade from the Jets, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets.

The team has not granted the request yet, Mehta adds, but this certainly would represent the escalation of a situation that has developed over the past several months. Adams requested the trade Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter). The former No. 6 overall pick may already have a destination list. Were Adams to be traded to certain teams, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports he would not request an immediate extension the way he has from the Jets (Twitter link).

Adams became eligible for a contract extension after the 2019 regular season ended. He has continued to pursue one aggressively. Because of the fifth-year option, the Jets have Adams under contract through 2021. Teams often wait on extensions for first-rounders until their fourth seasons conclude, but Adams — using the Panthers’ recent extension for fellow 2017 top-10 pick Christian McCaffrey as an example — wants to be paid this year.

The Jets took trade calls on Adams before the deadline last year — most notably from the Cowboys — but GM Joe Douglas did not unload his top talent. While the situation was believed to be addressed to cool tensions shortly after, heat has intensified in this relationship. In January, Adams says, the Jets told him that they would propose terms of a long-term extension. Last week, the standout safety says that he’s still waiting for it.

He wants a new deal by the regular season’s outset, Cimini adds. Douglas said in February he wants to keep Adams a Jet for the rest of his career, and The Athletic’s Connor Hughes tweets the team still wants to pay him. It just appears the Jets do not want to do so immediately.

Adams has become one of the league’s best safeties, being invited to the past two Pro Bowls and earning first-team All-Pro recognition after his dominant 2019 season. The LSU alum’s next contract would be in line to not only come in atop the safety market — which fellow 2017 draftee Eddie Jackson heads after his $14.6MM-per-year Bears re-up — but exceed it by a considerable margin. Of course, with the salary cap potentially set to decrease for only the second time ever — because of the COVID-19 pandemic — teams have been cautious with extensions. Adams’ Instagram comment indicated he did not want to hear the Jets were using the pandemic as an excuse not to extend him.

It is clear this situation is not close to being resolved. For now, however, Adams remains a disgruntled Jet. The team turned down a Cowboys offer of a first-round pick and a Day 3 selection. Reports of the Jets’ trade talks triggered the rift between Adams and the team.

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