Jamal Adams

Jets, Jamal Adams Begin Contract Talks

January 29th, 2020 at 4:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets and Jamal Adams have begun preliminary talks about a new contract, the safety tells Brian Costello of the New York Post. Still, the discussions are in their nascent stages – Adams says there have been “no numbers” exchanged just yet.

“I’d be lying if I said I don’t expect to be extended,” Adams said. “I do because of not for what I’ve just done on the field, but even off the field for what I’ve done for the organization. I’ve done everything they’ve asked me to do. I’ve done it at a high level each and every year. I’ve proven that I’m the best safety doing it right now.”

As it stands, Adams is set to earn just $3.5MM in 2020. Meanwhile, he’s coming off of his first First-Team All-Pro selection and his second straight Pro Bowl nod.

“I’m not trying to be paid just to be the highest-paid whatever,” Adams said. “I’m trying to get paid for my status and what I’ve done. That’s what I’m about.”

A deal in line with his production would indeed make him one of the league’s highest-paid safeties, however. Eddie Jackson‘s recent four-year, $58.4MM deal ($33MM guaranteed) with the Bears set the new watermark for safeties at an average of $14.6MM per year. Meanwhile, Landon Collins‘ six-year, $84MM deal represents the largest overall payout to any NFL safety.

The Jets will have to figure out whether they’re willing to make that sort of commitment to Adams and assess whether they can get past their recent friction. The Jets infuriated Adams by shopping him at the deadline, leading to widespread speculation that he would be traded this offseason. That still remains a very real possibility, but the talks between Gang Green and Adams’ camp could be a promising sign.

Before all that drama, Adams spent the early part of the 2019 offseason recruiting free agents on behalf of the Jets and he helped lure longtime rival Le’Veon Bell to New Jersey. Interestingly, Adams says he won’t be doing the same this time around.

“You’ve got to realize you can only recruit so much,” Adams said. “At the end of the day I don’t have too much say-so into it. That’s not really my job. But obviously I want to bring players in. We’ve got to bring some big names in to help us get over the hump, but the main thing is staying healthy.”

Jets Plan To Keep Le’Veon Bell

January 7th, 2020 at 8:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets might not have much choice in the matter, but GM Joe Douglas sounds like he expects Le’Veon Bell to return in 2020. In an interview with ESPN Radio, Douglas was complimentary of the temperamental star.

“[Bell is a] very good player…We value Le’Veon,” Douglas said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini). “We value the competitor, we value the teammate. We’re excited (for him) being in our program another year, going through our offseason again.”

Drama aside, Bell remains one of the most talented running backs in the NFL. He also has the Jets on the hook for oodles of money. Thanks to the four-year, $52.5MM contract handed to him by former GM Mike Maccagnan, Bell is slated to count for a $15.5MM cap figure in 2020 with similar numbers in 2021 and 2022. Shedding Bell this offseason would leave the Jets with $19MM in dead money and zero cap savings.

In theory, the Jets’ first real opportunity to dump Bell would come before the 2021 season, when they could save $9.5MM against $4MM in dead money. The Jets hope that won’t be necessary. Bell, who turns 28 in February, averaged just 3.2 yards per carry last year, though he still managed 66 catches for 461 yards out of the backfield.

Douglas was also asked about a potential extension for safety Jamal Adams, but he sidestepped the question. The GM only said that he’s “so happy” Adams is on the team and that the trade deadline tension “is in the rear-view mirror.”

Jamal Adams Wants To Stay With Jets

December 22nd, 2019 at 11:07am CST by Rory Parks

The Jets received plenty of interest in star safety Jamal Adams in advance of the trade deadline, but they did not get an offer to their liking. Despite that, there were reports that the Jets would deal Adams this offseason, and as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes, that is still very much on the table.

But Adams, who indicated he was hurt by the trade rumors in an odd press conference in October, recently said that he wants to remain with the Jets. “I’m here and I’ll continue to be here until I’m told differently,” Adams said. “But I want to be here.” Adams added that his “calling” is to play for Gang Green.

However, his tone could change this offseason. He will be eligible for an extension for the first time, and at just 24, he has already established himself as one of the best safeties in the game. Per Cimini, Adams will be angling for a new deal that makes him the highest-paid player at his position. That would mean a contract paying him around $15MM per season, and as the Jets have plenty of holes to fill, that could be too rich for their liking.

Plenty of teams would be willing to pay that price, though, and to part with premium draft capital to land the defensive playmaker, who was just named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. It will be a busy offseason for new GM Joe Douglas, and resolving the Adams situation will be one of his top priorities.

Adams has a pick-six, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery returned for a TD, and a career-high 6.5 sacks this year.

AFC Notes: Colts, Pats, Bills, Adams, Green

December 4th, 2019 at 9:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adam Vinatieri landed on the Colts‘ injury report Wednesday, and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes the 24th-year kicker went through an MRI after practice (Twitter link). Despite the scrutiny that’s come due to his poor performance, Vinatieri has kicked in every Colts game this season. But doubt exists about his Sunday status, leading Indianapolis to claim ex-Charger and 49er Chase McLaughlin. Vinatieri is planning to meet with Colts brass Thursday about the next course of action, per Pelissero. Considering his performance and teams not traditionally big on carrying two kickers, it seems IR could be a possibility for the NFL’s all-time scoring kingpin.

Midway through the Week 14 lead-up, let’s take a look at the latest coming out of the AFC. Additional kicker uncertainty exists within this conference.

Both the Bills and Patriots attempted to claim McLaughlin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. New England is without a kicker presently and has used four this season. Kai Forbath replaced Nick Folk, with the latter undergoing an emergency appendectomy, but the Pats cut the former this week. Folk would seem the likely option, but the Pats were prepared to make McLaughlin their fifth 2019 kicker. The Bills made McLaughlin a priority UDFA signing in May but waived him after the preseason. Stephen Hauschka has missed four field goals over the past six Bills games.
T.Y. Hilton acknowledged the possibility he will not play again this season. The Colts‘ top skill-position talent re-injured his calf last week and missed Week 13. He did not practice Wednesday. “I’m doing everything I can to get back out there,” Hilton said, via Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. “If I can, I can. If I can’t, then I’m going to have to shut it down, but I’m doing everything I can (to return).” Hilton has missed five games this season; the Colts are 1-4 in those contests.
Jamal Adams will likely miss the Jets‘ Week 14 game, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Pro Bowl safety suffered a sprained ankle in Gang Green’s loss in Cincinnati. Adams has not missed a game as a pro.
The A.J. Green refrain continues. Zac Taylor said Wednesday he does not expect the Pro Bowl wideout will not return for Week 14. The Bengals have played the entire season without Green, a 2020 free agent-to-be. Given a recent positive progress report, the 31-year-old receiver remains out. A full redshirt season may spook some potential suitors in free agency, but Green returning to a 1-11 Bengals team and suffering another setback would probably affect his market more.

Jamal Adams, Le’Veon Bell May Be Traded In 2020

November 3rd, 2019 at 8:58am CST by Rory Parks

The trade deadline has come and gone, and Jamal Adams is still a member of the Jets. That’s largely because New York’s asking price of a first-rounder and two second-rounders for its star safety was too rich for rival clubs, but before the Jets started asking for draft picks, they asked for players.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, when the Cowboys called the Jets to discuss an Adams trade, New York GM Joe Douglas asked about the availability of Dallas guard Zack Martin and left tackle Tyron Smith. Dallas made it clear that neither offensive lineman was available, and the Cowboys’ best offer ended up being a first-round pick and backup corner Anthony Brown. However, as Rapoport observes, Douglas’ initial ask is suggestive of how he plans to construct his roster going forward: from the inside out.

Dallas’ and Baltimore’s interest in Adams was previously reported, though Rapoport says the Jets received double-digit phone calls on the 24-year-old. RapSheet adds that a third team actually put forth the strongest offer, though who that team is and the details of the offer are presently unknown.

But the fact that Adams will be with Gang Green for the rest of the year does not mean that he will be with the club in 2020. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com believes Douglas will end up dealing Adams prior to the 2020 draft, and Cimini cites Adams’ “overreaction” to the trade rumors as one of the primary reasons for his prediction.

Adams’ post-deadline public comments in which he voiced his frustration and surprise that the Jets would even think about trading him are emblematic of what Cimini deems a me-first mentality that Adams has begun to display, a mentality which also manifested itself in a locker room blowup during halftime of last week’s loss to the Jaguars. Whether one agrees with Cimini’s characterization of these incidents or not, it seems true enough that Adams’ tenure with the Jets could be drawing to a close (especially given that he will be extension-eligible for the first time after this season).

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports also hears that Adams could be dealt in 2020, and JLC’s sources suggest that Adams and Le’Veon Bell may be traded at next year’s combine. La Canfora adds that the Jets were eager to move Bell and cornerback Trumaine Johnson at the deadline, but there was little interest in them because of their salaries. And while the Jets will surely not find any takers for Johnson in 2020, other clubs may be willing to take the plunge on Bell, and Adams will remain a hot commodity.

But for what it’s worth, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv believes the Jets should build around Adams, Bell, Sam Darnold, and Quinnen Williams and not subject the club’s fanbase to another teardown. As many have said about the division-rival Dolphins’ rebuild — draft picks are great, but a rebuilding outfit needs core players too — the Jets should not blindly pursue premium draft capital at the expense of their foundational pieces.

Jets’ Jamal Adams On Trade Talk, Cowboys

October 30th, 2019 at 4:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets passed on offers for Jamal Adams before the trade deadline, signaling a desire to keep one of the game’s best young safeties in the fold. After rejecting the Cowboys, Ravens, and others, the Jets will now have to focus on mending fences.

In a Wednesday press conference with reporters, Adams said that he was “hurt” by the rumors. Then, he professed his love for the Cowboys.

Here’s a look at the highlights of Adams’ bizarre presser, via Brian Costello of the New York Post.

On the trade rumblings:

“When I heard that, my agent called me and told me what was going on, it definitely hurt me…I hold myself at a high level. The Rams don’t take calls on Aaron Donald. The Patriots don’t take calls on Tom Brady. That’s where I hold myself. When you feel like you’re on the same page and you have a meeting and you’re told something different, it sucks.”

On the Cowboys:

“I would love to go to (the Cowboys). I am born and raised in Dallas. … Michael Irvin is like my uncle.”

On whether he wants to remain with the Jets beyond this season:

“For the future, I don’t know. I really don’t. I thought I did, but I don’t know right now.”

“I have a lot of goals and aspirations and dreams here in New York. I was told something and it didn’t happen that way…For three years, I came here and I’ve done nothing but work my butt off, continue to improve, continue to be a great leader, continue to be a great teammate, and when you see certain things like that, you hear about it, you get calls, you’re in shock a little bit. At the end of the day, it’s a business. I get it. I understand it. I hold myself in a high regard and obviously they don’t feel that way.”

Deadline Fallout: Penny, Rams, Adams

October 29th, 2019 at 7:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Since using a first-round pick on Rashaad Penny last year, the Seahawks have not given him a lead backfield role. They preferred Chris Carson and Mike Davis leading the ball-carrying group last season and have Carson entrenched atop the depth chart this year. As such, the Lions expressed interest in Penny prior to Tuesday afternoon’s trade deadline, John Clayton of ESPN 710 AM Seattle notes. Seattle sought a second-round pick for Penny, though it doesn’t sound like the team was shopping the second-year back. Penny can be under Seahawks control through 2022. The Lions have run into trouble in their backfield, losing starter Kerryon Johnson. They were interested in Kenyan Drake, but the Cardinals ended up making a deal with the Dolphins. Ty Johnson, Tra Carson and ex-Seahawk J.D. McKissic represent the Lions’ primary running back options for the stretch run.

Here is the latest deadline fallout:

The Dolphins will send the Rams a 2022 seventh-round pick for Aqib Talib, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. With Talib on IR until at least Week 15, the rebuilding team is likely only interested in the fifth-round 2020 choice it acquired. The 33-year-old cornerback looks headed toward free agency for the first time since 2014.
As for the Rams, they want to use some of the savings from this move to re-sign emerging linebacker Cory Littleton, Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Littleton is one of a few key Rams on expiring contracts, joining Michael Brockers and Dante Fowler in that group. Playing on a second-round RFA tender, Littleton has operated as Los Angeles’ top linebacker this year and would stand to attract considerable interest as a 2020 UFA. With a high-end Jalen Ramsey re-up coming, the Rams will be tight on cap space, however, and may have to bid farewell to a few role players — like they did this offseason.
Chris Harris has stuck to his guns about testing free agency this time around. He signed a five-year, $42.5MM extension with the Broncos in late 2014, and that deal became one of the most team-friendly pacts in the league in the latter part of the 2010s. The 30-year-old cornerback does not plan to sign a Broncos extension before reaching the market, Troy Renck of Denver7 notes. However, Harris has said he wants to finish his career in Denver. He and the Broncos were not close on terms this offseason, but Renck added a that third Broncos contract could be in play for the four-time Pro Bowler.
The Day 3 pick the Cowboys offered the Jets, in addition to the first-round pick included in the proposal, for Jamal Adams was either a fourth- or fifth-rounder, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets. The Jets wanted a first and a pair of seconds for the Pro Bowl safety, one GM Joe Douglas still calls firmly part of the team’s long-term plan, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini.

Latest On Jets, Jamal Adams

October 29th, 2019 at 5:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets thought about trading Jamal Adams before the deadline, but, ultimately, they held on to him. After the dust settled, Adams took to social media to clear the air.

Well, sort of:

“At the end of the week last week, I sat down with the GM [Joe Douglas] and coach [Adam] Gase and told them I want to be here in New York,” Adams said, on Twitter. “I was told yesterday by my agent that the GM then went behind my back and shopped me around to teams, even after I asked him to keep me here! Crazy business. Any reports of me asking to be traded from the New York Jets are completely false.”

Even though Adams was not traded before the bell rang on Tuesday, the rumble is just getting started. Douglas attempted to clarify that this is a miscommunication, indicating the Jets listened to offers for Adams — rather than shop him around (Twitter link via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano). Adams tweeted he did not ask the Jets for a trade.

Ultimately, the Jets’ asking price was too high for either the Cowboys or Ravens. Douglas sought a first-rounder and two seconds for the standout safety, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The Cowboys offered a first and a Day 3 pick, Jane Slater of NFL.com adds (via Twitter). The Cowboys contacted the Jets on Adams, according to Charles Robinson on Yahoo.com (on Twitter), backing up Douglas’ account.

Under Jets control through 2021, via the sure-to-be-exercised fifth-year option come May, Adams has emerged as one of the NFL’s top safeties. Considering the Cowboys would not part with more than a second-rounder for Earl Thomas last year, the team offering a first-rounder and change shows the ascending defender’s stock. But it’s clear the Jets will have to mend fences with Adams after this development, which ended up being the top news on a slow deadline day.

Ravens Tried To Trade For Jamal Adams

October 29th, 2019 at 3:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Jamal Adams is staying with the Jets, but not for a lack of interest. Before the deadline, the Ravens tried to swing a trade for the Pro Bowl safety, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Ultimately, the two sides couldn’t come to terms. It was a similar story for the Cowboys, who also engaged in an aggressive pursuit of Adams before the bell rang.

Speaking of the Cowboys: They were willing to part with a first-round pick as part of a Minkah Fitzpatrick-type package, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter) hears. The Steelers acquired Fitzpatrick for a first-round pick and also agreed to exchange third-day draft choices. That’s what the Cowboys were looking to do, but they were not willing to venture into Jalen Ramsey territory, which means coughing up two first-round picks, plus a fourth-rounder.

The 1-6 Jets worked the phone lines in recent days with hopes of parlaying their best talent into future draft capital. Even after dealing defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Giants, they were nowhere near satisfied: quarterback Sam Darnold and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams represented their only untouchable players, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter) hears.

The Jets will move forward with Adams, running back Le’Veon Bell, wide receiver Robby Anderson, and the other notable names they had at the start of business on Tuesday. Ultimately, Jets GM Joe Douglas wasn’t able to completely dismantle the team he inherited, but that ultimately might be for the best.

Jets, Cowboys Discussed Jamal Adams Trade

October 29th, 2019 at 1:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys inquired on Jets safety Jamal Adams, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, there will be no deal – the asking price proved to be too high for the Cowboys, Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter) hears.

The Jets were open to dealing big-name players at the deadline and Adams – a Texas native –was open to a change of scenery.

“I know he wants to play [for the Cowboys]. I know he wants to go home,” former NFL safety Ryan Clark told ESPN. “This is from speaking to him.”

The Jets’ high asking price was and is understandable. They wanted a first-round pick and then some for their high-end safety, Rapoport tweets. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have balked in giving up major assets for a safety for two offseasons now, so making another trade involving a first-rounder — after 2018’s Amari Cooper swap — was a scary proposition.

Adams is one of the very best young safeties in the game, but he ranks just 19th in salary. That means the Cowboys, or any other team acquiring Adams, would have had to give him a pay bump. The Jets, meanwhile, were thinking about allocating those dollars in different areas. For now, the Adams Era continues in New York, even as the Jets continue to struggle.

The Cowboys flirted with significant safety upgrades over the years, but they never closed on Eric Berry, Earl Thomas, or the other Pro Bowlers linked to Dallas. Adams would have arguably been the greatest get of ’em all, due to his age and rookie contract.

The Jets may be star-crossed and, at times, downright dreadful, but Adams has been nothing but stellar throughout his young career. The former No. 6 overall pick turned in a strong rookie year, earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2018, and, so far, he’s stopped defenders 39 times in 2019. Pro Football Focus presently has him ranked as the seventh-best safety in the league – ahead of Thomas and other multiple-time Pro Bowlers.

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