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This could get real ugly . . .
Talking about the Jamal Adams contract dispute.
What would you do?
Would you pay the player after three years, when he’s under contract for two more, and set that precedent that other Jets’ first round picks will follow. Do you want Mekhi Becton knocking at your door in three years?
Look, Adams is a very good player, but the Jets’ defense, especially their pass defense, has not been very good the last three years. I’m not blaming Adams for that, just saying why break the bank on a safety who played on in a substandard defense the last three years? People will point out that their run defense was very good last year. Perhaps, but one reason for that is when a team is so easy to pass on, why bother running a lot?
Former NFL GM Mike Lombardi, now with VISN (a gambling network), thinks the Jets’ poor performance the last three years should be a factor in the Adams’ discussion.
“[Joe’s] got to say, ‘Look, you were on our football team and we won 7 games last year and there is a big picture here until we start to win games,'” said Lombardi.
Jets were 5-11, 4-12 and 7-9 the last three years with a pass defense that left a lot to be desired. Not blaming Adams per se, just saying he was part of a defense not very good at defending the pass the last three seasons.
Adams isn’t a bad coverage safety, but his strength is playing in box, as you saw last year with his 6.5 sacks.
Something else Lombardi pointed out was that the Jets will eventually have to pay the QB, and that’s a factor with Adams. We all know how expensive NFL QB deals can be.
“I can’t overextend myself because I’m going to have to pay Sam Darnold,” Lombardi said. “You can’t plan this on a daily basis. You have to plan this thing out. Whatever you have to do today, if you have to pay the quarterback, down the road, you have to make sure you count that in.”
This is why a trade of Adams can’t be taken off the table if this gets real ugly.
Maybe Adams should be mad at the union which agreed to allow teams to keep first-round players looked up for six years if they please: a four year deal, fifth-year option and then franchise tag.
You also have to wonder if Adams calling out Douglas in the middle of last season left a bad taste in the GM’s mouth. This was in regards to trade talks between the Jets and Dallas at the trade deadline about the player. If the Jets got a 1st and 3rd, there is a good chance they pull the trigger.
Adams acted like it was a slap in the face. But you have to wonder if Adams was playing both sides of the fence on this one. Maybe he was truly pissed, but not at getting being brought up in trade talks with Dallas, but the deal not happening. You’re telling me that Adams, a Dallas-native, would have been pissed if he was traded by the Jets to his hometown teams? Hard to believe. So perhaps he feigned outrage since he knew the trade fell through, in order to curry favor with Jets fans.
The bottom line is the Jets should try to work things out with Adams. Maybe they can do a band-aid deal to bump up his $3.25 salary this year a little, and then revisit the extension next year.
But if this turns into Darrelle Revis 2010 Part II, a vitriolic nightmare, a trade might not be a bad idea. Douglas doesn’t need that nonsense, especially at a position like safety, which is a position that some teams flat-out refuse to break the bank on.
May 22, 2020
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