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A tour-de-force . . .
When I saw what Joe Douglas got in return from Seattle for Jamal Adams, I was shocked.
Two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a starting safety, for Adams, primarily a box safety, who is good, not great in coverage. We aren’t talking about safeties like Tyrann Mathieu or Earl Thomas, who can cover most receivers.
That’s a king’s ransom.
Remember, when the Jets were talking to Dallas about Adams before the 2019 trade deadline last season, they wanted a one and a three, and Dallas balked. Reportedly, Dallas just wanted to give them a one.
Now, nine months later, the Jets land two first-round picks, a third-round pick and a starting safety.
When you juxtapose the Dallas offer, to what Douglas got from Seattle, it’s hard not to praise Douglas.
You read all over the place that the Jets traded “their best player.”
Well folks, if your best player is a safety, who mainly plays in the box, you have a roster problem.
Douglas is in the process of fixing that. His first draft looked really good. Time will tell if that is the case. There is a good chance middle round picks like Cam Clark and Bryce Hall turn into starters, eventually, and that will certainly help make this draft look extra special. I think we all sense that first three picks will all start and could all be impact players. I don’t want to get too much into the weeds on how they picks might do, but it’s possible this could be a transformative draft.
And that is the reason why this Adams trade haul could have a huge impact.
If you have a pedestrian or bad talent evaluator making your draft picks, then having a ton of extra picks might not amount to anything, like the Raiders trade for Khalil Mack. While Mike Mayock has the GM title in Las Vegas, Jon Gruden has final say, and Gruden has a history as a poor personnel decisions, like trading third-round picks for Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. Picking DE Clelin Ferrell fourth overall in the 2019 draft was a reach.
The two first-round picks for Mack turned into running back Josh Jacobs, who landed on IR as a rookie (though he is a good player), and CB Damon Arnette this year, who was a major reach. Many didn’t even consider him a first-round talent.
But Douglas, with his right-hand man Phil Savage, have tremendous reputations for their ability to spot talent, so if you’re a Jets fans, you have to feel good about what Douglas will do with these picks. And by the way, Douglas got more for Adams than Gruden got from Mack, which is pretty incredible. How many of you think Adams impacts games more than Mack, a dynamic pass-rusher?
I praise Douglas’ quite a bit for his ability to spot talent. I want to make it clear, there is no hidden agenda here. I hardly know Douglas aside from saying hello in passing in press boxes. It really never get past “hello.” So I’m not praising him because he gives me stuff (which is very common in journalism). I don’t roll that way. I legitimately think this guy is good at scouting players.
And showing he’s pretty good at making trades (like trading back and still getting Denzel Mims).
Still in a state of shock about how much Douglas got in return for Adams.
Wow.
July 27, 2020
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