Jets’ Jamal Adams Requests Trade
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.
Josh Gordon Applies For NFL Reinstatement
Josh Gordon has formally submitted his request for reinstatement, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Gordon has been training throughout the offseason in hopes of getting back on the field. Now, the league must rule on Gordon’s eligibility.
[RELATED: Cowboys’ Aldon Smith Reinstated By NFL ]
Gordon, 29, has been working out in Seattle with optimism that he could be cleared by the league office before training camp. It is, unfortunately, familiar territory for the talented wide receiver. In December, Gordon was hit with yet another ban – this time, an indefinite suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. That gave him a grand total of six career suspensions from the NFL and it’s not clear if Roger Goodell & Co. are ready to give him an immediate shot at redemption.
Gordon spent time with the Patriots and Seahawks last year. His contract with Seattle has lapsed, making him a free agent. Teams can, in theory, sign Gordon before he receives word from the league office, as the Cowboys did with Aldon Smith. Still, teams are likely to wait until they have a clearer picture of Gordon’s availability for the coming season.
Last year, Gordon had seven catches for 139 yards in five games for the Seahawks. Coach Pete Carroll has hinted that he’d be interested in a reunion and it stands to reason that other clubs will at least consider the former Browns superstar. Despite the hiccups in his personal life, Gordon’s talent will always tantalize evaluators. Several years have passed since Gordon’s exceptional 2014 season, but it’s impossible to forget what he achieved while focused and on the field. In that campaign, Gordon finished out with 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games.
Jets’ Jamal Adams: “Maybe It’s Time To Move On”
On Thursday, Jamal Adams took yet another social media shot at the Jets. In an Instagram comment referencing Christian McCaffrey‘s recent big-money extension and the forthcoming Patrick Mahomes mega-deal, Adams wondered why his team isn’t taking care of him in the same fashion. 
[RELATED: Jamal Adams Frustrated With Jets]
“I deserve to be paid…don’t use the pandemic excuse,” Adams wrote (h/t Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). “CM22 got paid not too long ago. Well deserved. Great friend of mine…I’m [going to] protect myself just like an organization will look out for themselves at the end of the day. And, if you guys don’t respect that, cool. It’s all [love]. Maybe it’s time to move on!”
Throughout the offseason, Jets GM Joe Douglas has told the press that he intends to keep the young standout safety for the duration of his career. Meanwhile, Adams says he has been left waiting. In January, Adams says, the Jets told him that they would propose terms of a long-term extension. Last week, Adams says that he’s still waiting for it.
The pandemic has unquestionably gummed up the works for pending extension talks around the league. However, Adams isn’t buying it. The Pro Bowler has been pushing for a market-value deal for well over a year and, lately, he’s received little in the way of communication. Instead, during that time, the Jets discussed potential trades, including one that would have shipped Adams to the Cowboys. Ultimately, the Jets’ asking price scuttled those talks – ditto for discussions with the Ravens.
As it stands, the Jets have Adams under contract through 2021. The Jets could keep him off the market with the franchise tag, but it’s clear that Adams wouldn’t cooperate with that course of action.
49ers, Kyle Shanahan Agree To Extension
After giving Kyle Shanahan a six-year extension in 2017, the 49ers are doubling down. The defending NFC champions and their fourth-year head coach agreed on another six-year deal Monday, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Niners officially confirmed the news on Tuesday morning, via press release.
The deal does not tack three years onto Shanahan’s previous pact. It will replace the previous contract, tying the 40-year-old head coach to the 49ers through the 2025 season. This contract will place Shanahan among the top-five highest-paid coaches, Schefter adds.
The second-generation HC had three years remaining on his initial San Francisco deal, but with the rebuild he and John Lynch oversaw producing one of the league’s great single-season turnarounds, the franchise moved quickly to lock down its sideline boss. The negotiation between Shanahan and 49ers CEO Jed York moved quickly, Schefter notes.
Shanahan spent several seasons as an offensive coordinator, moving from Washington to Cleveland to Atlanta before landing the San Francisco HC job. Brought in along with Lynch to orchestrate a rebuild — after the 49ers made their initial two post-Jim Harbaugh coaches (Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly) one-and-dones — and the 2019 brought that to fruition. The 49ers followed a 4-12 2018 season — one largely without Jimmy Garoppolo — with a 13-3 slate that secured NFC home-field advantage and the franchise’s seventh Super Bowl berth.
Lynch remains on his original deal, which runs through 2022. But after the career TV analyst worked alongside Shanahan to rebuild the 49ers, it is not hard to envision the franchise rewarding its GM as well.
Cowboys, Texans Players Test Positive For COVID-19
Several players from the Texans and Cowboys have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). The list includes Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, per Rapoport (Twitter link). It’s believed that those players were not in their respective team’s facilities, which hopefully means that there will not be further viral spread in either locker room. 
[RELATED: Dez Bryant Receiving NFL Interest]
Due to regulations, the players who tested positive have not been disclosed publicly. In total, four players have been found to have COVID-19, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. Two of those players are from the Cowboys (including Elliott) and two are from the Texans.
“Due to federal and local privacy laws, we are unable to provide information regarding the personal health of any of our employees,” said the Cowboys in their statement.
The NFL has pledged to do everything in its power to identify positive cases as they arise and prevent further spread. So far, it appears that plan has worked.
Broncos linebacker Von Miller, Saints head coach Sean Payton, and other NFL employees have tested positive for coronavirus this offseason. With more known cases, the NFL may need to adjust its game plan and schedule for summer activities. For now, the league intends to launch in-person training camp in July, followed by preseason games in August. However, this year’s preseason may be shortened from four games to two.
The same goes for the college ranks, where at least five Alabama players have tested positive for the virus. For now, the NCAA is hoping to have coaches working with players by July 13th, followed by four weeks of camp.
Antonio Brown Pleads No Contest To Criminal Charges
Antonio Brown is feeling optimistic about signing with a new team soon, and now we might now why. As Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports, Brown pleaded no contest today to criminal charges stemming from an incident with a delivery driver in January (Twitter link). That plea was part of a bargain that will allow AB to avoid jail time, and he will instead receive two years of probation to go along with 100 hours of community service and a mandatory psychiatric evaluation.
Brown was facing charges of felony burglary conveyance, misdemeanor battery, and misdemeanor criminal mischief. The delivery driver claimed that Brown assaulted him outside of the receiver’s Florida home during a dispute over payment and removed property from his truck. Brown’s attorney, Carson Hancock, said after the plea deal was formalized that this matter was a civil one for which Brown should not have been criminally charged. He also says it would have been resolved much sooner if not for the pandemic (Twitter link via Wolfe). Hanock’s entire statement may be found here, courtesy of Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
This is a big step in Brown’s return to the league, but he still has major hurdles to clear. It’s been a long time since we heard anything about the status of the league’s investigation into the multiple sexual assault allegations that have been levied against Brown, and even though the All-Pro wideout was able to avoid serious criminal repercussions for the delivery driver charges, the NFL can still suspend him under its personal conduct policy. Given the nature of those charges and the sexual assault allegations, a suspension certainly appears to be in the offing.
Plus, for all of his on-field talents, Brown has been nothing short of a distraction in recent years even when he’s been employed by a team. All of that will make it tough for a club to pull the trigger, but if and when the league formally announces his punishment, it will be similarly difficult for a playoff-caliber team to wonder what a fresh and properly-motivated Brown could mean for its championship aspirations.
Dalvin Cook To Wage Holdout
One of several running backs from the 2017 draft class in talks regarding a new contact, Dalvin Cook made a move Monday to hopefully expedite proceedings.
The Vikings running back will no longer participate in team-related activities until he receives a “reasonable” deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Cook and the Vikes have begun negotiations, and the fourth-year running back has now pledged to sit out training camp if he and the team cannot agree on an extension, Schefter adds.
This is not exactly an unforeseen development. Cook is following Ezekiel Elliott‘s playbook from last year. The Cowboys running back participated in some of his team’s OTAs — when they were not virtual — before reconsidering and pledging to skip training camp. He did, and the tactic led to an extension. Cook has one year remaining on his contract and would normally possess a bit more leverage because he was not a first-round pick. Elliott had two years left on his rookie deal at the time.
Cook, however, is preparing a holdout on a different CBA — one that includes harsher penalties for skipping training camp workouts. Players will lose an accrued season toward free agency by not reporting to camp on time. Elliott bypassed the previous accrued-season deadline last year, however. Additionally, teams can no longer eliminate fines for players who skip camp, and said fines are now heftier. On a second-round contract, Cook has not accumulated what Elliott did through three years and is set to make just $1.3MM in 2020. This would be a bold move from the Vikings back.
The Vikings have not been shy about handing out extensions. In addition to the numerous re-ups they authorized for defenders from 2016-19 — several of which coming in the late summer — the Vikes extended Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen in 2018 and ’19, respectively. Kirk Cousins also signed an extension this year.
Minnesota drafted Alexander Mattison in the third round last year; the rookie produced in a limited capacity. Cook earned his first Pro Bowl nod, shattering career-high marks with 1,135 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. But for a third straight year, he experienced injury trouble. That will play into the Vikings’ talks with their standout back.
Clemson WR Justyn Ross Out For Season
Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross, one of the top prospects who will be eligible for the 2021 draft, will not play this season. A diagnosis of congenital fusion will prompt Ross to undergo surgery Friday, The Athletic’s Grace Raynor tweets.
Ross suffered an injury during spring workouts in March. The subsequent X-ray revealed he was born with this condition, which occurs when two of the seven bones in the neck are abnormally fused. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney confirmed the surgery. While Ross’ doctor said there is a good chance the talented wideout can play football again, he did not guarantee it (Twitter link via Raynor).
After showing immense potential at Clemson the past two years, Ross resides on first-round radars for next year. He sits 12th on Todd McShay’s ESPN.com big board for the ’21 draft. This diagnosis could obviously change everything for the 6-foot-4 talent.
Ross totaled 112 receptions for 1,865 yards and 17 touchdown receptions during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He was expected to be Clemson’s top receiver this season, following Tee Higgins‘ early draft declaration, and is viewed as a higher-ceiling prospect than his former Tigers teammate.
Jets, Joe Flacco Agree To Deal
Although Joe Flacco is recovering from a neck surgery that is expected to keep him out of action for months, he agreed to terms with the Jets on Friday. The former Ravens and Broncos quarterback will sign a one-year deal, according to his agency (Twitter link).
This will add an experienced arm for a Jets team that previously featured a thin depth chart behind Sam Darnold. The Jets did re-sign David Fales and drafted James Morgan in Round 4 this offseason, but Flacco (if healthy) obviously offers a higher floor. After expressing interest in Andy Dalton, the Jets landed his longtime AFC North rival.
Flacco’s deal will be worth $1.5MM with incentives that could bring the price up to $4.5MM, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 12th-year veteran is also expected to be ready to participate in training camp, though Schefter tweets the former Super Bowl MVP likely will not be medically cleared until September.
Talks between Flacco and the Jets transpired for weeks, according to Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). The Eagles also showed interest earlier this offseason but backed off after the draft, Caplan adds. Philadelphia drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round.
A Flacco deal during the COVID-19 pandemic — when teams cannot have their medical staffs examine players — certainly proves interesting. Cam Newton remains in free agency. But the former certainly represents a cheaper option. Jets GM Joe Douglas has extensive familiarity with Flacco. Douglas was with the Ravens as their northeast area scout when they drafted Flacco out of Delaware in 2008. Douglas was still with Baltimore when Flacco turned in his career-defining playoff run that secured the franchise’s second Super Bowl title four years later.
The former Division I-FCS standout is now 35 and will arrive in the Big Apple after some injury-marred seasons. After a torn ACL ended his seven-plus-year start streak in 2015, Flacco battled back trouble in 2017. Though he played 16 games that year, the Delaware alum missed time with a hip malady in 2018 and saw Lamar Jackson take his job. Flacco’s Broncos season stalled after eight starts, and Denver subsequently pivoted to Drew Lock.
Gang Green has struggled at backup quarterback for years. They went 0-6 in games Darnold did not start over the past two years, and the previous regime’s investments in Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg — who backed up Ryan Fitzpatrick and then Josh McCown — did not work out.
Cowboys’ Aldon Smith Reinstated By NFL
The NFL has granted reinstatement to Aldon Smith, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Smith will be allowed to join the Cowboys virtual offseason program next week, as NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets, and he’ll be on course to join his new team in Week 1. 
The Cowboys surprised everyone when they agreed to sign Smith in April. The edge rusher hasn’t played in an NFL game since the 2015 campaign, but the Cowboys were encouraged by his sobriety and excited about his potential. Smith is a former All-Pro and when he was on top of his game, he was among the league’s very best defenders.
“I would say first-hand that I know that [Smith] is very diligent in his work to do the things the NFL looks at to reinstate,” Jones said in April. “I wouldn’t dare get into where the league is and how they will go about this process … [but] as a league, we really are bent toward the medical aspect of many of these problems or many of these things that have been in consideration when a player has to have some type of suspension. We’ve made it more medically oriented to where you can have good grades from doctors, and that weighs into being a player in the NFL.”
In his first two pro seasons with the Niners, Smith registered 33.5 sacks, including a league-leading 19.5 sacks in 2012. And, even when he was limited to just eleven contests in 2013, he still managed 8.5 sacks.
The Cowboys believe that Smith’s off-the-field trouble is behind him. That’s a good thing, because his rap sheet won’t give him much wiggle room if he runs into any issues. Smith has been arrested for DUI and suspended for substance abuse policy violations on multiple occasions. The Cowboys, of course, have been willing to dole out second and third chances to talented players like Smith, and they’ve gotten mixed results. The hope is that Smith will follow through on his vow to stay clean, and that he’ll be joined by Randy Gregory, who is also making his case to Roger Goodell.