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Jamal Adams

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. 

[RELATED: Jets Hold On To Le’Veon Bell]

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.”

 

[RELATED: Jets Trade Leonard Williams To Giants]

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.

Jamal Adams: “I’m Focused On [The Jets]”

September 18th, 2019 at 8:36am CST by Zachary Links

Jets star safety Jamal Adams caused quite the stir this week when he unfollowed the Jets on Instagram (In this day and age, that’s a big deal.) However, in a radio interview this week, Adams indicated that he isn’t looking to force a trade. 

“It’s social media. It’s outside noise,” Adams said, while refusing to explain why he created the social media drama in the first place (via Howie Kussoy of the New York Post). “I’m not focused on that..I’m focused on this team. I’m not focused on the outside noise. I’m just focused on how we can get better and get a win.”

The Jets have gone 9-25 since Adams was drafted by the club and things probably aren’t going to get better in the coming weeks as Sam Darnold remains sidelined with mono and Luke Falk runs the offense. Still, Adams says everything is cool between him and coach Adam Gase – even after Gase pulled him off the field late in Monday night’s loss due to back-to-back penalties.

“He wants to win as much as anyone I’ve ever been around. I’m sure at that point in the game he was extremely frustrated,” Gase said. “When he gets like that, and you want to go make a play, and the score’s a little lopsided like that, you get a little over-aggressive. … I thought it was a smart idea as far as just trying to do that and get him settled down.”

Gang Green – also known as the Walking Wounded – will face the Patriots on Sunday.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Adams, Dolphins

September 17th, 2019 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

We have more social media drama. On Tuesday, safety Jamal Adams unfollowed the Jets on Instagram.

In years past, this sort of teenage drama wasn’t on our radar, but we’ve seen countless players unfollow their respective teams and ask for trades as of late.

In case you were wondering, Adams still follows the Jets on Twitter as of this writing, so there’s that. Also, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears there’s nothing to this latest unfollow scandal, even though the Jets are 0-2 and suffered a Monday night embarrassment at the hands of the Browns.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

AFC Notes: Texans, Patriots, Jets

July 21st, 2017 at 7:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After Texans running back D’Onta Foreman‘s arrest on charges of marijuana and unlawful gun possession last Sunday, his attorney, Chip Lewis, claimed that the rookie didn’t “use or possess” the drug. To help clear himself of wrongdoing, Foreman was voluntarily tested for marijuana, and the results came back negative, according to Lewis (via Mark Berman of FOX 26). “It makes it clear that he was telling the truth,” Lewis said of the outcome. “He was not using marijuana.” Foreman has a July 31 court date, though there’s reportedly a strong likelihood of a postponement because the Texans will be at training camp in West Virginia then.

  • Patriots running back Dion Lewis may have to fight for a roster spot this summer, Mike Giardi of CSNNE.com points out, but colleague Tom Curran says it would be a mistake for the team to cut him if he’s healthy (video link). Fellow back Brandon Bolden should be in greater jeopardy, as he offers little offensively, opines Curran. Lewis has provided solid production as both a runner and pass catcher when on the field during his two-year New England stint, having averaged 4.6 yards per carry on 113 attempts and totaled 53 receptions, but he hasn’t appeared much. A torn ACL in 2015 and the subsequent recovery process kept Lewis out of action for nine games in each of the previous two regular seasons. Releasing Lewis would save the Pats all but $200K of his $1.49MM cap hit, and they’d still have a capable group of backs with Mike Gillislee, James White and Rex Burkhead leading the way.
  • Having moved on from a cavalcade of veterans in recent months, it may look as though the Jets are tanking, but it’s just a full-scale rebuild, contends Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Tanking is “almost impossible” to pull off in the NFL, argues Vacchiano, who writes that a top 10 to 15 selection in next year’s draft may be the best-case scenario for the club. Picking that late could mean the Jets found an answer at quarterback in Christian Hackenberg, a second-rounder in 2016 who didn’t take the field as a rookie, and saw a slew of other young players emerge as legitimate building blocks. It’s more likely, though, that they’ll end up with a top five pick, potentially putting them in position to find a franchise QB, observes Vacchiano.
  • More on the Jets, whose deal with first-round pick Jamal Adams contains offsets, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Jets, Jamal Adams Agree To Deal

July 20th, 2017 at 8:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets have agreed to a contract with their first-round pick, safety Jamal Adams, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. As the sixth overall selection, Adams will land a four-year deal worth approximately $22.25MM, including a $14.3MM-plus signing bonus.

Jamal Adams

Adams was a three-year starter at LSU, where he posted a career-best 76 tackles last season en route to second-team All-America honors. The year before, Adams racked up a personal-high four interceptions. The hard-hitting 214-pounder is a “natural-born leader of men,” according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who likens him to former Cowboys star Darren Woodson. Adams, along with second-round safety Marcus Maye, will now take control of the back end of a Jets defense that has cut ties with veteran DBs Marcus Gilchrist, Calvin Pryor and Darrelle Revis in recent months.

With Adams under contract, Solomon Thomas (49ers), Corey Davis (Titans), Gareon Conley (Raiders) and Jabrill Peppers (Browns) are the only unsigned first-round picks remaining. Raiders second-rounder Obi Melifonwu also remains unsigned.

Meanwhile, the Jets’ entire nine-player draft class is now under control as training camp nears. Here’s a refresher:

Jets Select Jamal Adams No. 6 Overall

April 27th, 2017 at 7:53pm CST by Zachary Links

With the No. 6 pick, the Jets have selected LSU safety Jamal Adams.

Jamal Adams (vertical)

Adams was a three-year starter at LSU and he saved his best for the final act. As a junior, Adams had career highs in tackles (76) and tackles for a loss (7.5) as scouts gushed over his hard-charging style. The popular knock on Adams has been that he is a box safety and undeserving of being taken so early in the draft, but scouting experts like Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believe that he can also work well in coverage.

By taking Adams, the Jets are likely replacing Calvin Pryor. Pryor, a pick of the previous regime, has not panned out and the team has already declined his fifth-year option for 2018. Pryor is a one-dimensional hard hitter, but Adams is a much more well-rounded safety.

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