Jamal Adams got his wish.
The Jets agreed to trade discontent security and a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Seahawks, according to a source, in exchange for a 2021 first-round pick, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2021 third-round pick and safety Bradley McDougald.
The deal ends a drama that unfolded this offseason with Pro Bowl security looking for a contract extension and then requesting an exchange after not receiving one. Adams has criticized the organization in the past two months, from owner Woody Johnson to coach Adam Gase and general manager Joe Douglas.
The move comes a day after a published interview with Adams where he questioned Gase’s leadership and said Douglas lied to his agent.
The Jets had maintained that they were not interested in switching to Adams unless they were surprised by an offer. Apparently Seattle did exactly that.
Movement carries risks, as Adams was widely considered the Jets’ best player. The team selected him No. 6 overall in 2017 from LSU. He became a major factor in the team and earned a Pro Bowl go-ahead in his second season. He made the Pro Bowl again last year and was also named All-Pro of the first team.
Adams, 24, has been the team’s MVP for the past two years and team captain. In 2019, he had 75 tackles, seven passes defended, two forced fumbles, in fumble recovery that returned for a touchdown and an interception, which also returned for a touchdown. Adams was a force near the line of scrimmage. He was second on the team with 6 ½ sacks. He tied for the team lead with 13 quarterback hits and 10 tackles per loss.
The only hit in Adams’ game is his lack of interceptions. He only has two in his career. But he affects the game in many other ways.
It would have been unthinkable just a year ago that the Jets would trade Adams, who was seen as a key piece of his core. But things deteriorated between the player and the organization. It bothered him that he was left on the bench last year at the end of the Week 2 loss to the Browns after having committed consecutive penalties. Then, he criticized Douglas for participating in business discussions about him on the October deadline. He didn’t speak to Douglas and Gase for a short time after that.
His game never went down and he actually released some of his best games like Jet in the weeks that followed.
Then, the low season came. Adams made it clear that he wanted a new contract despite having two years remaining on his rookie contract. Douglas said the Jets wanted Adams to be a “Jet for Life”. The Jets never promised him a deal this year, according to a source, but Adams has publicly said they did. Adams was looking for a contract that would make him the highest-paid player on the team, overshadowing CJ Mosley’s average annual value of $ 17 million. The Jets were not interested in reaching that price, and things got even more complicated when the coronavirus pandemic hit and the economic situation in the NFL became uncertain.
The Jets told the Adams representative in May that he would not be receiving a contract offer at the time and that is when Adams started a social media campaign against the Jets and requested permission to seek an exchange. He provided the Jets with a list of the teams he would like to trade with that included the Seahawaks along with the 49ers, Cowboys, Ravens, Texans, Chiefs and Eagles. Adams has been frustrated with the loss of the Jets and was looking to go to an organization that has been successful recently. The Jets were 16-32 with Adams on the team.
He stepped up his efforts to be traded this week, first shooting owner Woody Johnson after it was reported that he allegedly made racist and sexist comments in his role as ambassador to the UK. He followed up with an interview in the Daily News that included the extraction of Gase and Douglas.
Adams is the latest in a line of Jets star players who ended up being traded by the team. Keyshawn Johnson, John Abraham, Darrelle Revis, and Sheldon Richardson are all Pro Bowl players eventually traded for the Jets.
The Jets are scheduled to appear at training camp on Tuesday. Adams should see his former teammates on December 13 when the Jets are scheduled to travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks.
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