Philadelphia Eagles: The Cowboys should go all-in on Jamal Adams

Jamal Adams to the Dallas Cowboys is great for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Philadelphia Eagles need a new strong safety to replace Malcolm Jenkins.

Sure, the team drafted Clemson coverage specialist in K’Von Wallace in the fourth round, re-signed Jalen Mills, and signed local product Will Parks – who ironically just worked out with Jenkins – to compete for the position, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a certified superstar on the books who could play the role at an All-Pro level for the next decade?

Brian Dawkins still has one of the most frequently purchased Eagles jerseys in 2020 and he hasn’t played with the team since 2008.

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So naturally, when a player like Jamal Adams potentially becomes available via trade, the Eagles would be first in line to secure his services, regardless of who they already have under contract, right? I mean he’s Jamal Adams, arguably the best all-around safety in the NFL. Factor in Howie Roseman’s built-in relationship with Jets GM Joe Douglas and a deal between the two parties feels borderline guaranteed.

Yeah, not going to happen.

Okay, technically the Eagles could trade for Adams, there’s nothing stopping them from doing so, but doing so would be exceedingly expensive and ultimately hurt the team long-term.

First and foremost, actually trading for Adams will cost at least a first-round pick, potentially even more. Last fall, the Jets declined a first-round pick for Adams’ services and as per noted journalist Michael Irvin, a first-round pick and a third-round pick would likely get a deal done after recent extension talks between the player and team broke down. That value is about right for a player of Adams’ caliber but surrendering nine value-priced years of premier draftee production for one player is hard to justify even for the best teams.

And then there’s the salary cap price tag. A big reason why Adams likely won’t be a Jet for life is the fact that he wants to be paid like what he is, one of the best safeties in the NFL. That likely means a contract worth $14 million a year at minimum with a ton of that money guaranteed. As you probably know, the Eagles’ salary cap situation is kind of a mess at this point, so committing a massive deal to a safety would seriously hamper the team’s ability to field a competitive roster in 2021 and beyond.

That being said, the Dallas Cowboys should 100 percent trade for Jamal Adams for every reason listed above.

For whatever reason, Jerry Jones is absolutely enamored with Adams. He’s been pining after the ex-LSU Tiger for years now and wants nothing more than to pencil his name on the depth chart next to Xavier Woods. Sure, Dem Boys just signed long-time Eagles fan HaHa Clinton-Dix in free agency but the talent discrepancy between the two is pretty massive. Add the best box safety in the NFL and watch the Lombardi Trophies roll in.

Except that isn’t what would happen.

Like the Eagles, the Cowboys’ salary cap balance sheet is sort of a mess. After signing players like Ezekiel Elliott, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Jaylon Smith to market-setting deals, the Cowboys had to let a ton of good players walk in free agency, including their best cornerback Byron Jones. Adams is certainly a better player than Jones but he plays a much less valuable position and would effectively force the Cowboys to exclusively rely on rookie contract corners and/or cheap free agent additions at the positions to offset massive cap hit at safety.

Factor in the reported five-year, $175 million extension that somehow still isn’t enough for Dak Prescott and it’s entirely possible the Cowboys could eventually trot out a roster with eight players with ten-digit yearly cap hits and 40 players making less than a million. Hyperbole? Maybe, but not by much.

Adams may be good, really good, but his Jets have never even had a winning record over his first three years in the league. Blame it on bad luck, bad coaches, or certified ghost hunter Sam Darnold’s mononucleosis, but it’s clear Adams alone can’t turn a certified loser into a Super Bowl favorite.

It’s almost like safety is one of the least valuable positions of the defensive side of the ball from a ‘wins above replacement’ standpoint. Oh wait, it is.

Next. Malcolm Jenkins is still helping out his former team. dark

Look, who am I to tell Jerry Jones how to use his money? You want to add the best safety in the NFL and sell a ton of jerseys a la Brian Dawkins for the next century? Go for it. But by doing so, the Dallas Cowboys would make their stratified pay gap even more disproportionate and potentially dice their ability to compete for a Super Bowl thanks to razor-thin depth at crucial positions. As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I support this wacky strategy wholeheartedly.

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