Are Jamal Adams’ feelings for the Philadelphia Eagles mutual?
The Philadelphia Eagles’ interest in Jamal Adams is… complicated.
Well, well, well, after months of anticipation, it looks like Jamal Adams has finally decided to demand a trade.
Okay, to be fair, this isn’t the first time Adams has floated the idea of prematurely ending his relationship with the New York Football Jets but unlike his previous rumblings at the 2019 trade deadline, at the start of the 2020 league year, and in the leadup/during the draft, this time Adams made it official.
We’re talking Ian Rapoport official.
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And guess what, my friends? The Philadelphia Eagles are on Adams’ preferred list of destinations.
Now mind you, Adams didn’t say ‘It’s the Eagles or bust’, he did include six other teams on his desired locations list – all of whom are playoff teams by the way – but still, it’s rather noteworthy that an All-Pro player has interest in playing for our fair city, especially after losing one not three days prior.
But here’s the thing, it’s going to be really, really hard to trade for, and retain Adams past the 2020 season, if not downright impossible.
First and foremost comes the price the Eagles would have to surrender to the Jets for Adams’ services. It’s probably a lot. Like a lot a lot. If reports from (probably) the last time Adams asked for a trade are to be believed, the Jets would want at least a first-round pick and a third-round pick to even get a deal going – a price that may not even be correct, as it was reported by noted-non-journalist Michael Irvin. Assuming Irvin got good information from Adams and/or the Jets’ camp, the Eagles would be out two valued-priced yet incredibly valuable pieces from which to build a roster around moving forward.
On paper, that’s a lot of value to surrender for any one non-quarterback player, even an All-Pro performer, but when you factor in the parameters of Adams’ deal, and why exactly he’s demanding a trade, things become even harder to stomach.
With one year left on his contract plus a fifth-year option that will surely be picked up, Adams is going to be looking for a new deal as soon as, well, right now actually. Per Rich Cimini, Adams is looking to reset the safety market, and if the current market is of any indication, that would mean a deal worth roughly $50 million a year with $32-plus million guaranteed. Is Adams worth such a bloated figure? Honestly yes. I mean, he isn’t a perimeter cornerback, a defensive end, quarterback, or left tackle, but Adams is a pristine coverage player who can blanket a number of players from slot receiver to tight ends, running backs, and even the occasional outside cornerback. There are only a few players who can fill that role, and even fewer still available in the prime of their career.
Then again, the Eagles just pulled a three-dimensional chess move by signing three strong safeties to replace Malcolm Jenkins for less than his original 2020 cap hit, so it’s doubtful the Eagles would want to invest $15-plus million in a box safety whose performance could probably be compensated for with a rotation of Jalen Mills, Will Parks, and K’Von Wallace.
Factor in the team’s $50 million cap deficit going into the 2021 season, a situation that could become even more dire depending on how the cap is affected by a lack of fans, and it’s almost impossible to find a series of moves that gets Adams in a midnight green jersey for the long-term.
Then again, Adams does look good in green, and the Eagles have never really been able to replace Dawkins one-for-on… yeah, I just don’t see it.
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Not too long ago, I broke down why the Philadelphia Eagles were right to pass on Jalen Ramsey. Like Jamal Adams, Ramsey is an All-Pro player who would instantly improve the team’s secondary, but based on the astronomical asking price of the Jacksonville Jaguars, pulling off a deal just didn’t make sense. For better or worse, Adams falls into the exact same category, as he’s an amazing player who could certainly improve the Eagles’ secondary but with a seriously stratified salary cap hanging just over the horizon and more pressing needs to fill long-term like a second starting cornerback, a linebacker with a pulse, and maybe even a shiny new defensive end across from Brandon Graham, pulling off a deal just doesn’t make sense.