Jamal Adams certainly tried his best to talk his way out of New York. But the truth is, he might have been on his way out regardless.
Adams was dealt to the Seattle Seahawks just one day after an interview was published in which he ripped Jets GM Joe Douglas and head coach Adam Gase, but according to an NFL source, this trade had actually already been in the works for several weeks. In fact, the source added, the talks became serious about a week ago – several days before that interview appeared in the Daily News.
It’s unclear if Adams’ interview, in which he basically called Douglas a liar and said Gase wasn’t a good leader, was the tipping point for the deal. One source with the Jets said people in the organization were definitely surprised by the timing of tone of Adams’ remarks. But in a statement released by the team, Douglas didn’t address what Adams said. He simply called the offer he got from Seattle “one we could not ignore.”
“Once he got two first-round picks, there was no way (Douglas) could turn that down,” said one NFL executive. “To get that for an unhappy player who has absolutely no leverage, but is demanding a huge contract, that’s just incredible.”
Douglas actually got more than that. He got two first-round picks (2021, 2022), a third-round pick (2021), and a starting safety (Bradley McDougald) for Adams and a fourth-round pick (2022). When teams began calling about Adams at the trading deadline last October, several NFL sources said Douglas was looking for a first-round pick, plus. And though there were some reports that the “plus” was a second-round pick, no one around the NFL thought he’d get that much, or more.
It’s unclear when the Seahawks offered the second first-rounder, but a source said it was about a week ago that the offer became good enough for Douglas to seriously consider. Adams told the Daily News that Douglas had told him he was open to dealing him for the right price, but it’s unclear if Adams had heard about the talks with Seattle. Some around the league believe he probably did and that his angry interview might have been his attempt to push Douglas over the edge.
But again, once Seattle offered the second first-rounder, Douglas probably didn’t need to be shoved. The Jets GM had said all along he didn’t want to trade Adams, but was willing to listen just in case a team blew him away with an offer.
Obviously this one did.
“This trade provides us with a unique opportunity to improve our team,” Douglas said. “While we had maintained our interest in Jamal Adams having a long and successful career with the Jets, we know it’s important to be prepared and wiling to adjust to new offers and circumstances.
“As I’ve always said, my job is to listen to calls, and this offer was one we could not ignore.”