Current Jets superstar Strong Safety, Jamal Adams, may hit the trade market. Adams, one of the top safeties in the league since his NFL debut in the 2017 season, has had contract negotiation troubles with the New York Jets.
The current negotiations have now come to a halt and it looks more and more likely that the Jets won’t be able to retain him. This has decreased the value for the young defensive back, and a decision will have to be made soon as the 2020 draft is only six days away.
The Cowboys have now entered trade talks and are looking to make a deal with the Jets in hopes that they could land him before the bidding gets hotter, and their own 2020 draft picks disappear.
While conventional wisdom makes this look like a great move, the downside risk seems to be too high.
Upside: Critical need at Secondary
The Cowboys were a cellar dweller in 2019 with a league-low seven interceptions. This can only get worse with the loss of cornerback Byron Jones who recently signed with the Miami Dolphins. Adams would clearly excel at a vital role that has been left vacant.
Downside: Cap Space
The Cowboys have lost a ton of cap space after numerous free-agent signings during the 2020 offseason. As of April 17th, the Cowboys have $13.5M of cap room left and a top safety like Jamal Adams could be looking for some big bucks.
This could hinder the Cowboys’ hope of making a deal with Quarterback Dak Prescott. Dak has already been exclusive franchise tagged, but he is threatening to hold out without a long term deal prior to the season.
Downside: Hole at Cornerback will remain unplugged
By letting Byron Jones walk and hypothetically trading for Jamal Adams, the Cornerback position will remain outmanned with Chidobe Awuzie at CB1. Chido was burnt by Wide Reciever 2’s in 2019 and there is no question he is a vulnerability to the league’s top receivers.
If the Cowboys use draft picks in their trade for Adams, they could be missing out on some elite cornerback prospects such as CJ Henderson and Kristian Fulton.
At the end of the day, while Adams brings a lot of skill to the table, the overall risk to the Cowboys’ future is not worth its weight in gold.
Photo: Cowboys Wire
