New York Jets: Jamal Adams’ leadership is needed now more than ever
By Benjamin Geller
The New York Jets have been struggling, and need safety Jamal Adams to use his leadership qualities to set them back on the right path.
When the New York Jets drafted Jamal Adams “The President” from LSU with the sixth pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, they expected a bruising safety who could lead the defense.
Adams exceeded expectations fast and became the undisputed leader for the Jets even in the tough times the past few years.
Nicknames are often assigned to players arbitrarily for fun, but it is certainly not the case for “The President.” Adams views this as an opportunity to show his leadership qualities and why he is more than just a player on the field, as displayed in the following tweet.
No circumstance can take away my passion! No situation will define me! I’m always me, 100% charged ready for war! And I’ll always bring 10 other men with me ready to battle no matter what you put in front of us! #President pic.twitter.com/WjiGlUAjSP
— Jamal Adams (@TheAdamsEra) October 15, 2019
The Jets are off to a slow 1-5 start and need Adams’ leadership more than ever. The first eight weeks consisted of many top teams, but in the second half of the season, there is much opportunity with the easiest schedule for the rest of the season.
If Adams can lead the team into stride now, then this season can turn from a disappointment to successful with the hefty preseason expectations always looming around them.
Last game the Jets had an abysmal 33-0 loss against the New England Patriots, but made it worse with Sam Darnold being caught saying he was “seeing ghosts.”
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The Jets are complaining that the comment shouldn’t have been aired and it is yet another issue they have to deal with. Adams needs to rally the team together to get ready for the team’s next stretch of games, which includes many teams under .500.
The next game is against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the main focal point will be stopping Leonard Fournette. He is a bruising running back and without excellent communication, the defense will get torn apart with broken tackles resulting in long runs.
The star safety will need to be extra keen on his communication in the back end, so defensive coordinator Gregg Williams can dial up more pressure packages to limit the running lanes.
On top of the game preparation, trade rumors have developed for both Leonard Williams and Robby Anderson. Often rumors about trading key players on a team can fragment the whole unit, but Adams will not let it get to them.
Instead, he and Le’Veon Bell have them focused on what they can do individually to help the team come together as a group.
The President welcomed Bell in with open arms and disproved any questions people have about his selfishness right away after the Patriot game with the following tweet.
Here’s one thing I gotta say. There was a lot of talk before we signed Le’Veon about what kind of guy he was. The media painted him out to be a horrible person, bad teammate, lazy player, but I can’t tell you enough how first class of a teammate he’s been. Real one! pic.twitter.com/32wgjl8CMl
— Jamal Adams (@TheAdamsEra) October 22, 2019
His development as a Pro Bowl safety and leader continues with time, but it is critical parts of the season like these in which Jamal Adams is needed most to guide the team on the road to a victory Sunday.