New York Jets’ Joe Douglas: Trade talks were ‘never serious’ with Jamal Adams

New York Jets GM Joe Douglas revealed that the trade talks ‘were never serious’ with Jamal Adams. Here are all the details and what it means.

The biggest storyline surrounding the New York Jets this offseason is what the team will do with their superstar safety Jamal Adams.

Adams’ future with the team was first called into question around the 2019 NFL trade deadline. A few hours before the deadline Jamal Adams name was leaked to the media and it appeared inevitable that he’d be dealt until he wasn’t.

It forced Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas to do damage control after the dust settled. Adams was quite upset about his name being floated around and it caused some rifts between Jamal and the team.

Reportedly all sides have met and the beef has been squashed between all parties.

With the 2019 season over, Douglas spoke to the media this week and revealed that the trade discussions at the deadline never reached a serious level:

“When teams call you listen. How serious things get after the initial call depends on the other team. It was never serious with Jamal. Things never got to a serious stage with him at the trade deadline.”

"It was never serious with Jamal" – Joe Douglas on getting calls about Jamal Adams at the deadline pic.twitter.com/9yodT5yJuz

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) December 31, 2019

Per Connor Rogers of Bleacher Report and The Stick to Football Podcast, the Jets would only deal Jamal Adams for a “blockbuster haul” that included a future first and 2 second-round picks.

At the NFL trade deadline, the team that was in it the heaviest was the Dallas Cowboys. They reportedly offered a package including a first-round pick, but it still wasn’t enough to sway the New York Jets.

With the 2019 season officially over for the Jets, Adams is now eligible to renegotiate his contract for the first time in his professional career.

Joe Douglas said he’ll meet with the front office and coaching staff to determine what the plan of attack will be this offseason.

One way or another the Jets have a decision to make.

You either hand Jamal Adams a fat contract extension that’ll likely make him the highest-paid safety in football (a contract that’ll pay around $15 million annually on a long-term deal).

Or you flip Adams for a haul of picks + players and use that money instead to invest in other areas of the roster.

It’ll be a fascinating decision that’ll have ripple effects throughout the organization for many years to come on and off the field.