NY Jets: What the team would lose if they traded Jamal Adams

What would the NY Jets lose if they were to actually trade star safety Jamal Adams?

Well, here we go again. The NY Jets and Jamal Adams are back at it again, frustrating their fans with speculations about the future of their star safety within the franchise. At this point, Adams has requested a trade because he has yet to get a contract extension.

While there has been plenty of talk about what will happen, that’s not what we’re gonna talk about in this article. We’re just gonna talk about the hypothetical. Should the Jets wind up trading Adams, what will they be losing and how will this affect the rest of the defense?

When talking about what Adams brings to the table it should be obvious to Jets fans at this point.

In his three years in the league, he has made two Pro Bowls, has emerged as a star in the NFL, and most recently, was named the top safety in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, ranking as the highest-rated Jets player and the 20th-best player in all of football.

He’s a superstar.

The former sixth overall pick has racked up over 200 solo tackles in his three seasons as well as 12.0 sacks — 6.5 of which came in his 2019 campaign. But beyond the accolades and the statistics, what else will Gang Green lose if he gets traded?

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The NY Jets won’t just miss Jamal Adams’ on-field excellence, they’ll miss his leadership.

The biggest thing is their captain and locker room leader.

Adams leads the Jets both on and off the field, playing with so much passion and a furious desire to win that it shows and makes a difference. Should he be traded, the Jets wouldn’t just be losing an amazing player, but also a team leader.

So in the event that Adams does get traded, what would that mean for the rest of Gregg Williams’ defense? A unit that was fantastic against the run last season, in large part due to Adams’ play.

So looking forward, what will the secondary look like? There is still Marcus Maye, a solid player, still on his rookie deal having been drafted the same year as Adams. However, who replaces Adams in the starting lineup.

It will most likely be rookie Ashtyn Davis. The third-round pick is the obvious choice for Gang Green as he is versatile in where he can play.

While he may not have the same run-stopping ability and most likely won’t be the same star as Adams (at least not immediately), Davis will provide a solid option to replace Adams.

The rest of the defense will have to adjust of course. However, I would still expect an aggressive defense that is stingy against the run and throws a number of complicated blitzes coming from all over the field.

Even if the Jets do trade Adams, there is still star power with C.J. Mosley and Avery Williamson at linebacker. The Jets will also need 2019 third overall pick Quinnen Williams to step up.

Adams was a huge part in the run defense, so an extra push up front will be much needed from Williams to make up for the loss.

This is, of course, all theoretical. General manager Joe Douglas may make Jets fans’ dreams come true and sign Adams to an extension.

But with so much up in the air, an Adams-less world may be a reality sooner rather than later for Jets fans.