As most NFL fans are aware of, former New York Jets strong safety Jamal Adams was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.
The Jets traded away Jamal Adams and a 2022 4th round pick, while receiving a 2021 first round pick, a 2021 third round pick, a 2022 first round pick, and safety Bradley McDougald from Seattle.
Jamal Adams is one of the league’s best safety, if not the best, which leaves most fans under the impression that the Seahawks won this trade. Would you be surprised if I told you that the Jets are the real winner? Here’s why:
1) The Jets Don’t Really Need Jamal Adams
Jamal Adams might be one of the most talented players in football, but he wasn’t necessarily the biggest need for the Jets.
Marcus Maye, the team’s longest tenured safety, had a career high 7 passes defended in 2019. He also recorded one interception and 65 combined tackles. PFF graded Maye as the 17th best safety out of 85 in the league.
From the trade with Seattle, the Jets acquired safety Bradley McDougald. McDougald was a key factor to the trade that most people aren’t paying attention to. Since 2018, McDougald has been graded the 4th best safety in man coverage.
The loss of Jamal Adams is obviously a huge downgrade. However, the Jets still have very good depth at the safety position. You can count on the Jets safeties to be reliable in 2020.
2) The Jets saved Sam Darnold’s future
Since being drafted 3rd overall in 2018, Sam Darnold has had quite the struggle with the Jets. In just two seasons, Darnold has only compiled 13 total wins.
Darnold has had a horrendous TD:INT ratio, and it is mainly due to his lack of help. The Jets let Darnold’s favorite target, Robby Anderson, walk away. Darnold also plays behind a terrible offensive line causing him to force passes. Leveon Bell, who was supposed to be a massive upgrade for the Jets, has not nearly performed to his previous levels.
Aside from all these stats, the Jamal Adams trade positively impacts Darnold.
Jamal Adams was not fond of Adam Gase, the head coach of the Jets. After all, Gase was a primary reason Adams wanted out of New York. If the Jets were to keep Jamal Adams, it would only have been possible with the firing of Adam Gase, or Jamal would’ve likely held out.
Now, imagine this: You are a QB in the NFL like Sam Darnold. In just your third season, you have gone through 2 coaches with a terrible team. Jamal Adams may not like Adam Gase, but he is extremely important to Sam Darnold’s development.
Without Gase, Sam Darnold’s career will go downhill very fast. Darnold is used to Gase’s play style on the field, and will need to have a long-term coach to succeed in the NFL.
3) The Jets Now Have a Bright Future Ahead of Them
In the trade, the New York Jets acquired 3 draft picks. The picks were a 2021 1st rounder, a 2021 3rd rounder, and a 2022 1st rounder.
You can bet Adam Gase and co. will build around Sam Darnold with these picks. As I previously stated, Darnold has been playing around a poor team. This trade changes everything.
The next few draft classes contain some of the greatest athletes we have ever seen in college, and they will certainly take the NFL by storm. The Jets will have multiple first round picks for the next 2 years, and they will find offensive weapons, and defensive studs to make the Jets an elite team.
With the 11th pick in the 2019 draft, the Jets selected OT Mekhi Becton. This move helped them protect Darnold. In the 2019 Free Agency, the Jets let Robby Anderson walk. This saved them cap space. Now, the Jets have the draft picks to load their roster with talented rookies. They also have the cap space to address any other needs.
The Jets may not seem great on paper right now. In 5 years, we will be looking back on this trade and how much it positively impacted Sam Darnold and his team. The Seahawks may have added one superstar, but the Jets gained the ability to draft multiple superstars in the next couple years.
