Jamal Adams would cost the Chiefs a pretty penny in any trade

The Kansas City Chiefs would have to pay through the nose for Jamal Adams.

On Thursday night, NFL Twitter awoke from the sleepy state of early summer doldrums with news posted by Adam Schefter that New York Jets safety Jamal Adams had not only demanded a trade away from the team but that he had a list of seven other franchises to which he’d welcome a move. On that list was the Kansas City Chiefs, among other assumed contenders. Just like that, league-wide buzz was alive again.

The idea of the Chiefs importing any superstar player to an already loaded roster that has proven its championship mettle feels a bit ridiculous. When you factor in that Adams would also want an immediate contract, it gets even more far fetched considering the team’s financial position at present with looming extensions due for defensive lineman Chris Jones and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

But that hasn’t stopped us from asking questions. After all, when one of the NFL’s best safeties says he wants to play for your team, you do the work to figure out how to make it work. To do just that, and to find out more about why Adams is being so negative in the first place, we spoke with site expert Justin Fried of The Jet Press to tell us more about the whole thing and what it would cost the Chiefs to make something happen.

Can you help us understand the biggest issue that Adams has with the Jets at this point?

Simply put, this is an issue of timing. Jamal Adams wants to get his extension and he wants to get it as soon as possible. The Jets told him back in January that they’d work on an extension before the start of the 2020 season, but then a global pandemic happened.

The Jets have every intention of paying Adams, but they just don’t feel comfortable doing it this offseason anymore given the uncertain nature of next year’s salary cap. Plus, they recognize that they have two-plus years of control over Adams. They are in no hurry.

Adams is. He’s tired of losing. He’s tired of incompetence. Quite frankly he’s tired of the Jets. What started out as an issue over the timing of his extension may be bubbling into something much more irreparable. That’s something to monitor over the coming weeks/months.

Does it feel things are fractured beyond the point of repair?

I don’t think we’ve reached that point yet, but we’re certainly trending towards it. The Jets hold all the cards in this situation; Adams has no leverage. The only things he can do are to request a trade, which he has now done, and be a nuisance to the team.

General manager Joe Douglas isn’t going to budge on this issue. He’s not extending Adams this offseason. It really all depends on what Adams does then. How far is he willing to go? How much more damage will be done? Things have started to get ugly and they might only get uglier.

What percentage chance would you give a trade for Adams?

It’s really hard to put a percentage on it because no one knows how Adams is going to handle this from here. From the Jets’ perspective, it seems pretty simple. Adams essentially can’t hold out because of the new CBA rules and the fact that the Jets can fine him for every day he misses—a number that would end up vastly exceeding his $7 million salary in 2020. So how far is he willing to go to force his way out?

If he pushes too hard, it will hurt his reputation and his potential contract demands. At the end of the day, what other choice does he have other than to just begrudgingly play for the Jets in 2020? Unless the Jets get a pretty sizable haul, there’s no reason to trade him.

Again, it’s nearly impossible to put a number on it because no one knows what Adams will do or what other teams will offer. But just ball-parking it, I’d say there’s somewhere around a 30 to 40 percent chance he’s traded. However, that number could very well rise as time passes.

What do you think is a minimum the Jets would need to move Adams at all?

Based on everything being reported right now, the Jets aren’t going to move Adams for anything less than first and second round picks. But perhaps more importantly, they want a player who could help them succeed now. Replace that second-round pick with an above-average starter at a position of need (OL, WR, EDGE, etc.) and the Jets might pull the trigger.

I don’t think they’re getting multiple firsts, but I can’t see them making an unnecessary move for just a first (probably a late first) and a third. Ideally, they want a first and a young-ish player who fills a position of need. But I could see them settling for a first and a second if it comes down to it.