New on Sports Illustrated: Where Should Bettors Expect Jamal Adams to Play in 2020?

With Jets safety Jamal Adams demanding a trade out of New York, SI Gambling insider Frankie Taddeo evaluates the trade market, along with his next landing spot from a betting perspective.

One of the biggest news items around the NFL was that one of the best young defensive players in the league has demanded a trade.

According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, New York Jets star safety Jamal Adams wants out of Gotham.

The former sixth overall pick in the 2017 Draft, and face of the Jets defense, has reportedly told team brass that he has a list of teams he wants to be traded to. Adams is seeking a new contract despite having potentially two years left on his current rookie deal (2020 final year with a club option for 2021).

During the 2019 NFL season, the Jets reportedly considered trading the star safety to Dallas. Since those rumors, reporters like CowboyMaven’s Mike Fisher have stoked the fire attempting to link Adams with an eventual move to Jerry’s World, going as far as to highlight Adams playing golf close to Dallas’ headquarters.

Adams’ hometown is Lewisville, Texas. My take at that moment was that Adams playing offseason golf in his native state translates to “nothing see here.”

Regardless, his name has come up many times, including the weeks leading up to the 2020 NFL draft in April. The Jets decided at the time that no offer was worthy of them parting with arguably the heart and soul of the franchise.

As Fisher reported late Sunday, a video has now surfaced of Adams interacting with a fan in Lewisville where he states, “He is trying” (to become a member of the Dallas Cowboys). This comes on the heels of Fisher reporting that there are no legs to the rumors that Adams is demanding a contract extension at $20 million per season.

“The Jamal Adams camp vehemently denies an ESPN report that the disgruntled All-Pro safety is asking for “$20 million per year”, a source told CowboysSI.com.

With the team failing to offer a new contract, Adams has decided to take the negotiations to social media, prompting BetOnline Sportsbook to release odds for which team could potentially land Adams via trade.

The Baltimore Ravens (+250), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3/1) and Dallas Cowboys (4/1) are the frontrunners according to the oddsmakers.

JetsCountryMaven Kristian Dyer recently spoke with former Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum who proclaimed, “the best thing for the New York Jets is to re-sign Jamal Adams. But if that doesn’t happen, things could accelerate towards the player possibly being traded.”

Here’s the most important thing bettors should take away from Tannenbaum’s interview with Dyer:

“I would wait till much closer to training camp. I would try to get together with him and his agent and try to be a good listener, figure out the issues from an economic standpoint, a non-economic standpoint.”

That leads me to the “other” market involving Adams currently being offered by BetOnline:

I believe this market speaks volumes with the “No” being such a prohibitive favorite at odds of -600. I am willing to bet that Jets General Manager Joe Douglas will not be as foolish as Tannebaum was when he traded future Hall of Fame shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis during his prime in the midst of a contract dispute.

Current Jets play-by-play radio announcer Bob Wischusen nailed it best on Twitter:

I hate to disappoint Cowboys fans, but unless Dallas is willing to part with a package of a first-round pick, wide receiver Michael Gallup or Cee Dee Lamb AND a starting offensive lineman or a second-round draft pick—there is simply no way the Jets will move their star safety, especially while holding all the power with up to two potential years left on his rookie contract, plus another year if he gets the franchise tag.

The animosity developed between the Jets and Cowboys over the past year or so has not only driven up the demands from Florham Park, but it has most likely taken the Cowboys out of any consideration should the Jets decide to move on from their disgruntled star safety.

Furthermore, Jamal Adams has shown himself to be a leader both on and off the field.

The Jets appear reluctant to talk about a contract because they own his rights for another two years, plus a potential franchise tag in 2022. Adams is on record as wanting to become the NFL’s highest-paid safety and deservedly so. He has out-performed his rookie deal and is the best player at his position.

As Teddy “KGB” famously said in the movie Rounders: “Pay him. Pay that man his money.”

Douglas and the Jets’ front office will eventually repeat those words because of the business side of the NFL. Both camps will ultimately take their time in getting the best deal they can, likely keeping the first-rounder with the Jets for years to come.