The Jets are still a mess. Yeah, I know. Not much new there.
And, like the Jets, their dueling controversies – the disturbing racial, sexual and ethical allegations made by CNN and the New York Times against owner Woody Johnson, which the US Ambassador to the UK denies, and the ongoing contract feud with their top player, security Jamal Adams, have bled, creating the perfect tabloid storm. Alas, it’s almost like the glory days again, returning to training camp in Courtland, New York, where Johnson briefed the media on the excellent chemistry and culture of his team while, by- Over his shoulder, Rex Ryan was attempting to break up scrum after scrum. between attack and defense.
Good time! The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The NFL is the ultimate alpha league, so when quality organizations see weak struggling and vulnerable organizations, looking a bit like buddies in the water – well, that’s when they leap up. And for months now, several teams have been watching Adams’ situation very closely, checking the asking price, making fun of this unfortunate franchise that fights against the safety of its star in the face of money and commercial demands. And with Adams among those taking on Johnson this week just after numerous reports of his words and actions as he served this country overseas, I can assure you that many front offices are doubling down with the Jets and coordinate their strategies to try. to enjoy this last episode.
From my interactions with the men on the staff, I have a strong feeling that the teams think maybe now is the time to try and end the Adams Circus inexpensively. There is a perception that with Johnson’s allegations so serious, that even if the owner denies them, this story (and other reporting on it) will not go away. Other teams believe the Jets are deeply in crisis-management mode and that getting rid of Adams now might be in their best interest given his willingness to weigh in on Johnson’s situation on social media.
And with Adams making public his distaste for Johnson, and other issues with the way this franchise is run, some GMs think they could throw the player a lifeline on the cheap as well; we will save you from the mess of the Jets and bring you a winning and stable culture, but in return you have to make us a solid and wait until 2021 to get a new contract. The economic constraints from COVID-19 and the prospect of playing games without fans only reinforces part of that feeling.
But I would strongly caution against this.
As much as Adams wants out of New York – and he’s not the first prominent Jet to seek an exodus – let’s not forget what’s at the heart of his spinoff with the franchise that selected him in the first round just a year ago. a few years. Dude wants to get paid. He’s established himself as one of the best in the world at what he does, he’s gone through turnover and instability during his tenure there, and he’s surrounded by a weak list without a single other. candidate worthy of a contract extension.
There are no other mouths to feed in Florham Park. Only Adams. Only their best player.
We can debate what his price should be and how much he should earn per year. We cannot argue that the Jets have no other contractual situations to consider, let alone negotiate. If they don’t want to pay him so be it, but I find it very hard to see Adams sign a trade and report somewhere else without a new contract.
Who knows how many games will be played this year and how many players will be paid if it is less than 16 games? It remains the elephant in the room between the owners and the NFLPA as they continue to move forward on a sweeping deal to reopen the league. And I strongly anticipate that they will fix this sooner or later. But Adams playing another year of his rookie deal on a prorated, split rookie deal just doesn’t pass my smell test.
Any attempt to upset him, given his remarks about the property, and try to ship him to a bad team who might not be inclined to pay him at the moment would only make this situation uglier than it is. is not already. Of course, the new CBA makes resistance more and more punitive, but there will be COVID-related opt-outs in this new NFL-NFLPA deal and I feel like Adams is pretty stuck in his fiscal stance. .
Now is not the time for the Jets to get cute. Maybe it’s time for them to become more realistic about the kind of pick compensation they might legitimately expect to give up for safety, as the extent of their problems with franchising only grows. And maybe a team may not be willing to meet the demands of the Jets and the financial expectations of Adams.
In fact, in a pandemic with so much uncertainty swirling over all aspects of life in this country, that is to be expected. But I wouldn’t want things to twist the fact that this week’s events now allow a winning team to benefit by rushing to save the day. Money speaks. And that’s at the very heart of this impasse between the team and the player. I don’t see any trade changing this at all, even as the crisis worsens.
