Mike Tannenbaum: Jamal Adams trade is worth multiple draft picks to the New York Jets

The New York Jets might be forced to trade Jamal Adams. A look at what the player might be worth in a trade scenario.

For the New York Jets, it might well boil down to the difficult decision of moving safety Jamal Adams. Retaining the All-Pro safety may simply, at this point in the fractured relationship between the two sides, be an untenable position.

Adams wants out from New York and has made this repeatedly clear. Now that he seems fully disengaged from the organization and has openly said he wants a move, the Jets might need to move on from their only Pro Bowl player last year.

It is a difficult decision and not ideal according to former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum.

“I would say at least a first round pick,” Tannenbaum told SportsIllustrated.com’s ‘Jets Country’ when asked what Adams could return on a trade.

“And maybe another high second, so it would have to be a package of picks. He’s really a good player.”

Tannenbaum, who spent seven years as the Jets general manager, is currently an analyst at ESPN. He drafted the likes of Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Darrelle Revis as well as signing free agents Bart Scott and Antonio Cromartie among others.

Things between Adams and the Jets are going downhill.

Adams wants a new contract and, as of the NFL Combine in late February, Jets general manager Joe Douglas has said he wants to get his star safety a long-term deal. How much that costs – Adams has openly said he wants to be the highest-paid safety in the NFL – and the return on value of such a deal is certainly open for debate.

At the end of the day, a trade isn’t ideal for the Jets but likely necessary. Adams has made it clear via social media posts over the past week that he is disappointed by the lack of progress on the contract front.

There also has been a rumor that he wants to be the top-paid player on the Jets and could even want as much $20 million annually according to another recent report.

If that’s the case, the Jets are left weighing whether that type of money is worth it for a safety. If they could instead land multiple draft picks and free up salary cap space by trading Adams, it might prove to be the better option, even if it would likely be highly unpopular.

“That’s a good question, it would hurt from other spots, so you have to be very judicious,” Tannenbaum said when asked about the Jets needing to weigh a contract for Adams against his positional value and their continued need to rebuild.

“If he was a corner or a pass rusher…I would only do it for a safety since he is homegrown, he is an impact player. But if that doesn’t work out and you can get multiple draft picks and allocate some cap dollars that is something that would be the second best option. Because from a cap standpoint, you really don’t want to overcommit.”