Mike Tannenbaum: Trading Jamal Adams isn't ideal but is a possibility for the New York Jets

Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannebaum thinks a new long-term deal for Jamal Adams is ideal, but trading him remains a possibility.

The best thing for the New York Jets is to re-sign Jamal Adams, so says former general manager Mike Tannenbaum. But if that doesn’t happen, things could accelerate towards the player possibly being traded.

In recent days, the situation between Adams, the team’s star safety, and the Jets has deteriorated over his contract. Adams wants a long-term deal that would make him the highest paid safety in the NFL. He’s let the world know that he isn’t pleased at the current lack of an offer.

Last week, Adams congratulated Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett on his new contract, noting that he has yet to receive the promised contract offer from the Jets that he claims was supposed to come in January. Then on Friday night, Adams tweeted that it is time to move on from New York.

As such, things might be slipping towards a divorce between the Jets and their only Pro Bowl player a season ago.

“If certain avenues were exhausted and you couldn’t sign then I would think about trading him. He does check off the boxes…he’s young, he’s productive, he’s high character. He’s an impact player,” Tannenbaum told SportsIllustrated.com’s ‘Jets Country.’

“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.”

Tannenbaum was hired by the Jets as general manager in 2006, a role he served in for seven years. His teams made consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances beginning in 2009 and he drafted players such as Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Darrelle Revis among others.

His experience with Revis, who held out twice from the Jets over his own contract, have helped shape his outlook on how the Jets can handle this situation with their own star defensive back.

Going back to late October on the trade deadline, reports surfaced that the Dallas Cowboys had reached out to the Jets about a possible trade. The Jets did their due diligence and listened but have never pursued a deal or sought to unload Adams.

At his press availability at the NFL Combine in late February, Jets general manager Joe Douglas has said he wanted to re-sign Adams to a long-term deal, even throwing around the term that he wants the impact safety as a “Jet for life.”

As of now, however, the situation doesn’t look good. On Thursday, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported that Adams had requested a trade. Then on Friday, Adams all but corroborated the report by saying he was ready to leave the Jets.

The first option for the Jets is obviously to get Adams a long-term deal as he is in the fourth year of his five-year rookie contract. And while it isn’t ideal, the Jets could use the franchise tag on Adams following the 2021 season.

That likely wouldn’t placate Adams but the Jets do have some leverage in this situation.

The Jets reportedly are seeking a first round pick and a possible third round pick were they to move Adams. Tannenbaum thinks they can do better than that as teams will likely line-up for the best safety in the game.

“I would say at least a first round pick and maybe another high second. It would have to be a package of picks,” Tannenbaum said. “He’s a really good player.”

Tannebuam currently is an analyst for ESPN.