Jamal Adams has demanded a trade from the Jets, and supposedly has 7 or 8 teams he wants to play for. There are two sides to every contract dispute and I don't really know how much Adams should be upset or patient here; not my business. I do think the league doesn't have so many good players that the Jets shouldn't be making every effort to mend fences with their franchise defender.
Adams has only been in the league for three years. In that time, only four defensive backs have more total tackles. But more importantly, Adams has been about the best at his position in terms of difference-making tackles and disruptive plays, both tackles for losses and quarterback hits. Maybe the best.
In each of his three seasons, Adams has 9-10 tackles for losses. Since 2015, only three other defensive backs have even one season with more than 9. He also has averaged 8 quarterback hits in those seasons, which is pretty much unheard of. In those same five years, Malcolm Jenkins is the only defensive back with a single season over that total. Adams has also averaged 4 sacks those three years.
Table shows all defensive backs with more than 5 tackles for loss in a season since 2015.
| PLAYMAKING DEFENSIVE BACKS, 2015-2019 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tm | Year | Sk | Solo | Ast | Comb | TFL | QBHits |
| Tony Jefferson | ARI | 2016 | 2.0 | 78 | 18 | 96 | 13 | 4 |
| Tyrann Mathieu | ARI | 2015 | 1.0 | 80 | 9 | 89 | 11 | 3 |
| Jamal Adams | NYJ | 2019 | 6.5 | 61 | 14 | 75 | 10 | 13 |
| Derrick Kindred | CLE | 2017 | 0.0 | 43 | 14 | 57 | 10 | 2 |
| Jamal Adams | NYJ | 2017 | 2.0 | 63 | 20 | 83 | 9 | 2 |
| Jamal Adams | NYJ | 2018 | 3.5 | 86 | 29 | 115 | 9 | 8 |
| Jahleel Addae | LAC | 2017 | 0.5 | 66 | 30 | 96 | 9 | 1 |
| Landon Collins | NYG | 2016 | 4.0 | 100 | 25 | 125 | 9 | 5 |
| Landon Collins | WAS | 2019 | 1.0 | 78 | 39 | 117 | 9 | 3 |
| Malcolm Jenkins | PHI | 2015 | 0.0 | 90 | 19 | 109 | 9 | 0 |
| Reshad Jones | MIA | 2015 | 2.0 | 106 | 29 | 135 | 9 | 2 |
| Jordan Poyer | BUF | 2018 | 2.0 | 73 | 27 | 100 | 9 | 3 |
| Harrison Smith | MIN | 2018 | 3.0 | 67 | 17 | 84 | 9 | 5 |
| Budda Baker | ARI | 2018 | 2.0 | 78 | 24 | 102 | 8 | 3 |
| Mackensie Alexander | MIN | 2018 | 4.0 | 36 | 7 | 43 | 7 | 5 |
| Budda Baker | ARI | 2019 | 0.5 | 104 | 43 | 147 | 7 | 2 |
| Mark Barron | LAR | 2017 | 1.0 | 73 | 13 | 86 | 7 | 2 |
| Sean Davis | PIT | 2017 | 1.0 | 71 | 21 | 92 | 7 | 2 |
| William Gay | PIT | 2015 | 1.0 | 46 | 12 | 58 | 7 | 2 |
| Tony Jefferson | BAL | 2017 | 2.5 | 56 | 23 | 79 | 7 | 5 |
| Eric Reid | CAR | 2019 | 4.0 | 97 | 33 | 130 | 7 | 5 |
| Harrison Smith | MIN | 2017 | 1.5 | 61 | 17 | 78 | 7 | 3 |
| Kenny Vaccaro | NOR | 2017 | 1.5 | 48 | 12 | 60 | 7 | 2 |
| Adrian Amos | CHI | 2017 | 0.0 | 62 | 7 | 69 | 6 | 0 |
| Bryce Callahan | CHI | 2018 | 2.0 | 39 | 6 | 45 | 6 | 5 |
| Aaron Colvin | JAX | 2015 | 4.0 | 60 | 13 | 73 | 6 | 4 |
| Chris Conte | TAM | 2015 | 0.0 | 59 | 20 | 79 | 6 | 0 |
| Rasul Douglas | PHI | 2018 | 0.0 | 48 | 10 | 58 | 6 | 0 |
| Brandon Flowers | SDG | 2016 | 0.0 | 24 | 4 | 28 | 6 | 0 |
| Chauncey Gardner-Johnson | NOR | 2019 | 0.0 | 38 | 11 | 49 | 6 | 4 |
| Jeff Heath | DAL | 2018 | 0.0 | 63 | 22 | 85 | 6 | 0 |
| Will Hill | BAL | 2015 | 1.0 | 49 | 15 | 64 | 6 | 4 |
| Mike Hilton | PIT | 2019 | 1.5 | 52 | 13 | 65 | 6 | 5 |
| Tony Jefferson | BAL | 2018 | 1.0 | 53 | 21 | 74 | 6 | 2 |
| Malcolm Jenkins | PHI | 2018 | 1.0 | 79 | 18 | 97 | 6 | 1 |
| Malcolm Jenkins | PHI | 2019 | 2.5 | 63 | 18 | 81 | 6 | 9 |
| Reshad Jones | MIA | 2017 | 1.5 | 94 | 28 | 122 | 6 | 1 |
| Tyrann Mathieu | ARI | 2017 | 1.0 | 70 | 8 | 78 | 6 | 4 |
| T.J. McDonald | LAR | 2016 | 1.0 | 50 | 14 | 64 | 6 | 4 |
| Ron Parker | KAN | 2015 | 5.0 | 67 | 11 | 78 | 6 | 5 |
| Kenny Vaccaro | NOR | 2015 | 3.0 | 71 | 33 | 104 | 6 | 4 |
| Tracy Walker | DET | 2019 | 0.0 | 82 | 21 | 103 | 6 | 0 |
| Jarrod Wilson | JAX | 2019 | 0.0 | 57 | 22 | 79 | 6 | 2 |
If the Jets do decide to trade Adams, it will be very tough to get equal value, because they'll be making their defense worse, and have long odds of replacing him with a comparable player. The team that acquires him, their defense will get a significant playmaker at the back end of things.
--Andy Richardson