Salary cap expert on Jamal Adams free agent wish: There would be no room to give him an extension!

If Jamal Adams was general manager of the New York Jets, he would make perhaps the biggest splash in NFL free agency history, likely creating one of the best pass rushes the NFL has ever seen.

That the team really couldn’t sign anyone else, well, that’s a different debate.

This past weekend, Adams was asked who he wants the Jets to sign this offseason in free agency. He said his free agent wish list was for the Jets to sign defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, defensive Yannick Ngakoue and another defensive end in Dante Fowler. That would certainly help the pass rush.

His comments certainly raised eyebrows, given that they are all defensive players and pass rushers.

In the past, Adams has lobbied for free agents to join him on the Jets, with mixed returns. Well, one salary cap expert said that there are some pitfalls to Adams’ pricey free agent approach but it isn’t without merits.

Should Adams stick to his day job as one of the NFL’s top defensive players? Or is he a future NFL executive?

“Well that’s certainly not clear yet but identifying three of the most expensive pass rushers as targets of a team like the Jets certainly isn’t anything out of the ordinary,” said salary cap expert Jason Fitzgerald. An analyst who consults with different NFL teams and agents, Fitzgerald is the founder of OverTheCap.com.

“I would expect the Jets to be linked to some of the pass rushers but given how many holes the Jets have on the team, and in particular the secondary, I don’t see how you can justify giving up a likely second round pick in a relatively deep group of rushers nor how you can invest so much money in a rusher when the cornerbacks can’t cover anyone. The Jets also desperately need an infusion of talent on offense which is the more important part of the game. They were able to scheme their way into competence last year despite the lack of talent.”

As for the players, Adams picked some talent. Before delving into the cap numbers, a primer on the three pass rushers is necessary.

Last year was a down year for Clowney, who had just three sacks and 31 tackles in 13 games. The previous two years, Clowney combined for 18.5 sacks off the edge for the Seattle Seahawks. Ngakoue, who reportedly will be tagged by the Jacksonville Jaguars, could be had for a trade. He had 36 tackles and eight sacks a season ago.

After 11.5 sacks and 58 tackles a season ago, Fowler will have many suitors if the Los Angeles Rams defensive end hits the free agent market.

Of course, it is all speculation and the statements in fun by Adams, especially since he has the Jets signing three players who essentially line-up in the same position. The fallout, though, if Adams had his way may not be good news for Adams, who is seeking a long-term deal after a Pro Bowl season.

“So if the Jets signed those three players it would pretty much wipe out all their cap space in 2020. They have around $50M in cap space and those players would cost at least that,” Fitzgerald said. “It would also leave Adams with no space for an extension.”