How a Jamal Adams Trade Would Impact the Patriots
New York Jets All-Pro safety Jamal Adams is trying to work his way out of the AFC East, again. Adams has requested a trade from the team that drafted him in 2017, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini. Even though the Jets reportedly have no intention of trading him, Adams could pull a couple more maneuvers to get himself shipped elsewhere.
If Adams were to be traded, likely out of the AFC East, how would that impact the New England Patriots? Well, it would obviously have positive ramifications for the six-time Super Bowl champions.
Adams earned an 87.9 overall PFF grade for 2019, which ranked fourth-best among all safeties. On top of that, he earned an 89.9 pass rush grade, 87.3 coverage grade, and a 78.3 run defense grade. He played 400 total snaps in the box, 297 at free safety, 131 at slot cornerback, 97 on the defensive line, and 34 at wide cornerback. Simply put, the Jets used him all over the field, and he was great wherever he was utilized.
When Rob Gronkowski was on the Patriots, Adams was typically the primary defensive back to cover him, and was very successful doing that. But last year when New England didn't have Gronkowski, or a real threat at tight end, Adams was all over the field, playing deep, in the box as a blitzer or in zone coverage, and covering in the slot.
So, if Adams was no longer on the Jets or in the division, it would help the evolving Patriots offense that no longer has Tom Brady quite a bit.
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New England only plays New York two times a season -- they will play each other in Weeks 9 and 17 this upcoming season -- but an offense being led by Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer will need as many breaks over the course of the regular season as they can get. Not having to face Adams means the Patriots could continue to have success against a Jets team that was very strong against the run last season but was middle of the road in pass coverage. This would allow young pass catchers like N'Keal Harry, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene to gain some momentum in those weeks.
There's still 14 weeks in the regular season that New England won't play the Jets. But this is just a bit of optimism to look at for next season in the event that Jamal Adams is traded out of the AFC East.
With that being said, some of the team Adams has said he wants to be traded to are on New England's schedule this fall. Adams said he would like to end up with the Ravens, Cowboys, Texans, Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, or Seahawks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Of those teams, five of them are on the Patriots' schedule in 2020 (Baltimore, Houston, San Francisco, Kansas City and Seattle). The Ravens, Texans and Chiefs were able to beat the Patriots during the regular season last year, so adding an elite piece to their defense like Adams would give them strong odds to beat Bill Belichick and company in back-to-back years.
We know that the 49ers and Seahawks were already two of the toughest games on New England's schedule next season. But adding Adams to either of those defenses would put them in contention for a Super Bowl appearance (in the 49ers case, again). Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated's All49ers reported on June 24 that Adams to the 49ers is "picking up steam," and Mike Fisher of Sports Illustrated's CowboyMaven reported recently -- as he has in past years -- that Dallas is interested in Adams, and the feeling is evidently mutual.
Here's to hoping that Jamal Adams ends up with the Cowboys or Eagles so the Patriots don't have to face him in 2020.
