While the New York Jets are in need of several upgrades on offense (and a couple spots on defense), there’s a rumor making the rounds that say the team could look to move arguably their top player on each side of the ball in running back Le’Veon Bell and safety/edge rusher Jamal Adams this off season.
It’s a topic we’ve discussed regularly on JetNation Radio ever since the NFL trade deadline saw both Adams and Bell come up in trade talks, but now it’s coming from a person that SNY refers to as an insider in Ralph Vacchiano. Whether or not Vacciano is plugged in or is just taking a guess is neither here nor there, because dealing either one or both players makes sense for a few reasons.
In the case of Bell, the Jets are hamstrung with a head coach who can’t figure out a way to get him involved in the offense. Adam Gase didn’t want Bell to begin with and he showed the world this weekend that he has no issues running the football as long as Bell isn’t suited up. Bell might be one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean Adam Gase has to give him the football if his game plan doesn’t call for it.
Given the fact that he had last season off and has only carried the ball on a part-time basis this year, you have to believe Bell has a few good seasons left in him. The Jets could move on from him and find a runner that Gase can use while adding a third round pick in exchange for Bell while likely picking up a chunk of his salary.
Meanwhile, Adams did plenty of damage to his own reputation as a leader in the locker room when he publicly bashed his GM for picking up the phone when the Dallas Cowboys made a trade offer at the deadline. In the days that followed, multiple reports claimed that the Jets made no calls to shop Adams, but the safety continued to tell the media that the team was actively shopping him. After a few acrimonious days, Adams met with team officials and has played nice ever since.
It wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility that the Jets learned of Adams’ desire to play for the Dallas Cowboys and suggested he play at a level that would entice Dallas (or some other club) to give up what the Jets would consider fair value. Ever since Adams met with Jets brass he’s been lighting up the stat sheet and praising his head coach and GM for whom he had previously voiced a lack of trust.
Adams is a rare player who has the ability to get to the quarterback, stuff the run and cover out of the slot and on the boundary from time to time. He might be the only player in the NFL who can do all of those things at the level he does them. That being said, if the Jets aren’t looking to pay Adams somewhere in the $15 million per year range, that could be an additional driving force in considering a deal.
Should Joe Douglas find a taker for Adams and Bell, he would likely be heading in to draft day with at least one first round pick and a pair of third rounders, giving him the opportunity to re-build his offensive line while trying to find an edge rusher and cornerback.
Should be an interesting off-season, Jets fans.