#Why Jets players won’t be shedding tears over sad Jamal Adams ending

The Jets made a blockbuster trade Saturday, shipping star safety Jamal Adams to the Seahawks for a monster return, including two first-round picks. Here are some thoughts on the deal:

1. The word I keep coming back to when I think of how this all went down is sad. The Jets had such hope in 2017 when they drafted Adams that they had landed a player who would be a star for a decade and also help change the culture of the organization. Three years later, he’s gone.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas had no choice here. He had to trade Adams. First, Adams’ request to be the highest-paid player on the team was never going to be granted. Then, the smear campaign Adams launched against the organization made this whole thing feel unfixable. Finally, when the Seahawks offered two first-round picks, a third-rounder and a player who can replace Adams in the starting lineup it became a no-brainer.

Even though the trade had to be made, I understand the frustration of some Jets fans. This is yet another young star who showed so much promise and now gets shipped out of town. Keyshawn Johnson, John Abraham, Darrelle Revis, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams and now Adams. It is easy to see why fans would be upset, but only the last two occurred on Douglas’ watch and you can’t argue with the haul he got in those two trades.

Still, I find it sad that it came to this. The Jets have so few good players who have played their entire career for them. Adams looked like he had a chance. Now, that’s over.

2. Adams is a fantastic player. That should not be lost here. Some people now want to tear him down as a player. They shouldn’t. I have said this before — if the players were out there without numbers, you’d be able to tell which one Adams was by his energy and how hard he hits.

However, Adams’ leadership has been greatly overstated. Adams led by being a great player. He was not a beloved figure in the locker room and I’m not sure how many teammates will be sad to see him go. They will miss his ability on the field but not his act off it. Adams became more and more about himself over the team from his social media “Prez” persona to screaming at his teammates on the sideline in Jacksonville last year.

It was also evident at the way he handled the trade deadline talks last year. It was no secret Adams was trying to get to the Cowboys behind the scenes. Then, he acted like he had been wronged by the Jets. When he spoke to the press, he actually said he would “love” to be on the Cowboys. That did not sit well with teammates.

3. Douglas hit a home run with this trade. It looked like an impossible situation after Adams nuked the organization. I thought that would damage their ability to get a good trade. Douglas figured it out.

Now, he must turn these picks into cornerstone players. The Jets have four first-round picks in the next two years. Douglas has to address the premium positions the Jets are lacking — edge-rusher, cornerback, right tackle and wide receiver.

This trade could provide the building blocks for the next decade. Douglas now has draft capital to shape this roster. The tricky part will be nailing the picks.

4. The Jets are not as good as they were Friday at safety but they still have a pretty good group there with Marcus Maye, Bradley McDougald and Ashtyn Davis. The trade of Adams might bode well for Maye’s future. He is entering the final year of his contract. The Jets would not have been able to extend him if they gave Adams a big deal. That might change now.

McDougald is an underrated part of the trade. He played well for the Seahawks over the last two years and has a reputation as a good team guy.

Davis is an unknown at this point, but the Jets were very high on him in the draft process and he could be a long-term starter.

5. The haul of draft picks the Jets received in the trade bodes well for the future. But this puts the 2020 Jets in a tricky spot, particularly the coaches who are always fighting to keep their jobs.

Douglas has the benefit of patience. He is building something. Coaches like Adam Gase and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams do not. If losses mount this year, there will be pressure to fire the coaches. The 2020 Jets have less talent now than they did on Friday. Some might argue getting rid of a headache like Adams is better for the team overall, but he’s good player they will miss on the field.

The Jets roster still has lots of holes. That is why spinning off your best asset for draft capital makes sense. But the coaches have a challenge in front of them. The patience for the front office from fans will not extend to the sideline.