The idea of the Baltimore Ravens trading for New York Jets safety Jamal Adams simply won’t go away. After Baltimore was one of a few teams to inquire about Adams at the trade deadline last season, the Ravens have frequently popped back up in rumors of a potential trade for Adams this offseason.
While Baltimore would surely love to have one of the best defensive players in the league on their roster, it’s often a two-way street. Though New York likely could move Adams without his permission, few teams would agree to a trade unless he was also happy with the deal. That’s especially the case since Adams has been feuding with the Jets over a contract extension and would undoubtedly have the same demands from any new team.
The Ravens don’t have to worry about Adams being OK with the idea apparently. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Baltimore is one of just seven teams Adams would be happy to be traded to.
It’s all well and good that Adams is on board with joining the Ravens but in order for a trade to actually happen, Baltimore would undoubtedly want to have a contract extension locked up as well so it doesn’t become a two-year rental. It’s what happened when the Ravens traded for former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell this offseason. Any trade would also have to make sense in terms of draft capital, further complicating things.
While anything can happen in the NFL, especially with active general managers like Eric DeCosta and Joe Douglas, it seems like a longshot for a deal to actually get pulled off. It also isn’t very practical for the Ravens, who have their starters in place at safety and far more pressing needs.
Baltimore already has a starting safety duo in Chuck Clark and Earl Thomas. The Ravens signed Clark to a three-year contract extension at the end of last season and signed Thomas in free agency just a year ago. Baltimore would actually lose cap space just by cutting either of them right now, according to Over The Cap, which they can’t really afford even if they wanted to. Furthermore, giving Adams a contract extension before locking up guys already on the roster like Matthew Judon, Marlon Humphrey, or Ronnie Stanley would be a head-scratcher.
But with Adams and the Ravens the topic of frequent rumors and reports, this is likely the last we’ve heard about a potential trade.
