Cowboys Can’t Afford Star Safety Jamal Adams

It’s easy to dream about one of the best safeties in the game wearing the silver and navy with a Star on his helmet in 2020. Jamal Adams and the New York Jets have yet to reach an agreement and are reportedly far from it as we approach June. Thus, reports about a possible trade have re-emerged and logically, the Dallas Cowboys are in the middle of the rumors.

Despite signing free agent Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, safety remains a weak spot on the Cowboys’ defense. Paired with Xavier Woods, it’s hard to know what to expect from the position in the upcoming season. Fortunately, the team loaded up on offense.

But let’s get the price tag for Jamal Adams. Let’s remember for a second that the 2017 sixth-overall pick is only 24 years old. He has his entire career in front of him unlike Earl Thomas, who was heavily discussed by Cowboys Nation in the last couple of years.

The Jets, who are not shopping the player but are willing to pick up the phone for those teams interested, are reportedly asking for a first and third-round pick to trade Adams away.

That’s too much, even if we agree on how good the player is. Adams would demand an immediate contract extension, of course, which makes it an even less attractive deal. But here’s the thing…

Can the Cowboys afford to deal away their 2021 first and third-round picks?

I believe those will be worth everything for Dallas in a year when Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis among other key players are set to hit free agency. For all the Super Bowl talk we’re having ahead of the 2020 campaign, it’s fair to stop and admit that there are many players this team will be missing pretty soon.

Even if Awuzie and Lewis are not great, for instance, they’re key players on the team’s defensive backfield. Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson are promising, sure, but they are far from justifying dealing away those precious 2021 draft picks.

As much as I’d love to see Adams wearing the Cowboys uniforms (have you seen some of the edits on social media?), I don’t believe it will happen. Frankly, Dallas can’t afford him.