How much should the Dallas Cowboys give up to get Jamal Adams?

History is destined to repeat itself and that appears to be happening with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. A high profile safety, unhappy with his current contract situation, wants to be traded and the Dallas Cowboys are his preferred destination. The Dallas Cowboys are also interested in acquiring him, but his current team is asking for more than the Cowboys are willing to pay. Sound familiar? This time instead of Earl Thomas and the Seattle Seahawks we are talking about a Jamal Adams trade from the New York Jets and once again it is dragging on for over a year. Just when the rumor seems to go away more fuel is added to the fire and this time it is reported that the Jets have lowered their demands from their previously ridiculous asking price and are now willing to part ways with the All-world safety for a 1st and a 3rd round draft pick. Is this still a price that is too high to pay for a Jamal Adams trade to the Dallas Cowboys?

I may fall into the minority but I believe the price is still too high and here is why.

• Regardless of the fact that the Dallas Cowboys will likely inherit an additional 3rd round compensatory pick for the loss of Byron Jones, draft picks are valuable assets and should not be considered expendable just because there is a higher quantity of them.
• It is unknown how the season will pan out and the Dallas Cowboys could be drafting in the top 10, which would mean those draft picks could have a higher value than originally perceived.
• The Safety position is being devalued both in free agency and the NFL draft therefore trade value should be lower than other positions as well.
• The reason the Jets are shopping him is because although he is under contract for this year and next year, he wants to be extended immediately so any potential suitor will have to pay him to make him happy. For this reason, the New York Jets have limited leverage.
• Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was drafted a year later than Adams established the trade market value just last year with a lower compensation package than what the Jets are demanding.

Several Dallas Cowboys fans have voiced their opinion about how willing they would be to part with the required draft capital to secure a Jamal Adams trade but scoffed at the idea of a 1st round pick AND another player such as WR Michael Gallup. That is ironic to me considering Gallup was a 3rd round draft pick. While it is fair to argue that Gallup has far exceeded his draft value, it goes to show the potential value that can be had with a 3rd round draft pick. That is in addition to the 1st rounder! Take a look at what the Dallas Cowboys have done the last few seasons with both their 1st and 3rd round picks:

When I review the above list, other than Morris Claiborne, Taco Charlton, and Chaz Green, I would not be willing to part ways with any of the two player combinations selected even for a premier safety such as Jamal Adams.

If the price for the Jamal Adams trade, was a first round draft pick alone, I would be more open to that idea but even then would be somewhat hesitant to relinquish that high of a draft pick. Certainly, there is no need to for any additional demands when the player clearly wants to be traded and the position has been so devalued in recent years. Quality replacement safeties remain unsigned deep into the offseason every year and can be had at bargain prices and not a single team drafted a safety in the 1st round of the NFL draft in 2020.

Another issue with a Jamal Adams trade and sign, would be the impact on the Dak Prescott deal. The Dallas Cowboys have already dropped the ball by not signing him last year and by dragging out the negotiations. It would certainly rub Dak and his agent the wrong way if they were to sign yet another player while the status of his contract remains at a stalemate. At some point, they have to prioritise that deal and get it done. If they eventually let Prescott play on the franchise tag, they will suffer the penalty of paying significantly more than what they may be willing to pay now. Or, even worse, they could risk a Kirk Cousin’s situation.

Finally, with regards to the sign and trade option. How confident should Dallas Cowboys fans be that their team will be able to successfully get that done? Their track record speaks for itself. They allowed DeMarcus Lawrence to delay offseason shoulder surgery while negotiating his deal. They allowed Ezekiel Elliott to hold out prior to signing his contract. They let Byron Jones walk because they were unwilling to pay. They were unwilling to pay for another elite safety (Earl Thomas), mind you an older one with durability concerns, but still a player they clearly had interest in. They actually let Amari Cooper get to free agency and risked losing him to a division rival in the process. And, now of course they have mishandled the Dak Prescott contract situation and appear to have initiated a smear campaign attempting to negotiate his contract in the court of public opinion. Based on all of these examples, I have little faith that even if the Dallas Cowboys did complete a Jamal Adams trade that they would be able to appease Adam’s desire to reset the market at safety.

Hopefully, the demand for a Jamal Adams trade will be less than the New York Jets expect it to be and he ends up starting the season as a member of that team. Furthermore, hopefully the Cowboys start off red hot while the Jets stumble out of the gate. At that point, just before the trade deadline, I would be more willing to part with a first round draft pick knowing it would likely not be a high draft pick and in order to potentially acquire a key piece for a playoff run. To make this move at the current reported asking price with all the uncertainty that surrounds a new season, it would be imprudent in my humble opinion.

All data and statistics obtained and verified from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

*Photo by Jeffrey Beall https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode