Should the Detroit Lions trade for Jamal Adams?

Is pushing for a Jamal Adams trade something the Detroit Lions should do?

New York Jets safety Jamal Adams apparently wants out of the Big Apple after failing to come to a contract extension with the team. Once the trade request was made, he gave the Jets front office a list of teams he would accept a trade to.

The teams that made Adams’ list include the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and the Baltimore Ravens. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were later added to the list as well but there’s one thing that all eight teams have in common which is that they’re all true contending teams with a chance of winning a Super Bowl.

Detroit Lions fans may be upset that their team was nowhere to be found on the star safety’s list but they shouldn’t be discouraged as Adams pretty much has no say in where he goes if he does indeed get traded.

Looking at the Lions depth chart, safety isn’t necessarily the most glaring need. At free safety, the Lions got Tracy Walker while partnering with him at strong safety is Duron Harmon who the Lions acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots in the offseason.

Even with a decent safety combo, upgrades could always be welcomed which Adams would bring to the Lions defense. Making his second Pro Bowl appearance last year and also being named as a  First-Team All-Pro, Adams recorded 75 tackles (61 solo), with an interception, a fumble recovered, 13 quarterback hits and 6.5 sacks.

One thing that stands out about Adams compared to other safeties is his versatility as despite playing the strong safety position, he plays like a linebacker who covers receivers and rushes the quarterback. Versatility is a trait that head coach Matt Patricia looks for in his defense and a player like Adams is someone that would nicely complement the Lions defensive unit.

Even with his talent, there are risks that come with acquiring Adams. First off, it will most likely take significant draft capital for the Jets to part ways with him and even if the Lions acquire Adams, he will most likely hold out until he gets a new deal to his liking as he’s only set to make $825,000 this season, a sum that is a significant underpay for a talent like Adams.

The latter issue may not be too big of a problem for the Lions though as according to spotrac.com, the Lions have the fourth most cap space in the league with approximately $27,9 million to spend.

Parting ways with high draft picks may not be something the team is willing to do as with the struggles of the team last season, there’s no guarantee that the Lions can turn things around in one year.

That’s not to say that Jamal Adams isn’t a player the Detroit Lions should pursue though. If the Jets are willing to take picks that doesn’t include the Lions 2021 first-rounder, then the Lions should definitely engage in trade discussions for Adams but if a first-round pick is a must and is needed to get trade discussions started, then general manager Bob Quinn should hang up the phone.