By Dennis Waszak Jr.
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Jamal Adams’ wish was finally granted: He’s leaving New York in a stunning trade.
The Jets dealt the disgruntled star safety to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, splitting with a gifted player whose relationship with the franchise quickly deteriorated because of a contract dispute.
The Jets received a massive haul in the deal Saturday, sending a 2022 fourth-round draft pick along with Adams to the Seahawks for a 2021 first-rounder, a 2022 first-rounder, a 2021 third-rounder and safety Bradley McDougald — all pending physicals.
Both teams confirmed the trade details, and the Seahawks welcomed Adams to the team in a Twitter post.
“Let’s get it!!!” Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson tweeted.
The deal ended a contentious several months for Adams and the Jets, a situation that increasingly appeared headed for a divorce when the two-time Pro Bowl selection criticized ownership early in the week and then took shots at coach Adam Gase and general manager Joe Douglas in an interview with the Daily News published Friday.
The 24-year-old former LSU player was drafted sixth overall by the Jets in 2017. He quickly established himself as a fan favorite and one of the best players at his position, being selected for the last two Pro Bowls and making the All-Pro squad last year.
But Adams’ relationship with the franchise began to take a turn last October. The safety was angered when Douglas fielded phone calls from teams inquiring about Adams’ availability at the trade deadline. Douglas made it clear the cost for Adams would be exorbitant, a sign the Jets had no interest in dealing him. But Adams felt the team shouldn’t have even listened to other teams’ offers.
Never has Seattle relinquished this much of a haul for one player.
Seattle’s pass defense was a weakness a season ago, but the problems were a combination of issues in the secondary and a lousy pass rush that was among the worst in the league even with Jadeveon Clowney in the mix.
It’s the second major addition to Seattle’s secondary this offseason after trading for Washington cornerback Quinton Dunbar earlier in the spring. But there are major questions about Dunbar’s potential availability for the upcoming season after his arrest on armed robbery charges in Florida.
McDougald started 30 of 31 regular season games played the past two seasons, and finished with at least 70 tackles in each of his three seasons with the Seahawks. He also had five interceptions over the past two seasons.
