The San Francisco 49ers were not part of the Seahawks’ competition in the race to trade with the Jets for safety Jamal Adams. General manager John Lynch told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area that despite reports of the club’s interest, the team never reached out to the Jets to facilitate a trade.
“Totally inaccurate,” Lynch told Maiocco about reported interest from San Francisco. “We did not ever make a call about the player.”
While he could be throwing a curveball and simply saying this when the team did call about Adams, Lynch hasn’t been shy in the past about discussing the club’s interest in big-name players. He was transparent about trade talks involving Odell Beckham Jr. before the Giants traded him to Cleveland. He also noted the team put out a competitive offer when the Raiders were looking to unload star defensive end Khalil Mack.
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The team was also forthcoming about their internal discussions on quarterback Tom Brady.
Another reason it’s easy to believe Lynch is that a move to add the All-Pro safety would’ve run counter to everything the 49ers have done over Lynch’s three seasons as the head of the front office. Their team-building philosophy revolves around sustainability and extending the team’s championship window as wide as possible.
Adams wound up landing in Seattle along with a 2022 fourth-round pick in exchange for the Seahawks’ 2021 first-round pick, 2021 third-round pick, 2022 first-round pick and safety Bradley McDougald.
Moving two first-round selections and a third-round choice for a safety who’s due to be paid upwards of $15 million per season within a year doesn’t line up with the more prudent, big-picture-minded moves they’ve made. That’s especially true with next year’s salary cap uncertainty and a long-term extension for George Kittle still sitting on the table. Shelling out multiple cost-controlled assets like draft picks to pay one player top-of-market money is an all-in, win-now type of move that doesn’t fit alongside anything the 49ers have done the last three years.
The 49ers will quickly find out if they made a mistake not going after Adams. They’ll face him twice a year as long as he’s in Seattle, starting in Week 8 of this season.
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