Just in case any more damage control was needed, Joe Douglas went out of his way to praise Jamal Adams with the two sides expected to re-enter extension negotiations after the NFL draft.
Douglas appeared on the Bart and Hahn Show on ESPN NY 98.7 on Tuesday. There, the general manager said that the 24-year-old All-Pro safety was among the selling points that convinced Douglas to take the Jets job in the first place.
“He was a big reason I was excited about coming here,” Douglas said. “I feel this guy is a core player.”
While Douglas has said that he wants Adams to remain a “Jet for life,” extension talks have taken a backseat to the exec’s preparation for the first draft that he’ll be fully in charge of. With Adams set to skip the Jets’ voluntary virtual offseason program, Douglas plans on connecting with the safety after the draft.
Until then, Douglas is hoping to find more players with a similar mindset.
“The main goal that I’m trying to do right now is to surround him with like-minded players because we know Jamal is a dog,” Douglas said. “We have to surround him with guys that play as hard as he does, that love football as much as he does and can match his intensity.”