It’s no secret that Jets safety Jamal Adams would rather play next season in Dallas than in New York. Obviously, the Cowboys would love to add the All-Pro to their secondary.
So what’s the holdup? The Jets’ understandably high asking price is still the hindrance for now. A few short months ago, the Jets reportedly wanted one of the two future Hall of Fame offensive linemen- Tyron Smith or Zack Martin- in return for Adams. Cowboys legend Michael Irvin once revealed that the Jets required a first and third round pick for their young star. Now, a week after their disgruntled safety officially requested a trade, the Jets may have their eyes on a different Cowboys lineman: La’el Collins.
This news was first brought to light by Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, who writes, “I’m told right now that the player the Jets would ask for in a trade for Adams would be right tackle La’el Collins. That’s the player that they want. That’s the player that they’re going to target…If you’re a Jets fan, you know one thing – you can’t start the season with Chuma Edoga starting at right tackle.”
Collins doesn’t have the pedigree of the two Dallas stalwarts mentioned above, but he is arguably just as valuable when you factor in his age, contract, and his improving on-field play.
In September of 2019, Collins signed a five-year deal with an annual salary of $10 million. The 26-year old would go on to have the best season of his career, and establish himself as one of the top right tackles in the league. Collins’ contract extension is set to keep him in Dallas through 2024 and what seems like his prime, making his yearly $10 million deal a massive steal for the cap-conscious Cowboys.
Adams, on the other hand, requires an immediate and lofty contract extension, as he enters the last year of his current deal. The contract he is reportedly seeking would land just north of $15 million annually, making Adams the highest paid safety ever. Will the already two-time Pro Bowler be worth this massive pay raise? Most likely, as Adams is just 24 years old, coming off a first team All-Pro campaign a year ago, and should only continue to improve.
In the offseason, Dallas signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to replace Jeff Heath, and Xavier Woods has shown signs that he can be a starter in the NFL, but there is no question Adams would be a substantial upgrade over the two current Cowboys safeties.
As far as tackle goes, there is no clear replacement for Collins on the Cowboys roster. Connor Williams played tackle in college and could slide over to fill the role. Brandon Knight was a decent fill-in during his one start at tackle a year ago, but shouldn’t be trusted as more than a backup at this time. Tyron Smith will continue to lock down the left side of the line, but with his injury history, it’s hard to tell how many years he has left in the tank. Losing Collins now would be a nearly irreplaceable blow to the Cowboys’ offensive line, which was responsible for a league-low eight sacks a year ago.
There are two real questions in front of the Cowboys management. One, would Adams improve the Dallas defense enough to justify trading their emerging right tackle and his team-friendly deal plus whatever draft compensation the Jets would require along with Collins? And two, if a trade is somehow made, does the contract extension of Adams put Dallas in too tough of a spot financially?
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