This may come as a surprise, but Jamal Adams doesn’t play a premium position. He doesn’t play quarterback, defensive end, cornerback or wide receiver. While he may sometimes lineup elsewhere, he’s a safety at the end of the day.
Nevertheless, Adams deserves to be the highest-paid player at his position.
Adams would like that title now, though, and he’s been outspoken about his request this offseason. The Jets appear unwilling to oblige him just yet. Precedent could have something to do with that – only 16 first-round picks since 2011 have earned a contract extension before their fourth season. Positional value, however, could be another reason why the Jets are waiting.
Myles Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in 2017, is in line to become the second first-round pick from Adams’ draft class to receive a long-term contract after the Panthers paid eighth-overall pick Christian McCaffrey earlier this year. Adams, who went sixth overall, blasted the Jets in an Instagram comment after seeing the Garrett report. He claimed the Jets haven’t even sent him a contract proposal and called him “selfish.”
Garrett and McCaffrey play more impactful positions than Adams and therefore earned bigger contracts earlier. This isn’t to disparage Adams’ ability as a versatile safety – he proved in 2020 he can be a force both in coverage and in the pass rush. It’s more about value relative to other positions, and that value’s effect on a team’s salary cap.
The simplest way of identifying positional value is by looking at the franchise tag, which takes the average of the top-five players at each position to create a one-year salary. If you look at the 2020 numbers, defensive end ranks third-highest out of 11 core positions with a salary of $17.78 million. Safety ranks eighth at $11.4 million, per Over The Cap. Quarterback, obviously, ranks first.
This is not an exact science, but it’s a solid barometer of value relative to each position.
Perhaps a better means of measurement is the average percentage of the salary cap per position. For defensive end, the top-five highest-paid players account for, on average, roughly 10 percent of their respective team’s salary cap. Safety, meanwhile, accounts for only 7.41 percen. Strong safety is even lower at 3.34 percent.
For reference, the highest-paid running backs average only 7.11 percent of a team’s salary cap, and they’re one of the most devalued positions in the league. The highest-paid quarterbacks and receivers take up an average of 18 percent and 10.35 percent, respectively.
This doesn’t mean Adams doesn’t deserve the biggest contract for a safety of all time. He absolutely does. Adams is arguably the best player at his position in the league, and someone will pay him at least $14.7 million per year, which would eclipse the current high-mark set by the Bears’ Eddie Jackson.
The Jets want to pay him, just not yet. And that’s where the negotiations are likely getting clogged.
Adams probably perceives the lack of urgency as a slight against his ability and production as a two-time Pro Bowler as he watches others earn long-term deals. But the Jets control Adams’ contract for at least two more seasons and as many as four more. Why would they rush to eat up salary cap and pay top-dollar for safety, a position that doesn’t offer as much game-changing ability as, say, pass rusher or quarterback?
That’s why Garrett will undoubtedly earn a new contract earlier than Adams. He simply offers more opportunities to break open a game, as evidenced by his 30.5 career sacks and 65 quarterback hits in 37 games. McCaffrey’s position is notoriously devalued in the modern NFL, but he, unlike Adams, scores touchdowns (39 in three seasons).
The safety position simply isn’t a top priority for most teams. Historical contract numbers and production data back this idea up. Adams could buck the trend this offseason if the Jets cave and either pay him or trade him to a team that will, but for now it seems the two sides remain at a contentious impasse.