Report: Eagles among teams that Jamal Adams is willing to be traded to

Jamal Adams wants the New York Jets to trade him and the Philadelphia Eagles are on the list of the All-Pro safety’s preferred destinations, according to a report from NFL insider Adam Schefter.

The six other clubs include the Dallas Cowboys, the Baltimore Ravens, the Houston Texans, the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Seattle Seahawks. All playoff teams from last season ... save for Dallas.

So, we know Adams is willing to join the Eagles. But are the Eagles willing to trade for Adams?

There’s no question that the No. 6 overall pick from the 2017 NFL Draft is talented. He’s already notched two Pro Bowl appearances and one first-team All Pro season at age 24. Adams has started 46 out of 48 possible games and has logged 273 total tackles, 25 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, two interceptions, and one defensive touchdown. Pro Football Focus had Adams graded as their third best safety in 2018 and fourth best in 2019.

The Eagles have previously shown interest in Adams. They curiously hosted him on a pre-draft visit in 2017 despite the fact they were selecting at No. 14 and Adams was consistently projected to go off the board before Philly’s pick.

The Eagles also have an obvious front office connection to the Jets with former vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas leaving the Birds to become New York’s general manager last year.

The Eagles also also arguably have a need at safety after declining to pick up Malcolm Jenkins’ option for 2020. The team retained Rodney McLeod on the back end but they’re counting on Jalen Mills to switch from cornerback to safety as a replacement for Jenkins. The Eagles signed Will Parks to a one-year, $1.5 million contract in free agency and drafted K’Von Wallace with a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft but neither player is a proven full-time starter.

And so the Eagles should absolutely have some level of interest in Adams. But enough to get a trade done? Wouldn’t call it likely.

Adams’ trade demands seemingly stem from him and the Jets being unable to agree to a long-term contract. Adams is currently under team control through the 2021 season with the Jets picking up his fifth-year option.

The Eagles can realistically afford Adams’ contract as is. They currently have $24.7 million in cap space — fourth most in the league — and they’d only be on the hook for his $3.5 million guaranteed salary in 2020. Adams’ $9.86 million cap number in 2021 is only guaranteed for injury prior of the start of the new league year.

But with Adams demanding a new deal that pays him like one of the top safeties in the league, his current deal might not last much longer. Can the Eagles really afford to give up premium assets in addition to handing out another big money contract? Probably not. The Eagles are currently $50 million OVER the cap in 2021 and they’re counting on rolling over most of their 2020 cap space to help lower that deficit. Being able to use their 2021 first-round pick on an inexpensive rookie deal is also an important part of that equation.

Adding Adams to the Eagles’ defense would sure be nice. As we said with the Joe Thuney rumor discussion, though, it just doesn’t seem super realistic. Adams might be unhappy but the Jets have leverage given that he’s under contract for two more seasons. It should take a significant offer to acquire him and I don’t see the Eagles being the team to pay that price. Unfortunately, Adams still might be coming to the NFC East since the Cowboys seemingly have legitimate interest in him.