The Buccaneers were absolutely right to pass on Jamal Adams

As a reflection on the blockbuster trade for star safety Jamal Adams, the Buccaneers were right to pass on a player that looked like a perfect fit.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jamal Adams looked like a match made in Heaven. Adams would give the team the boost needed to become one of the best in the NFC while also reuniting a former head coach and a first-round pick.

The rumors were mostly unsubstantiated, but some analysts started to believe that Adams could be available in a trade for a first and a third-round pick. This would be a steal for every team in the NFL, but clearly, this was not an accurate guess.

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Here is a look at the final trade that transpired:

Seahawks receive: 

Safety Jamal Adams

2022 Fourth-round pick

Jets receive:

2021 First-round pick

2022 First-round pick

2021 Third-round pick

Safety Bradley McDougald

The Seahawks gave up an arm and a leg for Adams, and some of that could be based on some self-awareness. Would Seattle use those picks to draft offensive linemen and other positions of need, or would they use them on running backs, wide receivers, or middle linebackers?

The general assumption is that Seattle gets far more value from Adams than they would from those picks, but that is just an indication of a more significant underlying problem.

The real surprise for this deal is the addition of former Buccaneer McDougald. McDougald is a starting-caliber player whose value is likely closer to a third or second-round pick. Seattle gave up everything to make this happen, and the Bucs could not afford to do that.

For Tampa Bay to make this trade, their compensation would have been the same with the addition of Jordan Whitehead instead of McDougald. Tampa Bay has been on fire these past two seasons in the draft, making the picks far more valuable than those of Seattle, and Whitehead is a true starter. The compensation is not worth it for an upgrade at safety.

It is a tough pill to swallow that Adams isn’t going to be a Buccaneer. Still, Tampa Bay was saved from making a deal with the distinct possibility of crippling the Seahawks for the foreseeable future on a position that was already addressed.