Jamal Adams trade rumors: Ranking the Jets safety’s 7 preferred teams

4. San Francisco 49ers

Of the seven teams listed as preferred trade destinations for Jamal Adams, the most difficult for me to place was the San Francisco 49ers. That’s why they end up smack in the middle of these rankings. Because there are points to both sides of the coin when it comes to a potential trade.

On one hand, there has been a need at safety in San Francisco. The Niners were able to re-sign free safety Jimmie Ward in free agency this offseason, which is highly beneficial to their defense. At the same time, their secondary that balled out for them en route to the Super Bowl last season is largely headlined by veterans who may be inching past their prime. Thus, adding a young star like Adams would rejuvenate that group and upgrade over Jaquiski Tartt.

Additionally, let’s not rule out that, again, the 49ers just went to the Super Bowl last season. When a team is in a position of strength such as that, they are more privy to make big moves such as trading for Adams. It’s the type of deal that is set up for a contender to swoop in and make.

That can all be true and the trade still have issues, though. When you look at the 49ers, two things stand out. First, they are already cap-strapped with the young defense they’ve built and the contracts that will be looming for those players or that have already been signed. Moreover, the offensive line still needs to be addressed further, which means they need draft capital.

Adams landing with the 49ers would not be a bad move by any stretch. But with the issues that you can point out, that knocks them down the rankings a bit.