Jamal Adams made no secret about his desire to get traded out of New York. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams says he has Adams' back but hopes the safety remains on the Jets in 2020.
"He has to handle his contract," Williams said on a conference call Thursday, . "He'll do all that kind of stuff... I'm hoping everything goes well. I love coaching him. And I got his back."
Williams noted he wants the 24-year-old to know how much the team values his play.
"I think the world of him," Williams said. "I've had a chance to coach a lot of really good players. Some that are already in the Hall of Fame. And many others that are going to go in the Hall of Fame. And he's going to have a legitimate chance staying healthy to be one of those guys later on that we'll all talk about."
In Williams' first season with the Jets, Adams was a ball-hawking maven, compiling 75 tackles, 13 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, seven passes defended, two forced fumbles, and one INT, earning All-Pro honors. The DC made it clear what type of player he thinks Adams can continue to grow into.
"He has that ability not only play as a defensive back -- a safety position -- but he has the ability to play like a linebacker," Williams said. "He has the ability to play like a rusher. He has the ability to play like a run-stopper. So, his multidimensional abilities to play the game of football allows you to move him around for the other team to try to find him...
"He has multiple strengths and that's fun. He has the ability to move around... He's smart. He's able to handle multiple things. He's able to handle multiple directions of what has to happen in the flow of a game. And he loves to compete."
Whether Williams gets his wish and the Jets reconcile the situation with their star corner remains to be seen.
"I want him to feel good about being here," Williams said. "I want him to feel good about everything that's going on. And he knows when he gets inside the door and inside the white lines with us, there is a chemistry that's outstanding.... I've been through this before with other players... and you can't too emotional. I can't. I've got to stay level-headed with that. And just know that I can't wait to get a chance to coach him again."
