Adams: No message behind bio change
Minkah Fitzpatrick freed himself from Miami. Jalen Ramsey wants out of Jacksonville.
But Jamal Adams claims he isn’t pushing to be the next young, high-profile defensive back trying to force a trade from the team that drafted him.
Following Adams’ fourth quarter benching in a 23-3 loss to the Browns, the 23-year-old safety sparked fear Tuesday he could demand to be dealt after removing the Jets from his Twitter and Instagram bios.
“It’s social media. It’s outside noise,” Adams said during a WFAN appearance. “I’m not focused on that.”
Adams repeatedly refused to discuss why he created the passive-aggressive noise.
“I’m focused on this team. I’m not focused on the outside noise,” Adams said. “I’m just focused on how we can get better and get a win.”
Adams’ growing frustration from another season already slipping away was evident late in Monday’s blowout loss, when the former sixth overall pick committed backto-back penalties late in the fourth quarter and was pulled from the field for the final five defensive plays.
Last season, Adams played 99.91 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
“They benched me. I tried to anticipate a play, which I anticipated wrong, and I was benched,” Adams said. “Hey, it happens. I gotta continue to do my job to the best of my ability.
“I don’t really know why or what was the reason. I made a penalty, and they took me out. I’m not upset. I am upset that I wanted to finish the game, but it is what it is. I made a bonehead mistake. I anticipated wrong.”
Head coach Adam Gase — who has yet explain his decision-making behind benching No. 1 cornerback Trumaine Johnson — said Adams was removed to protect him from himself.
“He wants to win as much as anyone I’ve ever been around. I’m sure at that point in the game he was extremely frustrated,” Gase said. “When he gets like that, and you want to go make a play, and the score’s a little lopsided like that, you get a little overaggressive. … I thought it was a smart idea as far as just trying to do that and get him settled down.”
The Jets and Patriots meet Sunday, less than two weeks after their first trade in two decades, in which New England dealt Demaryius Thomas, in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick.
“I would say there was a certain period of time when there’s no way this transaction would have happened,” Bill Belichick, the former HC of the NYJ, said on a conference call. “We don’t want to help the Jets. They don’t want to help us. We’re in the same division, so they’re not the easiest trades to make.
“But if the trade’s good for both teams. ... We have 14 other games to play besides the games against the Jets. So do we want to help them? Do they want to help us? No and no. But in the end, if it helps us in the other 14 games and helps our team, then it’s something that’s worth considering.”
LB Jordan Jenkins (calf ) and Thomas (hamstring /knee) are both listed as week-to-week after suffering injuries in Monday’s loss. Gase said prized offseason acquisition C.J. Mosley (groin) and first-round pick Quinnen Williams (ankle) are day-to-day after missing Monday’s game.