When the New York Jets came on the clock for their first-round pick during last week's NFL Draft, they must have felt fortunate that Jamal Adams -- a player considered by some the best defensive back in the class, and who they had told earlier in the draft process that he was wasting his time by visiting their facility because there was no way he would still be available at pick No. 6 -- was still on the board.
New York's secondary was easily the weakest part of its defense last season, and would have been the weakest part of the team if not for the play of quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bryce Petty.
The Jets felt so bad about the performance of their defensive backs that they actually doubled-up on safeties with their first two picks. They selected Florida safety Marcus Maye in the second round.
It should come as no surprise, then, that it was reported on Tuesday that the team will not pick of the fifth-year option of safety Calvin Pryor, who was the team's first-round pick in 2014.
Jamal Adams told me the Jets basically told him in his visit, "You're wasting your time. Why are you here?" They don't think he's there at 6
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) April 21, 2017
Pryor has started 38 games in three seasons for the Jets but has not exactly become the dominant, versatile force they envisioned when they drafted him out of Louisville. His fifth-year option would have counted for over $8 million on the Jets' 2018 cap, and with two early round safeties coming in, it's to be expected that they don't want to commit that much money to a third.
