Steelers even more look like geniuses after Jamal Adams trade

The Seattle Seahawks gave up a king’s ransom for safety Jamal Adams. Here’s why Steelers trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick looks better than ever.

A lot of people questioned the Steelers decision to trade for Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick early in the 2019 season. Kevin Colbert broke the trend by not only trading his first-round pick away but by executing a trade while the regular season was still in full force.

Eventually, Pittsburgh’s decision to trade for the former 11th overall pick proved to be beneficial, as Fitzpatrick ultimately finished the season as a first-team All-Pro player. At this point, it’s not a matter of discussion whether or not the Steelers made the right move; it’s a debate on just how good the trade ultimately was for Pittsburgh.

As of now, trading for Minkah has never looked better.

All-Pro safety Jamal Adams has made it abundantly clear this offseason that he wanted out of New York, and his wish was granted last week. The Seattle Seahawks were the team to finally bite. But they didn’t get anywhere near the deal the Steelers got for Fitzpatrick.

In the deal, Seattle was forced to give up two first-round picks (2020 and 2021), a third-round pick in 2021, and safety Bradley McDougald. In return, the Seahawks received Adams and a 2022 fourth-round pick of the Jets, according to ESPN.

The nation was in awe of the king’s ransom Seattle was forced to give up in order to land a player like Adams – especially considering Pittsburgh gave up just one first-round pick for Fitzpatrick in 2019. Comparing trades, Kevin Colbert and the Steelers look even more like geniuses now.

In addition to landing an even younger All-Pro safety, Pittsburgh also got a player with more years left on his rookie deal. In comparison, Adams is entering the final year of his rookie season but has assured Seattle that he will play 2020 on his current deal Though the Seahawks have a fifth-year option waiting for him in 2021, Adams could very well be wanting his long-term contract by next offseason – a contract that is sure to make him the richest safety in the NFL.

Though they play different roles on the football field, you could argue that Jamal Adams is even better than Fitzpatrick. However, what you can’t argue is that the Seahawks trade for Adams was anywhere near as good as the Steelers trade for Minkah.

For the compensation that was dealt in the trade, Adams will have to solely make up for the loss of two first-round picks and a third-round pick by Seattle. In order to do so, he will need to remain playing at an All-Pro level.

To be fair, the Seahawks have been one of the NFL’s worst drafting teams over the past five years – spending first-round picks on players like L.J. Collier, Rashaad Penny, and Germain Ifedi. Still, it doesn’t excuse them for selling their future for Jamal Adams. After this blockbuster trade, Colbert’s move for Minkah Fitzpatrick looks like the deal of the decade.