The possibility of the 49ers acquiring two-time Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams from the New York Jets seemed remote from the beginning.
General manager John Lynch on Monday told NBC Sports Bay Area that, actually, the 49ers had no chance to acquire Adams because they never even reached out to the Jets.
ESPN reported over the weekend that “parties involved believed the 49ers, Cowboys were both in.” When asked about the veracity of the report, Lynch left no room for interpretation.
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“Totally inaccurate,” Lynch said. “We did not ever make a call about the player.”
The Seattle Seahawks acquired Adams and a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft in a trade with the Jets on Saturday for first- and third-round selections in 2021, a first-round pick in 2022 and safety Bradley McDougald.
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Adams listed the 49ers among the teams to which he sought to be traded after requesting the Jets deal him in the offseason.
San Francisco 49ers
But the 49ers certainly were not willing to give up first-round draft picks over the next two years for a player who is expecting to become the top-paid safety in the NFL in the near future.
The 49ers already signed free safety Jimmie Ward to a three-year, $28.5 million contract in the offseason. Strong safety Jaquiski Tartt is entering the final year of his contract.
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The 49ers currently have $11.97 million in salary cap room, and the club’s top priority is signing tight end George Kittle to a lucrative multi-year contract. Taking on Adams -- and the expected contract extension in the future -- would have put significant complications on the 49ers' ability to retain Kittle on a long-term contract. Kittle is set the enter the final year of his original four-year contract as a fifth-round draft pick in 2017.
Also, the 49ers have several key members entering their final seasons on their contracts, including cornerback Richard Sherman, nickel back K’Waun Williams, nose tackle D.J. Jones, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and left tackle Trent Williams.