5 NFL Blockbuster Moves That Could Happen Before Week 1

Jamal Adams has been one of the Jets’ best draft picks in a long time, but his relationship with the team has completely deteriorated after not receiving the extension he desired, and now he wants out.

The Cowboys and Adams have been linked together for quite some time, and the Texas native seems to be trying to will himself to Dallas. Adams won’t come without a hefty price tag, but Jerry Jones could be willing to meet that price tag if it could get him a Super Bowl, and Adams is the type of game-changing talent that would immediately elevate the Cowboys defense.

Other teams, like the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, may make a play for Adams, but there seems to be too much mutual interest between Adams and Dallas for it not to happen.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is that Jadeveon Clowney remains unsigned into July. The fearsome pass rusher was reportedly asking for a contract in the neighborhood of $20 million per year, and has since come down from that number to about $18 million.

He has reportedly received offers from the Seahawks, Browns and Titans, but prefers to head to Dallas or New Orleans -- two teams with limited cap room that would force Clowney to come down even more on his asking price.

Teams have also not been able to bring free agents in for workouts due to the virtual offseason program. The Seattle Seahawks have the best grasp of Clowney’s medicals, and if the Cowboys and Saints are off the table and he does not want to play in Cleveland, a return to Seattle seems like the best fit for the 27-year-old pass rusher.

The Browns are 100 percent in on Jadeveon Clowney, but the pass rusher does not seem to be all that interested in them. With Clowney likely preferring to play elsewhere, the Browns could find a pass-rushing consolation prize in Everson Griffen.

Griffen, 32, is a little older and should come at a more affordable price than Clowney, but has not shown any signs of decline. Four of his last five seasons have earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl and Browns new head coach Kevin Stefanski got a close-up view to Griffen’s value while working as an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings. A short-term deal for Griffen could be the better deal for Cleveland anyway, as it could give the Browns more flexibility on their decision to keep or cut other defensive end Olivier Vernon.

Ryan, 29, was underwhelming his first two seasons in Tennessee before having a bounce-back year last season with four interceptions and 4.5 sacks. It was undoubtedly his best season since he played under Matt Patricia’s defense with the Patriots.

Perhaps a reunion could be in the cards? The Lions drafted Jeff Okudah and signed veteran Desmond Trufant to help replace the loss of Darius Slay, but Ryan can play inside and outside, and adding him to fill in at the nickel would give the Lions some of the best secondary depth. Ryan would need to come down from his $10 million asking price, though, for the Lions to justify spending on a slot corner.

It has been four years since Kaepernick last played a down in the NFL, but his talent may not have necessarily been what was keeping him out. It seems as if teams may be more warm to entertain the idea of signing Kaepernick now, though, making him an intriguing possibility.

We still do not know what Kaepernick’s goals and desires are – or if he even wants to return to the NFL – but if he does, it would most likely have to be in a backup role. If he is willing to take that on there are several fits for him, but one of the most interesting fits could be the Baltimore Ravens.

Kaepernick played under John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, in San Francisco. The Ravens offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, was Kaepernick’s offensive coordinator in San Francisco. His style of play is similar to reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and he could serve as a mentor to him, as well.

However, the Ravens may already have someone who checks all those boxes in Robert Griffin III. Griffin recently expressed his desire that he wants to be a starter, perhaps the Ravens could explore the trade market for RGIII to a team that would let him compete for a starting job? Or maybe they bring in Kaepernick and have the two compete for the backup position in Baltimore.