Saints star edge rusher Cam Jordan says the Giants got a No. 1 corner in Paulson Adebo and would be getting “the ultimate teammate” if they signed Jameis Winston at QB.
“You have a CB1 in Paulson Adebo,” Jordan, who saw Adebo grow the past four years in New Orleans, said on the Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast. “He’s a dog that deserves it. If you look at the way he was covering guys, at one point when Latt [Marshon Lattimore] was healthy and Adebo was on the field, we had two No. 1 CBs.”
Adebo broke the femur bone in his right thigh last season, so he wasn’t able to finish the 2024 season on the field. But the Giants gave him a three-year, $54 million contract with $38.5 million guaranteed because of the production he put on tape when healthy.
When Jordan saw Texans corner Derek Stingley reset the market with a three-year, $90 million extension, he liked the Giants’ $18 million-per-year average on Adebo even more.
“I think he might have gotten underpaid in my mind, because the new market is 30 mill[ion a year],” Jordan said of his former teammate. “Ya’ll really got a steal for my guy. He’s definitely CB1 worthy. His footwork, his mindset, and he’s not affected by having one bad play.
“He understands that DB life,” the 15th-year edge said of Adebo’s defensive back mindset. “You can get scorched every now and again, but are you gonna give up on a play? Absolutely not. Are you gonna walk somebody down? With his speed, yes. He’s calm, cool, collected [and has] composure.”
It’s good to hear Adebo has a short memory considering his penalty numbers have been high throughout his career, including nine in seven games last fall.
Adebo said himself when he signed with the Giants last week, too, that stepping into a No. 1 corner’s responsibility does not intimidate him. He said the corners didn’t travel around the field all the time in the Saints’ defense, so a lot of times he ended up on the No. 1 receiver anyway.
Now he’s ready for that challenge in New York.
“Absolutely, I embrace it,” he said. “That’s why they brought me in here. That’s how I view myself since I got into the league. It’s cool people view you that way, but at the end of the day it’s about how you view yourself and it’s about producing. I’m ready to come in and work.”
JAMEIS ‘ONLY SEES’ THE POSITIVE
Mike Evans has built a Hall of Fame career as a standout Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver. And guess what? Five of Evans’ first six seasons were with Jameis Winston as his quarterback, Winston’s former Saints teammate Bennie Fowler noted this week.
“All the records he has right now were [possible] because Jameis was throwing him the rock,” Fowler said.
That should be music to the ears of Giants receivers Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton if Winston ends up signing with the Giants.
Jordan remembers Winston’s confidence signing with the Saints in 2020 after throwing for 5,109 yards, 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions with the Bucs in 2019.
“He’s gonna come in straight up and tell you, ‘Look, you know what I’m on,” Jordan said laughing. “He walked into the building when we first signed him, he was like ‘Hey, I’m bombs over the top. Or maybe I’m Bombs over Baghdad. It was something crazy… And he’d say ‘Lord, please deliver me from these interceptions.’”
Fowler said Winston is going to “be the first person in the building,” just like he was in New Orleans when he tried to “beat Drew [Brees]” into the facility early to watch film and prepare.
“And what he brings to practice is incredible positive energy,” Fowler said. “Like ‘We’re gonna win this game’ energy, or ‘I’m gonna throw this ball.’ And then whatever the play is in the huddle, if he likes his matchup, that’s who he’s throwing the ball to.
“Like, ‘Hey, I’m coming to you, I like you on this route. I don’t care what the coverage is,’” he continued. “Sometimes that’ll get him into trouble, and sometimes you can make a play.”
The Giants need playmakers and they need leaders. Winston’s optimism is contagious in the locker room, as well, his former teammates said.
“I liked to consider myself the ultimate teammate until I met Jameis Winston,” Jordan said. “Now I’m just a really good teammate. You got Jameis who only sees positive uplifting. You could be losing, winning, it’s still the same Jameis. Even-keeled.
“You can win with consistency,” the veteran edge rusher said. “And he’s gonna consistently uplift his teammates. You can bet on that. That’s just something that’s in him. You don’t teach that.”