It’s not a question of if, but a question of when. Darrelle Revis doesn’t want to return and play for the New York Jets, and the team has no plan of retaining him. Despite the quite clear situation between the sides, it isn’t causing his current team to reduce their asking price for him, which means the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, unwilling to part with their first round draft pick for 2013, aren’t going to make a move anytime soon.
All teams are more or less in draft mode right now. Most of the big names on the free agency market have been taken off the board, and teams are waiting to see if they can fill their current positional needs with talent coming out of college instead of going for a free agent other teams have passed on for a reason, or two. Revis is no free agent, but his injury, salary demands and behavior for not getting what he wants make him damaged goods.
The best cornerback in the league deserves a first round pick to be dealt for him, but no one knows if a rehabilitated Revis is still going to be that good. While the Bucs are offering first round offers from future draft, the Jets want to rebuild now, and get as many picks as possible going into the 2013 draft night. According to sources around the team, their relationship with Revis is beyond the point of no-return, which means he will be dealt to another team, with the Buccaneers the only ones really interested at the moment, sooner or later.
Revis has always been aware of his talents and value. He doesn’t seem like the player who cares about playing for a winner, contender or whatever you want to call it. He wants to be recognized for his talents by being paid accordingly. That approach has caused three contract disputes with the Jets since he began his NFL career. The last of them hasn’t been resolved, and there’s no way he’ll be paid the kind of money he wants by his current employers. He needs to hope that the Bucs, willing to pay him that kind of money, will find a way to build the right trade package for him, before the his leverage and asking price goes a little bit lower.