Not having Darrelle Revis rumors flying across the radar is somewhat of a strange feeling. Like any kind of addiction withdrawal, it gets a while to forget that not too long ago, everything we heard was about the New York Jets trying to trade Darrelle Revis to either the San Francisco 49ers or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, eventually landing in Florida and getting the contract he desired despite his quite worrying injury.
But the Bucs don’t seem worried, or otherwise they wouldn’t have given Revis $16 million a season. Revis played only two games last season for the Jets before tearing his ACL, but that hasn’t hurt his reputation as the best cornerback in the NFL, or at least his attempts to get paid like one.
So how far along is his progress? Well, he’s been cleared by the doctors to make cuts and change directions when running on the joint. There’s still a long way to go, but at least the Bucs can get him on the field and start working out their most expensive investment ever in a year they’ve really put a lot of money into.
At this rate, Revis will be ready for when the Buccaneers open the season (September 8) against (who else but…) the New York Jets at Metlife stadium. He might not be at his 100%, but it’s hard to believe he won’t be a part of Greg Schaino’s plans by then.
I’m OK with Revis not being 100 percent on opening day because 85 or 90 percent of Darrelle Revis is still better than most 100 percent other corners.
Revis is a four time Pro Bowl selection (2008-2011) and a three time first-team All-Pro (2009-2011), being in the best form of his life heading into the 2012 season before the injury that eventually not only ruined the year for him, but also pushed him out of New York, with the Jets not willing to take the financial risk on him.