In the past, Darrelle Revis has been used like many teams do with a superstar cornerback: Moving him around according to the position of the opposition’s best wide receiver. The New England Patriots don’t do the things the regular way, and have a different plan for their new expensive signing.

While playing for the New York Jets, the nickname ‘Revis Island’ was a way to describe how Rex Ryan moved his best defensive piece around according to the formation of the offense standing in front of him. Bill Belichick, sometimes just because he feels like being different, doesn’t like doing the same way other coaches and teams do.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe who has been following the New England Patriots this spring and summer repeats the idea of Revis no longer being a cornerback who is moved around depending on the wide receiver in need of covering, but is going to be positioned on one side of the field no matter what.

Revis Island has become Revis Hemisphere, with Revis lining up strictly on the left side of the field and fellow newcomer Brandon Browner playing only on the right side. No matter how the offense lines up or which receivers are on the field, Revis is on the left, Browner on the right.

Browner, who played for the Seattle Seahawks, was always positioned on the right side there and it worked quite well, although it did happen with a set of excellent secondary players. Revis moving around also means Browner being moved around, and the Patriots want to avoid that complication, thinking that simple is better in this case.

Browner will be suspended for the first four games of the 2014 NFL season, so maybe all of this “rigid” positioning sound well and nice in theory, but at least for the first few games, Revis will be moved around to make up for Browner not being on the field.

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