As most will remember, the New York Jets traded Darrelle Revis before the 2013 NFL season to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, hoping that the New England Patriots find him too expensive, they’re hoping to get him back.
Revis had an excellent 2014 season with the Patriots, resulting in a Pro Bowl selection and return to being a first team All-Pro member as well, but most importantly ended with a Super Bowl ring, his first in a season that saw him return to form and his reputation as a cornerback that is almost impossible to throw against for long stretches of games.
The Patriots have quite a conundrum on their hands. They have a tendency to let players and especially cornerbacks go because of money. While the regular season has always been successful, it wasn’t until last year’s investment in secondary players like Revis and Brandon Browner that the Patriots finally tasted ultimate glory again.
But is Revis worth it? Keeping him will mean a cap hit of $25 million. That’s a lot for any player, even a quarterback unless he’s one of an elite few. Releasing Revis means shedding $20 million in cap space. And there’s always the option of restructuring the deal.
Revis is looking for a long deal, hopeful the Patriots. He wants to get paid, but he also wants a team to stay with for a long time. The New York Jets are hoping to be given the option of signing him again, but that will only happen if Bill Belichick and the Patriots can’t work out a deal.
So what will work for Revis? Probably a five year deal worth at least $60 million or something around that number. He’ll get more money somewhere else probably. He has shown with the Patriots and the Buccaneers to a lesser extent how good he is despite his 2012 injury, and that he’s healthy, playing 32 games over the last two seasons.
The Jets shouldn’t have traded him two years ago. Now they need a a lot of luck if they want to sign him again.