Darrelle Revis' 6 most likely landing spots after New England Patriots decline option
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(Jeff Wheeler | Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)
Dom Cosentino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
We're at that point of the offseason where the spotlight inevitably turns to former Jets and current Patriots (at least until Tuesday at 4 p.m.) star Darrelle Revis.
It's become an annual ritual. Revis becomes available (New England reportedly declined his 2015 option) and teams start checking their accounting ledgers to see how much they can afford for his mercenary services. It ends with Revis eventually stacking wads of cash in his personal vault and aligning himself for the next payday ... the following year.
It's an act only affordable to a select few players. But Revis is one of the few who have the kind of leverage necessary to play under what amounts to a gigantic guaranteed one-year contract and get another one the following year, even if he gets injured.
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It's good work if you can get it, especially when teams start lining up for your services. Again, for the third straight year, there will be suitors. Plenty of them. Some known and others lurking under the table or in the distance.
The Patriots and Jets are the obvious ones. There's a comfort level there.
But there will be others. Here are some potential landing spots in "Revis Chase '15".
New England Patriots ‐ Revis won a Super Bowl and collected $12 million in his only season in New England. The Patriots couldn't financially bring him back for a season and take a $25 million cap hit. So Revis will test the market, drive up his price and, presumably, provide the Patriots a chance to match. They're considered the favorites in this chase.
New York Jets ‐ Ah, the Jets. Revis knows something about them. They drafted him and watched him grow into the star that he has become. At this point, especially with head coach Rex Ryan gone, that likely means little. What does factor into this equation more is the Jets' gaping hole at cornerback and the massive amounts of cash they have to spend. That should grab Revis' attention.
Buffalo Bills ‐ Rex and Revis reunited? That would make for a great show and defense with the players that the Bills already have in place. What makes this tough is that Buffalo might have trouble making it work financially.
Philadelphia Eagles ‐ Since Chip Kelly arrived, they've gotten rid of offensive stars LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. They're looking to invest some of that loose change on defense. What better way than at a position of need? If the Eagles put Revis alongside cornerbacks Byron Maxwell and Brandon Boykin it would be the league's best trio. And Philadelphia can easily pay Revis whatever the huge sum he's looking for, if they so desire.
Atlanta Falcons ‐ Look out for Atlanta. It could be a sneaky player here with money to spend and an owner willing to take risks. And what better way for new coach Dan Quinn to rebuild that porous defense than with a star on the backend like Revis.
Oakland Raiders ‐ They're the Raiders. They're liable to do something crazy, especially with money they're having trouble spending. Would anyone really be surprised if they offered Revis $20 million per year?
Jordan Raanan may be reached at
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