NFL teams have been considering trading for Darrelle Revis, and while the Buccaneers are not confirmed to be seriously shopping him, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the Patriots and Broncos would both be interested in acquiring the superstar cornerback.
Revis holds a $16MM cap figure ($13MM in base salary, $3MM in bonuses) but the contract is completely non-guaranteed. Even still, this is a large number for two cap-strapped AFC contenders.
The thinking behind each move is that both the Patriots and the Broncos employ expensive quarterbacks that are both inching closer and closer to their 40th birthdays, with Peyton Manning at 37 and Tom Brady at 36. Each team knows its window to win a Super Bowl is now.
For the Patriots, Revis could be a safer alternative to re-signing Aqib Talib to a big money deal, especially after the team was embarrassed by other players with character concerns in Aaron Hernandez and Alfonzo Dennard. Also, Florio rights that the “icing on the cake” would be the ability to stick Revis against the Jets twice a year.
The Broncos have Champ Bailey on the books for $10MM in 2014, and for only $6MM more they could have a much younger, healthier option at corner. At this point in their respected careers, the older Bailey is not even close to the talent Revis is. Florio writes that Revis wouldn’t close the gap between the Broncos and the Seahawks in case of a Super Bowl rematch, but he would be a huge upgrade for a team that was embarrassed by 35 points in its final game.