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Darrelle Revis

Extra Points: Giants, Revis, Bears, Browns

February 15th, 2015 at 10:58pm CST by Rob DiRe

As this Sunday comes to an end, here is a roundup of some stories from around the NFL:

  • As the window to use the franchise tag opens up, the Giants will have to make a decision on whether to place that on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. The tag number is estimated to be $14.6MM, a large number for a player who has been inconsistent over his career.
  • The Patriots and star cornerback Darrelle Revis are in a “staring contest” over a long-term contract, according to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. The Patriots need to work out a contract as soon as possible to open up cap space to re-sign their other free agents.
  • Most teams have a number one position of need as the NFL draft approaches, but the Bears and general manager Ryan Pace have a different goal: to improve the draft class in general, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. The team has drafted poorly in recent years, and the top priority for the new administration is to reverse that trend.
  • The Browns were very high on Marcus Mariota, and the team could consider moving up in the draft to take the Heisman-winning quarterback, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. With the 12th and 19th picks in this draft, they could have the ammunition to move up and draft their third quarterback in the first round since 2012.
  • The NFL combine will give the Titans a chance to interview both Jameis Winston and Mariota and begin to decide their future at quarterback, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean. With the second overall pick, they could have a chance at either player, or they could elect to take one of the top pass rushers and move forward with Zach Mettenberger under center.
  • Rookie Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon played well before being shut down due to injury last season, but is recovering well and should be back in time for offseason workouts, writes Matt Vensel of StarTribune.com.
  • Michigan attorney Jim Acho has received two written endorsements from player reps nominating him to become the next NFLPA executive director, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Acho only needs one more in order to officially be included on the ballot.

AFC Links: Incognito, Rice, Pats, Jackson

February 13th, 2015 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

After signing Richie Incognito shortly after he proclaimed that he wanted to “build a bully” in Buffalo, Bills head coach Rex Ryan was in damage control mode yesterday, explaining in an appearance on WGR 550 why his team added the veteran guard despite his history of off-field run-ins.

“I’m about the biggest anti-bullying guy there is, especially off the field and in the community,” Ryan said, per Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. “I want the toughest, physical football team on the field, and gentlemen off the field. He recognizes that he has made some mistakes. He wants to prove that he is not that person now.”

While we wait to see whether Incognito proves Ryan right, let’s round up several more items from across the AFC….

  • Former Ravens running back Ray Rice issued a statement apologizing for his domestic violence incident and thanking the city of Baltimore, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun details. Rice continues to work out in hopes of signing with another NFL team, but hasn’t visited or worked out for any clubs since his reinstatement, according to Wilson.
  • With Darrelle Revis currently counting for $25MM against their 2015 cap, the Patriots are somewhat hamstrung until they can figure out a resolution for the cornerback, says Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. According to Curran, there’s nothing new to report on negotiations with potential free agents like Devin McCourty, due in part to the Revis situation, which I explored in depth earlier this week.
  • Cornerback Kareem Jackson admits that it hasn’t really hit him yet that he could become a coveted free agent next month, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. According to Jackson, he’d love to return to the Texans after seeing the progress made by new head coach Bill O’Brien last season.

The Patriots’ Options For Darrelle Revis

February 11th, 2015 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Several weeks ago, I took a closer look at the Lions’ options this offseason with Ndamukong Suh, whose contract situation is much more complicated than a typical free agent’s. Because Suh’s 2014 cap number was well over $22MM, using the franchise tag on the defensive tackle this winter would cost Detroit much more than it would cost – for example – the Cowboys to tag Dez Bryant, or the Chiefs to tag Justin Houston.

While Suh’s case is exceptional, the Patriots’ options with cornerback Darrelle Revis this offseason may be even trickier. The franchise tag isn’t an option for New England and Revis, since he remains under contract for 2015 rather than being eligible for free agency in March. But retaining the star corner won’t be as easy as simply keeping him on the roster. Let’s examine the options on the table for the Patriots and Revis as we try to determine what his future might hold….

Picking up his 2015 option:

When the Patriots signed Revis last March, the deal was structured in such a way that it was reported as essentially being a one-year, $12MM pact, despite technically being a two-year, $32MM agreement. Along with a $10MM signing bonus, which was prorated over two years, the contract included a modest $1.5MM base salary for 2014, a $7.5MM base salary for 2015, and a $12MM roster bonus if the former first-round pick remained on the Pats’ roster for a second season.Darrelle Revis

Throw in $500K annual per-game roster bonuses, and the upshot is this: Revis counted against New England’s cap for $7MM in year one of the deal. In year two, he’ll count for $5MM in dead money against the cap if he’s cut, or for $25MM if the Pats pick up his option. Having already paid him $12MM, the team would be on the hook for another $20MM in 2015 by keeping him around on the same deal.

While it initially appeared out of the question, the idea of simply picking up Revis’ option has gained some traction lately. Most recently, both Gary Tanguay and Chris Gasper of CSNNE suggested yesterday that they felt the Pats should consider exercising that option if the two sides can’t work out a longer-term arrangement.

Picking up the option sounds like a nice fallback plan on the surface, buying the club some time to negotiate an extension and ensuring that Revis sticks around to handcuff top opposing receivers. But in practicality, it’s extremely difficult to imagine the Pats being able to stomach such an exorbitant cap hit. For comparison’s sake, there were only two cap numbers in all of football in 2014 that were over $20MM — Suh’s $22.41MM figure, and Eli Manning‘s $20.4MM. If we narrow our focus to the Patriots, only Tom Brady had a cap hit of over $8MM, at $14.8MM.

Bringing back Revis is important, but history has proven that Bill Belichick‘s Patriots aren’t a team that retains a player at any cost. New England currently projects to be nearly $5MM over the cap for 2015, with Revis’ option on its books, and while it will be possible to cut some players and slide under the cap, keeping the cornerback around for a cap hit that’s worth $11MM more than Brady’s would seriously limit the club’s flexibility this offseason.

Patriots president Jonathan Kraft recently acknowledged that the second year of Revis’ deal is essentially a “placeholder,” which makes sense. When they finalized the contract a year ago, the Pats didn’t expect the 29-year-old to play the second season at that price, and even after a year in which the team won a Super Bowl and Revis ranked as one of the league’s top corners (PFF link), I’d be surprised if that stance changes.

Working out a multiyear extension:

If exercising Revis’ second-year option isn’t a viable solution and using the franchise or transition tag isn’t on the table, negotiating a multiyear extension looks to be by far the Patriots’ best bet. And with free agency less than a month away, I expect the club to do everything it can to finalize something with its top defensive back.

As I noted earlier, however, New England isn’t the sort of team that will lock up its players at any price. A long-term deal would have to provide value and flexibility for the Pats in addition to being worthwhile for Revis. Given the cornerback’s age (he turns 30 in July) and the Pats’ reluctance to splurge on any one player (even Brady is making markedly less than other top quarterbacks), I think it’s unlikely that the team will make an offer similar to the ones signed by players like Richard Sherman, Joe Haden and Patrick Peterson in 2014.

Even if guys like Haden and Peterson don’t necessarily have the same ability Revis does as a cover corner, their extensions will cover their prime years. There’s still room for improvement for those players as they enter their mid-20s — in Revis’ case, the concern would be that a drop-off may be around the corner, if not in the next year or two, than shortly thereafter. He’s still in great shape, but if the Pats have any concerns about his long-term outlook, the team may be reluctant to commit to a lengthy deal in the range of $13.5-14MM per year, like the ones signed by Sherman, Haden, and Peterson.

That may be fine with Revis, whose last couple deals have both been structured to allow his teams to escape after just a year or two. He has never been shy about betting on himself in the past, though there’s no guarantee that stance will change as he approaches 30 — banking on a big annual payday was a safe bet for most of his career, but if the veteran has a down year at age 31, for instance, there will be more uncertainty about his ability to bounce back and to once again rank among the NFL’s elite defenders.

Taking into account all those factors, a three-year deal in the range of $45MM with a sizable portion of guaranteed money seems like it could make sense for the Patriots. But would it make sense for Revis? If he plays hardball and forces the Pats to pick up his option, he’d guarantee himself $20MM for the 2014 season alone. Even if the team doesn’t exercise that option, he could hit the open market and potentially find another suitor (the Jets?) more willing to overpay him. Coming off another excellent season, Revis will have plenty of leverage — if he wants to return to New England, I think the two sides could work something out, but I’m skeptical that the Pats are willing to match the biggest offer he’d get on the open market.

Cutting him and letting him reach the open market:

If Revis does make it to free agency, that doesn’t guarantee he’ll play for a team besides the Pats in 2015. But it would certainly be a worst-case scenario for the prospect of Revis returning to New England, opening the door for the Jets – a team with a ton of cap space and a ton of interest in Revis – or another suitor to put a huge offer on the table.

A report yesterday indicated that the Jets will prioritize Revis over any other cornerback, including Antonio Cromartie, if he makes it to free agency, and it’s fair to wonder if the team itself is leaking word of its interest. After all, hinting that a big offer will be waiting for him in free agency seems like the best way to try to discourage Revis from agreeing to a new deal with the Pats.

While there’s been no indication yet what sort of contract the Jets – or any other team – might offer Revis, new GM Mike Maccagnan figures to be armed with nearly $50MM in cap room, so New York would certainly have the flexibility to make Revis an offer that matches or exceeds those long-term Sherman, Haden, and Peterson deals, making him the highest-paid corner in the game.

If the Pats hope to lock up Revis before free agency, it will probably take an offer that’s competitive with the one(s) waiting for the cornerback on the open market. As much as Revis may want to return to New England and help defend the club’s Super Bowl title, his track record suggests he’s unlikely to take a sizable discount to re-sign. Whether or not he and the Pats can find common ground on a deal that appeases both sides will be one of the top stories to watch as the free agent period approaches. The team has until March 10 to make its decision.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets To Target Revis Over Cromartie

February 10th, 2015 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

While Darrelle Revis is technically under contract for 2015, his $20MM base salary and $25MM cap number actually make him more likely to hit the open market than some notable prospective free agents. Players like Justin Houston and Dez Bryant don’t have contracts for 2015 yet, but their respective teams can use the franchise tag to keep them around. The franchise tag isn’t in play for the Patriots and Revis — if the team can’t come to an agreement on an extension with the cornerback and doesn’t want to pick up his pricey option, he’ll be cut.

If the Pats do release Revis, the former Jets cornerback will be a top priority on New York’s list of free agent targets. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), as much as Antonio Cromartie would like to return to the Jets, he will be a “distant second” to Revis as the team considers its free agent options at cornerback.

Of course, Cromartie could move up to that No. 1 spot on the Jets’ list of free agent corners if the Pats manage to work something out with Revis prior to March 10. There are other noteworthy cornerbacks eligible for free agency this winter, such as Byron Maxwell, Brandon Flowers, and Kareem Jackson, but none of those players looks like as ideal a fit as Cromartie for the Jets. Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson told ESPN.com recently that all his teammate talks about is “freaking New York,” where former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is now the head coach.

As Cole explains, Cromartie recognizes that, coming off a strong season in Arizona and having turned 30 last April, this may be his last, best shot at a big, long-term contract. So if the Jets decide to sign Revis to that sort of deal, Cromartie may turn elsewhere. If Revis returns to New England though, the Jets – armed with a ton of cap space and a need at CB – may be a perfect match for a player looking to return to New York and sign one more lucrative contract.

Patriots To Start Work On Revis Extension

February 6th, 2015 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

While there’s been a little buzz lately suggesting that the Patriots could pick up their second-year option on cornerback Darrelle Revis, that has always been a long shot, given its size ($20MM salary, $25MM cap hit). Today, team president Jonathan Kraft essentially acknowledged as much, suggesting during an appearance on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan that the Pats’ priority is to work out a longer-term deal with the star corner.

“People understand that [the option]’s a placeholder and we’ll get to work on trying to make [an extension] happen,” Kraft said in the interview, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. For his part, the Pats president has nothing but praise for Revis.

“He’s been everything and more since he’s been here,” Kraft told WEEI. “Patriots fans knew what he was like on the field, but didn’t know what he was like off it. Having worn green all those years and the blind emotion we all have toward the Jets, you have one perception of the man. And the man is very different than that. He’s a great guy and he works hard. There is no over-ego to him and he’s a great teammate. He’s been a real pleasure to have him as part of the organization.”

The Pats will have a little more than four weeks to exclusively negotiate with Revis, and it appears that the team will do everything it can to extend his contract before free agency begins. If New England chooses not to pick up that second-year option on the 29-year-old, the franchise tag won’t be in play, due to the way the contract is structured. The club will have to make its decision on Revis by March 9, so if no deal is reached by that point, the corner could hit free agency on March 10 along with the rest of this year’s class.

Recent reports have indicated that the division-rival Bills and Jets will be among Revis’ top suitors if he makes it to the open market.

East Notes: Revis, Jets, McCoy

February 5th, 2015 at 8:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

It’s long been assumed that the Patriots would not pick up Darrelle Revis‘ 2015 option as it would mean carrying the cornerback’s $25MM cap charge next season. However, the idea of New England exercising the option has been gaining traction, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) passes along how the contract’s guarantees would be structured. Per Corry, Revis would be entitled to a $12MM roster bonus on the first day of the 2015 league year. The bonus would be paid in four $3MM installments, with payments coming on March 31, October 31, December 31, and March 31 of 2016.

Here’s more from the league’s east divisions:

  • As PFR’s Zach Links wrote in his evaluation of the Jets’ offseason, Gang Green could look to release Percy Harvin and/or Chris Johnson to create cap space. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com agrees, and adds that linebacker Calvin Pace and defensive lineman Jason Babin could also be on the chopping block.
  • Christopher Price of WEEI.com offers his free agent forecast for the Patriots, noting that both Devin McCourty and Stephen Gostkowski are legitimate candidates for the franchise tag.
  • Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com looks at the state of the Eagles‘ running back corps going into the offseason. It’s a diverse and talented group, but the team will have to decide what, if anything, should be done with LeSean McCoy. Although McCoy was not the electrifying playmaker in 2014 that he was in 2013, he still had a very productive season, with 1,319 rushing yards and a 4.2 YPC average. However, his $11.95MM cap hit has left some wondering if Philadelphia would be better off cutting him. Kapadia, though, believes McCoy is not going anywhere, though the Eagles could approach him with a restructure proposal and may select a running back in the middle rounds of the draft.
  • Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com look at how Washington might approach their safety positions, which seem to be in a constant state of flux, this offseason. Although the team has often tried to bring in cheap veteran free agents without much success in the past, both writers believe Washington has no other choice but to open the checkbook again. Tandler suggests Kendrick Lewis as a possible target for free safety, while advocating for Phillip Thomas to be given the strong safety job. El-Bashir, though, thinks the team must fill both positions in free agency and expresses no confidence in Thomas.
  • Liz Clarke of the Washington Post examines the value of Brian Orakpo, who was Washington‘s highest-paid player in 2014, as he hits free agency.

Zach Links and Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Cole’s Latest: Browns, Draft, Revis, Wilfork

February 3rd, 2015 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

As free agency and the draft inch closer, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report figures to be busy, providing the latest buzz from around the NFL. Today, he has posted two videos passing along the whispers he’s hearing regarding the Browns’ plans at quarterback and what lies ahead for two key Patriots defenders. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

  • Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported yesterday that the Browns are optimistic that Johnny Manziel, currently in rehab, will be ready to go for training camp, and don’t plan to walk away from the young quarterback. Still, according to Cole, it sounds as if the team is mulling the possibility of trying to trade up for one of the top two signal-callers in this spring’s draft. Cole reports that Cleveland prefers Marcus Mariota to Jameis Winston, and may be well-positioned to make a move, since no other team has two 2015 first-round picks to dangle in an offer.
  • Cole echoes a weekend report from Adam Schefter, indicating that the Jets and Bills will have interest in Darrelle Revis if he reaches the open market. According to Cole, the Jets will be a “major player,” particularly since Revis loves New York and would seriously consider a reunion with the team. Before Revis hits free agency though, the Patriots will likely try to work out a long-term agreement, and Cole says the cornerback will take a couple weeks to decide whether or not he wants to continue going year to year as he approaches age 30. Of course, the Pats could also simply pick up Revis’ 2015 option, but that would result in a $25MM cap hit.
  • Vince Wilfork‘s cap number for 2015 jumps up to nearly $9MM, and the Patriots could save most of that total by cutting him this offseason, as Cole observes. Given Wilfork’s shaky performance down the stretch (he recorded a -6.0 grade in the postseason, per Pro Football Focus) and New England’s tendency to cut ties with longtime contributors when they’re no longer providing value, that doesn’t necessarily bode well for the big defensive lineman. However, Cole says Wilfork likes the idea of going out on top, so it’s possible he’ll decide to retire.

East Notes: Revis, Washington, Butler, Jets

February 3rd, 2015 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

Cornerback Darrelle Revis technically remains under contract with the Patriots for a second season for now, but with a $25MM cap hit looming, it seems awfully unlikely that the star corner will actually play out the second year of that deal, despite recent reports that suggest the Pats will consider picking up the option. If Revis were to become a free agent, he’d be one of the most coveted players on the market, but would he be the top defender available? Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press asked seven current or former players whether they’d prefer to sign Revis or Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and Suh narrowly edged Revis, by a 4-3 margin.

Here’s more from around the league’s two East divisions:

  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com and John Keim of ESPN.com each take a look at Washington‘s offseason today, with Tandler delving into GM Scot McCloughan‘s potential approach to free agency, while Keim identifies a few players who could become cap casualties this winter.
  • In addition to saving the Super Bowl with his last-minute interception on Sunday, Patriots defensive back Malcolm Butler practically saved Derek Simpson’s career as an agent as well, writes Natalie Pierre of AL.com. As Pierre explains, Butler was Simpson’s only client in three years to sign an NFL contract and stick on a 53-man roster, saving the agent from having to restart the certification process.
  • Former Jets tight ends coach Steve Hagen has shifted to assistant special teams coach on Todd Bowles‘ staff, a source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link).
  • ESPN.com’s Todd Archer examines how a possible lucrative contract extension for Marshawn Lynch could affect the stock of Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray this offseason.

East Notes: Kraft, Revis, Cowboys

February 1st, 2015 at 10:55am CST by Rory Parks

As the Patriots prepare to represent the AFC East in the Super Bowl tonight, let’s take a look at some notes regarding the Pats, their division rivals, and a few items from the NFC East:

  • Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that the league’s handling of “Deflategate” has thawed the relationship between Roger Goodell and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who has been one of the commissioner’s biggest supporters and who publicly backed Goodell during the Ray Rice fiasco. Reiss notes that, if Goodell were to lose Kraft’s support, his hold on the commissioner’s job could become a bit more tenuous.
  • ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Patriots star corner Darrelle Revis will be courted not only by his current team this offseason–after New England inevitably declines his 2015 option–but he expects the Bills and Jets to be in on Revis as well. Joel Corry tweets that Revis will have a great deal of leverage, as the Patriots cannot put the franchise tag on him if they decline the 2015 option.
  • Jets owner Woody Johnson received the Steinberg DeNicola Humanitarian Award on Saturday, and before receiving the award, he provided a few clues to his team’s offseason plans. In response to criticism he received earlier this week, when he announced that the Jets would be aggressive in free agency, Johnson stated that although he was not afraid to spend money on free agents, he would not waste money. He specifically mentioned cornerback and strong safety as positions that could be addressed in the free agent market, and he also touched on a possible extension for Muhammad Wilkerson and the team’s quarterback situation (article via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
  • If Washington is to become competitive again in the NFC East, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com says new GM Scot McCloughan must move away from the team’s historic reliance on big-ticket free agents.
  • After hearing that the Seahawks have offered Marshawn Lynch a lucrative extension, Joel Corry tweets that the Cowboys will have to substantially increase their offer to DeMarco Murray if they are serious about keeping him.
  • Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News looked at the Cowboys linebacker situation in 2015, both with and without impending free agent Rolando McClain. Fortunately for Dallas, Anthony Hitchens showed that he can play any of the linebacker spots in his rookie season. If McClain comes back, he’ll play in the middle and Sean Lee will be on the weakside. If McClain doesn’t come back, Machota thinks it will be Lee in the middle with Justin Durant/Hitchens on the weakside.
  • More from Machota, who writes that he’d be surprised if Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley, a restricted free agent, gets plucked away by another team. Linebacker Bruce Carter, however, is a different story. Carter has freakish athleticism and he was a projected first round choice in 2011. There could be teams out there that believe they can better utilize his abilities than Dallas has, perhaps by making him an inside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

Zach Links contributed to this post

 

AFC East Notes: Revis, Pats, Cromartie, Jets

January 28th, 2015 at 9:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Darrelle Revis has had a heck of a year with the Patriots, and it took a strange set of circumstances to bring it all together. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com lays out the entire story, including how Darrelle Revis found clarity on a Vespa scooter. “I just wanted something to get away and clear my mind and do something else to keep me busy instead of having stress or pressure on me,” Revis said. “So that’s how I spent my days. And I think that’s how we always handle my situations. When I was a rookie and had to hold out I was on the beach with (agent) Jonathan (Feinsod) in the Hamptons. And this is how we always approach it: Just get your mind off of it so it doesn’t drive you crazy.” Before you dive into La Canfora’s entertaining and informative read, check out the latest from the AFC East..

  • Free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie told Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via SiriusXM NFL Radio on Twitter) that “the door is open” for a return to the Jets. The veteran added that he still has a home in the New Jersey area. Cromartie appeared to struggle during the end of his Jets tenure but it’s possible that the new regime will have faith in what he can do.
  • James Walker of ESPN.com profiled pending Dolphins free agent Samson Satele. Satele, who started all 16 games at center for Miami, was a solid late signing following Mike Pouncey‘s hip surgery. However, Satele will be an unrestricted free agent in March and doesn’t appear to be a fit with Pouncey going back to center. Even if his future isn’t in Miami, Satele figures to be a solid center for someone in 2015.
  • Revis bet on himself with Patriots and it could pay off with a fat new contract after the Super Bowl, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes.
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