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Darrelle Revis

AFC Notes: Harrison, Jets, Revis, Petty, Bills

August 19th, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Forget the Olympics or the first presidential debate – could the NFL’s interview with Steelers linebacker James Harrison be the must-watch event of the year? If Harrison has his way, his interview with league investigators over PED claims will be live on TV for all to see.

“If it leads to the hands of that crook, I mean Roger Goodell, he can do whatever he wants,” Harrison said (via Sports Illustrated). “Whatever evidence they might have or reasoning for questioning for me is out of my control, I don’t know. I wouldn’t have a problem with it being filmed live. I’ve been prosecuted and persecuted publicly in the media by them for something I didn’t do, so I don’t see why we couldn’t have the media there and do a live interview.”

More from the AFC:

  • Cornerback Darrelle Revis returned to the Jets prior to the 2015 season because he had unfinished business, he told Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. “I start getting emotional when I talk about it because I’ve been through so much with this organization,” Revis said. “It’s a part of my life. I appreciate even being drafted here in 2007. The Jets gave me a chance, moved up to draft me, took a chance on me. It’s definitely personal to me when it comes to the New York Jets. I’m a Jet for life. That’s the reason I wanted to come back. And Woody [Johnson, the Jets’ owner] gave the green light.” Of course, it didn’t hurt that the Jets were offering the best deal of anyone by far. Revis inked a five-year contract worth $70MM, including $39MM guaranteed.
  • Bryce Petty has gotten a noticeable bump in reps this week and has at times worked as the Jets‘ second quarterback in team drills, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. Costello wonders if Petty could show coaches enough in the next couple of weeks to earn a roster spot and displace Geno Smith.
  • Before signing with the Texans on Tuesday, veteran defensive end Alex Carrington worked out for the Colts and Browns, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • Is Dez Lewis in danger of not making the Bills‘ 53-man roster? A couple of months ago, Lewis seemed like a lock for the club as he played well with the first-team offense. Now, however, Lewis is dropping passes, including during practice Thursday. The 23-year-old Lewis is a fast and big-bodied (6-4, 212 pounds) target, but the Bills might be thinking twice about keeping him, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW writes.
  • In other AFC news, Jaguars owner Shad Khan revealed Friday that the club isn’t considering signing free agent defensive end Greg Hardy.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Gronk, Revis

August 5th, 2016 at 9:41am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots star Rob Gronkowski wants a new deal, but he’s nowhere close to the point where the team would be obligated to give him an extension. What should the Pats do in order to keep their star tight end happy? Joel Corry of CBSSports.com suggests a compromise in which the Patriots would give Gronk $3-$5MM as an additional roster bonus on the first day of the 2017 league year, since they can afford to absorb a salary increase next year. The team could also include incentives for Gronk if he finishes in the top three among tight ends in key categories and/or add two years to his deal so that it runs through the 2021 season. On the flipside, the Patriots know that they would be setting a dangerous precedent going forward.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • From a fiscal standpoint, Darrelle Revis‘ five-year, $70MM deal ($39MM fully guaranteed) doesn’t seem like a great deal for the Jets at this juncture. As Revis ages, many have speculated that the Jets could try to shift him to safety, though he has rejected that idea in the past. This week, however, the veteran acknowledged that a position switch could be in the cards for him down the line. “There will probably be conversations in the future about maybe moving my position to safety,” Revis conceded Thursday, according to Connor Hughes of NJ.com. “But as of right now, I still feel I can play at a high level, and play the cornerback position at a high level.”
  • Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan is many steps away from seeing the field, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald writes. Putting substance abuse issues aside, Jordan has been away from the game for more than a year and is looking to return from knee surgery. Also, despite boasts about his conditioning, Salguero says that he doesn’t look to be in especially great shape when looking at him. Because he has so far to go and because the team has many other options at DE, Salguero wouldn’t be surprised to see the team keep him on the NFI list or move him to the regular season PUP list to give him extra time.
  • On Thursday, we learned that the Bills and quarterback Tyrod Taylor are discussing a two-year deal as opposed to the type of long-term pact that the QB was initially seeking.

AFC East Notes: Revis, Pats, Bills

May 19th, 2016 at 6:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis has fired agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. The Schwartz and Feinsod duo had many clashes with the Jets regarding Revis during their tenure representing him – including one that featured ex-head coach Rex Ryan shouting at the two during an episode of “Hard Knocks” amid the cornerback’s 2010 holdout – as Costello notes. Revis ultimately agreed to a four-year, $32MM deal to end his holdout that summer, and the seven-time Pro Bowler has collected a total of $101MM during his career with the help of his two ex-agents. Revis, 30, has four years remaining on the five-year, $70MM pact he inked with the Jets in 2015. That contract is second in overall value among cornerbacks, though it was first until Josh Norman‘s recent $75MM deal with Washington, and paces all corners in guarantees ($39MM).

More from the AFC East:

  • With Tom Brady currently scheduled to miss the first four games of the season because of a suspension, the division is “up for grabs,” Jets wide receiver Eric Decker told NFL Network (via Christopher Price of WEEI). Decker’s Jets knocked off the Brady-led Patriots in one of two matchups last season, though New England took the division title at 12-4. The Jets finished a solid 10-6, but with Ryan Fitzpatrick still unsigned, their own quarterback situation isn’t sorted out.
  • There are questions regarding how competent the Bills’ medical and scouting staffs are in the wake of first-round pick Shaq Lawson‘s need for right shoulder surgery, according to The Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci. Lawson’s shoulder issues were known coming into the draft, but that didn’t stop the Bills from taking the outside linebacker 19th overall or allowing him to partake in their three-day rookie minicamp, when Lawson aggravated his shoulder. The Bills were so desperate to land a potential impact defender in the first round that they may have overlooked Lawson’s health concerns, implies Carucci, who adds that the Bills’ other Lawson – Manny Lawson – doesn’t have the pass-rushing ability to adequately replace the rookie during what should be a several-game absence.
  • In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Manish Mehta of the Daily News whether the drafting of Christian Hackenberg makes re-signing Fitzpatrick even more important. While having Fitzpatrick as a mentor for the Penn State product would be nice, Mehta writes that his guidance is pretty low on the priority list for reasons the Jets should re-sign the veteran. When asked to predict the Jets’ record sans Fitzpatrick, Mehta said he envisions a 9-7 season with no playoffs.
  • With Shaq Lawson down, the Bills are hosting free agent linebacker Jamari Lattimore on a visit, the team announced (via Twitter). Lattimore is more of an insider ‘backer, however, than a replacement for Lawson. The 27-year-old spent the first four seasons of his career in Green Bay before joining the Jets in 2015. He appeared in 15 games for Gang Green and totaled 13 tackles. Lattimore has 64 appearances and nine starts on his NFL résumé.
  • As previously reported, Lattimore isn’t the only player visiting the Bills on Thursday. Free agent receiver Andre Roberts is also meeting with the team.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Sunday Roundup: Hunt, Revis, Lions, Chargers

January 31st, 2016 at 12:59pm CST by Rory Parks

Eagles senior director of player personnel Tom Donahoe is expected to meet with Steelers pro personnel coordinator Brandon Hunt again today to discuss Philadelphia’s director of player personnel position, according to Geoff Mosher of 975TheFanatic (via Twitter). Mosher adds that Hunt is not high enough on the scouting chain to hold a vice president position like the one Tom Cable held before he was fired at the end of 2014, and the Eagles are still looking for someone with more experience than the 35-year-old Hunt. Per Mosher, the Eagles would prefer someone like Steelers director of football administration Omar Khan, but Mosher does not expect Pittsburgh to allow Khan to interview (all links to Twitter).

Now let’s take a look at some more links from around the league:

  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com observes that the Jets could buy themselves some much-needed salary cap relief in 2016 if they were to rework Darrelle Revis‘ contract–and Revis would be open to it–but such a move could really handicap the team in the latter years of Revis’ deal. The Jets can create cap room in other ways–they could release Antonio Cromartie and ask D’Brickashaw Ferguson to take a pay cut, for instance–and they should pursue those options before approaching Revis about a restructure.
  • The Patriots have legitimate interest in Kansas State’s Glenn Gronkowski, Rob Gronkowski‘s younger brother, according to Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). “Little Gronkowski” practiced at tight end, fullback and H-back this week in preparation for yesterday’s Senior Bowl, and he could be a fit as the Patriots’ second tight end.
  • Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com looks at the to-do list for new Lions GM Bob Quinn, which will include important decisions on extensions for certain members of the team’s impressive 2013 draft class. That class included Ziggy Ansah, Darius Slay, Sam Martin, and Theo Riddick.
  • Now that the Chargers know where they will be playing their home games in 2016, the conversations regarding the team can return, at least to some degree, to football, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Gehlken takes a brief look at what the future will hold for the team’s 23 free agents and potential cap casualties.
  • Texans linebacker Jadeveon Clowney will not need foot surgery this offseason, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Clowney finished the 2015 season with 4.5 sacks and 40 tackles with one forced fumble, but he was limited to 13 games and nine starts due to injuries. He missed the team’s playoff contest this year with a sprained foot.

 

Woody Johnson Talks 2015 Season, Bowles, Revis

January 30th, 2016 at 8:43am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets finished 2015 with 10 wins, making it the organization’s most successful season since 2010. Still, there was some disappointment surrounding the team after they blew a chance to make the playoffs in the season finale.

Owner Woody Johnson still hasn’t gotten over that loss, which was clear in his talk with Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. The whole interview is worth checking out, but we’ve grabbed some of the notable quotes below…

On the team’s season-ending loss to the Bills:

“When you lose a game of football, it’s never pleasant, I can tell you that. It’s a hard thing to live through. I wish we had completed a few more passes, or we could have won that easily.”

“Those things stay for a long time. Kind of indelible ink. But you’ve got to move on. Move forward, and learn from what happened in that game.”

On whether he was satisfied with his team’s 2015 performance:

“I don’t think as an owner you can ever be satisfied until you do win the Super Bowl. We haven’t had one for now, (let’s see) this is Super Bowl 50, that was Super Bowl III, so it’s been a while. Until we get there, we’re going to work as hard as we can.”

On Todd Bowles’ and Mike Maccagnan’s first seasons in New York:

“So far, so good…I like them. This is a refreshing start. The 10 (wins). We were in every game. Rebuilt the way we had to.”

On the offseason addition of Darrelle Revis:

“It’s always great to have somebody, a Hall of Famer-type player like Darrelle. So we’re very happy to have him. Both on the field and off the field, the leadership and the way he plays and just his presence for us.

“He played pretty well last year. He’s 1 or 2 in the league.”

Breer’s Latest: Panthers, Revis, Mexico City

October 23rd, 2015 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest piece for NFL.com, Albert Breer of the NFL Network examines the relationship between head coach Ron Rivera and GM Dave Gettleman, who have steered the perennially underrated Panthers to a 5-0 record early in the 2015 season. Praising the job Gettleman has done with the roster, Rivera tells Breer that he believes good things are ahead for the club.

“I think we’re gonna continue to grow,” Rivera said. “We have to keep looking to get better, and we have to keep managing the cap, because it’s set up so you lose guys you don’t want to lose, and that’s hard. Josh Norman is [a free agent] next year, and we’ll hopefully find a way to keep him. You don’t want to lose good players, and that’ll be hard on Dave and his guys. That’s the hard part.”

Here are a few more highlights from Breer’s column:

  • Back in March, cornerback Darrelle Revis was “very amenable” to the idea of staying with the Patriots, according to Breer, who adds that the Jets and Pats were far and away Revis’ top two choices. However, since New England’s offer wasn’t close to New York’s, the star corner returned to the Jets.
  • When the Patriots first signed Revis in 2014, the team wanted a second year for cap purposes, and Revis’ camp asked for a roster bonus in year two. According to Breer, New England countered by including an option bonus, which served a similar purpose and put the club in line to take home a compensatory pick – likely a third-rounder – in 2016.
  • An NFL contingent is schedule to travel to Mexico City at the start of November to determine if a regular season can be played there, and – if so – how soon. “It’d be fantastic if we could do it next year,” said Mark Waller, the NFL’s executive vice president of international. There are still a few issues to work through though, including the technical infrastructure and broadcast accommodations at Azteca Stadium.
  • Addressing the Robert Griffin III situation in Washington, Breer reiterates that the team would be risking guaranteeing RGIII’s 2016 salary if he plays this season, since that money is currently guaranteed for injury only. While Breer doesn’t explicitly say it, the Griffin situation may be a case study for future teams as they consider whether or not to exercise fifth-year option on borderline players — declining those options would allow clubs to deploy those fourth-year players without worrying about a major injury that would lock in that fifth-year salary.

AFC Notes: S. Smith, McClain, Revis, Manziel

October 21st, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Zachary Links

There has been speculation the Ravens might try to talk wide receiver Steve Smith out of his plan to retire after the season or that Smith will change his mind. However, the veteran says that nothing has changed. “I’m on schedule for what I discussed earlier in the year,” the wide receiver said, according to Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com.

Here’s more from the AFC..

  • If Smith is still retiring, the Ravens should trade him to a contender, Mike Florio of PFT opines. The Ravens are at 1-5 and, for all intents and purposes, they’re probably done in 2015. Florio suggests that the Packers would be a great fit for a savvy veteran like Smith.
  • Free agent cornerback Robert McClain has worked out or visited eight teams since being cut on September 5th, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran’s latest visit was to the Steelers on Wednesday, per Yates. McClain’s recent visits have also included the Bears and Saints.
  • Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis told reporters, including Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter), that he never expected to return to the Patriots this past offseason. “No, the number was too high,” the corner said.
  • Johnny Manziel should be on paid leave from the Browns for his recent altercation with his girlfriend, Christine Brennan of USA Today Sports writes. Manziel’s girlfriend declined to press charges over the matter and the all of the facts are still unknown, but Brennan feels that the former Texas A&M star should be sidelined until everything comes to light.
  • On the Quick Slants podcast, CSNNE’s Tom E. Curran, Phil Perry, and Adam Hart discussed the Patriots secondary and the possibility of making an addition via trade.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Mingo, Revis, Brady

October 15th, 2015 at 8:09pm CST by Luke Adams

In a mailbag this week, a reader asked Troy Renck of The Denver Post whether the Broncos should consider benching Peyton Manning in favor of backup Brock Osweiler. Manning is off to a rough start in 2015 and the concerns about him are understandable, but Renck says it’s not time to panic, especially with Denver at 5-0.

Manning, 39, had another excellent season for the Broncos in 2014, putting up 4,727 passing yards to go along with 39 touchdown passes. However, he was hampered by injuries late in the season and struggled down the stretch, particularly in the team’s divisional playoff loss to the Colts, in which he totaled just 211 passing yards on 46 attempts.

This offseason, Manning agreed to a contract restructuring that included a no-trade clause. However, in theory, Denver would be free to deal the future Hall of Famer after the season.

Here’s more from across the AFC:

  • Jeff Guerriero, the agent for Browns linebacker Barkevious Mingo, expressed some unhappiness with his client’s playing time, telling Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links) that Mingo “is an impact player and needs to be on the field.” According to Cabot, Guerriero wouldn’t say whether or not he’d ask the Browns to trade Mingo — if he and his client want a deal, they’ll have a couple more weeks to make that request, with the trade deadline coming up on November 3.
  • In an interview scheduled to air this weekend, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis spoke to 60 Minutes about the fact that he has signed five contracts in seven years, suggesting that the best players should be willing to take some risk to maximize their value (Twitter links via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
  • Jimmy Smith joked about it, but cornerback Shareece Wright says that he actually chose to sign with the Ravens, in part, for chance to be reunited with his good friend, Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun writes. The opportunity to play with Smith “played a big role” in him choosing Baltimore, but not the only one. “We always talked about if we had the opportunity to play on the same team, and be playing corner on the same team one day like we did in high school, it’d be a blessing,” Wright said.
  • In a sitdown with The Associated Press, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was asked about how much longer he sees himself playing. “I’ve got a lot of football left,” the 38-year-old said. “Football is a contact sport and there’s a lot that goes into it. But I have committed myself for a long time to doing it, and because I love doing it so much I want to make that commitment.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

East Notes: Revis, Kromer, Cofield, Giants

July 22nd, 2015 at 10:25am CST by Zachary Links

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis told Sports Illustrated that he considered retirement in 2012 after undergoing microfracture surgery on his knee (partial transcript via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com).

“I did think about retiring,” Revis told SI. “I had never been seriously injured before, and I didn’t know how to handle it.”

Revis’ surgery was previously believed to be reconstructive surgery, but a microfracture procedure is more complicated and requires a longer recovery time. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..

  • New Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman had actually pegged Chris Foerster as his first choice to coach the offensive line, a league source told Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. Instead, the Bills ended up with Aaron Kromer, who could be on his way out after his offseason incident.
  • Defensive tackle Barry Cofield remains unsigned but he told SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link) that he’s healthy and just waiting for a call. Cofield, 31, suffered his first major injury in 2014, as he missed about half the season for Washington after an ankle injury forced him onto the injured reserve list with the designation to return. While the veteran lineman returned to action in November, he only started three of eight games for the season, marking the first time since 2007 that he appeared in a game he didn’t start.
  • The Giants‘ offense could put up major points with Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, and free agent addition Shane Vereen, but the club’s former offensive coordinator isn’t sure that enough has been done to address the team’s offensive line woes, as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes. “The tragedy of that is they’ve made some strides over the last couple years to address that issue,’’ Kevin Gilbride told NFL Network. “The problem is it all went astray when William Beatty got injured in the offseason.’’

Jets Fined $100K For Revis Tampering

April 28th, 2015 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Jets have been fined $100K for tampering in regard to Darrelle Revis, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. According to Mehta, no further penalties are expected to be handed down in the Revis case — so the Jets won’t lose a draft pick, and the Patriots won’t face any discipline.

The outcome of the Revis case isn’t surprising. Jets owner Woody Johnson discussed his team’s interest in Revis while the cornerback was still under contract with the Patriots, which is essentially the definition of tampering. The tampering charge subsequently filed by the Jets against the Pats came after the Pro Bowler signed with New York, and New England owner Robert Kraft was asked about losing him — Kraft was far from the only NFL owner or executive to discuss a player who left his team this offseason.

According to Mehta (via Twitter), at least one other team will be penalized for tampering this offseason. While Mehta’s source doesn’t identify the club in question, I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s the Dolphins, who reportedly agreed to terms with top free agent Ndamukong Suh several days before teams were permitted to reach agreements – or even to discuss terms – with outside free agents. Many teams were likely guilty of this sort of rules violation, so Miami won’t necessarily be the one fined for it, but I could see the league making an example out of the most prominent case.

Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) first reported this morning that resolution on the Revis tampering case was expected before Thursday’s draft.

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