Darrelle Revis - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Links: Maclin, Dareus, Colts, Revis

March 28th, 2015 at 11:31am CST by Ben Levine

Part of Jeremy Maclin‘s decision to join the Chiefs was surely based on the five year, $55MM contract (including $22.5MM guaranteed) he received. However, the wideout insists the move had nothing to do with the value of the contract (via Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com):

“It wasn’t really about money. Obviously you want to get paid because of all the stuff that you do. But it wasn’t necessarily about who could pay me the most money.”

Meanwhile, Eagles coach Chip Kelly acknowledged that he wanted Maclin to return to Philadelphia:

“We didn’t think there was another receiver in that price range in free agency. We were trying to get Mac back. Felt we gave him a real competitive offer. Kansas City offered him a lot more than we did. We just weren’t going to go that high.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…

Marcell Dareus is in line for a big payday, and despite his previous issues off the field, Bills general manager Doug Whaley told ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak that the organization is comfortable with the defensive tackle’s maturation. “I think the maturity we saw this (past) year has us feeling that unless he has a relapse soon, that we’re pretty comfortable that he’s taking that step for him, as a professional, to be more professional,” Whaley said (via John Kryk of Canoe.ca). “He has taken those steps now.”
The Colts have made some notable moves this offseason, bringing in Frank Gore, Andre Johnson and Trent Cole. Still, as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star points out, the team has plenty of holes, including safety, defensive line and center. “It can’t be Christmas every day,” general manager Ryan Grigson said. “There’s not a forever, endless river of cash flowing. We have a plan. We followed it.”
Rodney Harrison knows a thing or two about elite defensive backs, and the two-time Super Bowl champion said the Patriots made the right move by not over-extending to keep Darrelle Revis. “Bill (Belichick), he’s not gonna sell the farm for Darrelle Revis,” Harrison said while appearing on NBC Sports Radio’s “Under Center with McNabb and Malone” (via Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com). “Darrelle, as good as he is, maybe in a year or two he won’t be quite the same player he was this past season for the New England Patriots. I believe that was the right move to make.”

Extra Points: Revis, Chargers, Colts, Giants

March 25th, 2015 at 9:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 2014 season, Darrelle Revis‘ lone campaign with the Patriots, was a hugely successful one for the 29-year-old. He took home his first Super Bowl ring in helping lead the Pats to a championship, also earning his sixth Pro Bowl invitation and fourth First-Team All-Pro selection, respectively. After New England declined Revis’ $20MM option for 2015 earlier this month, Revis returned to the Jets, with whom he spent 2007-12. It was believed the Pats made a strong effort to retain Revis long term, but the corner told a different story Wednesday to Michael Kay of ESPN Radio. According to Phil Perry of CSNNewEngland.com, Revis said New England’s offer “wasn’t in the ballpark” of the mega-deal to which the Jets ultimately signed him.

In a separate interview Wednesday, Revis listed the teams that pursued him to SiriusXM’s Adam Schein, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “(It) was the Packers, Steelers, Baltimore as well as Cleveland, the Chiefs, the Jets, and also the Pats, so there was a number of teams there,” said Revis.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune expects the Chargers to add another member to their backfield before the offseason is out. The team lost running back Ryan Mathews to free agency after only offering him a one-year deal, and is now looking for a replacement – one with a “physical, downhill” style – to join Danny Woodhead, Branden Oliver and Donald Brown. Per Gehlken, it’s unlikely they’ll swing a trade for the disgruntled Adrian Peterson, leaving the draft as the probable route. Gehlken speculates that Georgia’s Todd Gurley could be an option if the Chargers use the 17th overall pick on a runner.
Mike Wells of ESPN tweets that free agent running back Ahmad Bradshaw is unlikely to return to the Colts next season. Bradshaw was highly effective for Indianapolis the last two years, but he missed 19 of 32 regular-season games with various injuries. Further, the Colts signed Frank Gore earlier this month to anchor their backfield.
Head coach Tom Coughlin admitted this morning that safety is “definitely” an area of concern for the Giants, and identified Chykie Brown and Bennett Jackson as cornerbacks who may be able to switch positions, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. The Giants pursued a number of free agent safeties, including Devin McCourty, but missed out on their top targets, and don’t have many viable starting options still in play.

Owner/GM Quotes: Lions, Patriots, Colts, Seahawks

March 23rd, 2015 at 7:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The NFL’s owner meetings were held earlier today, giving the league’s various reporters an opportunity to talk to owners and general managers. We’ve compiled notable quotes regarding some of the offseason’s biggest moves, which you can find below…

Lions GM Martin Mayhew on his team’s outlook following Ndamukong Suh‘s departure (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press):

“I think anytime you lose a quality player like that, especially in the short term, that is to your detriment. I think in the long term, I think we’re going to be glad we don’t have that contract on our books. But in the short term, that’s an issue.”

“There’s a lot of different ways to give somebody $100 million, so a lot of times the structure comes into play, too, and all those things matter. But I know we have some quality players on our team that we probably couldn’t keep if we had that deal on our books.”

“I couldn’t say we misjudged anything about (the situation). I think every step throughout the process I think we made a rational, thoughtful decision to move forward and then I think it got to a point where economically in terms of building a sustainable quality football team it didn’t make sense. And at that point, we decided that we weren’t going to continue to offer more.”

Contract Details: Revis, Cromartie, Spiller

March 18th, 2015 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few notable details from some of the contracts signed by free agents within the last several days:

AFC deals:

Darrelle Revis, CB (Jets): Five years, $70MM base value. $39MM fully guaranteed. Options for 2018 and 2019 (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
Antonio Cromartie, CB (Jets): Four years, $32MM base value. Can be worth up to $35MM (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
Marcus Gilchrist, S (Jets): Four years, $22MM base value. $3.5MM fully guaranteed. $3.125MM cap number in 2015 (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
Tramon Williams, CB (Browns): Three years, $21MM base value. $10MM fully guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2MM roster bonus due this month (Twitter links via Wilson).
Scott Chandler, TE (Patriots): Two years, $5.3MM base value. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald).
Christian Ponder, QB (Raiders): One year, $2.25MM base value. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Bill Williamson of ESPN.com).

NFC deals:

C.J. Spiller, RB (Saints): Four years, $16MM. $7.3MM fully guaranteed. $2MM available in escalators. Voids after three years if Spiller makes it to two Pro Bowls (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Rashean Mathis, CB (Lions): Two years, $3.5MM base value. $750K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
Chykie Brown, S (Giants): Two years, $1.8MM base value. $200K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
Tyrunn Walker, DT (Lions): One year, $1.75MM base value. $550K signing bonus (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

King’s Latest: Peterson, Hardy, Winston

March 16th, 2015 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

After publishing a Wednesday Morning Quarterback last week to recap a crazy first day of NFL free agency, Peter King of TheMMQB.com returns to his usual Monday Morning Quarterback piece this week, and the latest installment includes several noteworthy tidbits from around the league. Let’s round up the highlights….

Addressing a report about the Cardinals‘ possible interest in Adrian Peterson, King cites a “reliable Cardinals source” who indicates Arizona hasn’t had any contact with the Vikings about Peterson. “There is no way we could live with those numbers,” the source said, referring to the three years and $45MM left on the running back’s contract. “We just got Larry Fitzgerald’s contract under control. No way we’d add that salary.”
One general manager tells King that Greg Hardy is on his club’s free agent list, “but pretty far down.” Many teams believe the veteran defensive end will be suspended by the league for the first six games of the 2015 season.
Jameis Winston isn’t currently planning to attend the 2015 NFL draft in Chicago, preferring to spend it with family and friends down south, says King.
King thinks a team like the Falcons or Buccaneers would be a nice fit for free agent pass rusher Dwight Freeney.
The Jets likely would have blown any rival offer for Darrelle Revis out of the water, so even if the Patriots had been willing to get into the neighborhood of New York’s five-year, $70MM proposal, the Jets probably would’ve just upped the ante.
The Cowboys started out at a $5MM-per-year price tag for DeMarco Murray, and were willing to stretch that to $6MM annually, but never considered matching the Eagles‘ final offer, which got up to $8MM+.

AFC East Notes: Johnson, Revis, Gachkar, Clay

March 15th, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Patriots have been targeting wide receiver Stevie Johnson since his release from the 49ers, and we learned yesterday that Johnson would be visiting the team on Monday. Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com believes that could be the last visit Johnson takes, saying the team “find a way to make sure he sticks around.”

“He is only 28-years-old, 6’2″ a little under 200 pounds, absolutely electric in getting off the line of scrimmage and making people miss,” said Curran. “What happened last year at San Francisco you wonder? That’s a horrible passing game. I talked to our collegue Matt Maiocco with CSN Bay Area, and he said the only guy that could be satisfied out there was Anquan Boldin.”

The AFC East got a lot stronger this offseason, with the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins all bringing big names onto their teams and look to be generally improved from 2014. The Patriots, on the other hand, actually lost their best defensive player in Darrelle Revis to their division rival Jets, who signed him to a five-year deal with $39MM in guaranteed money. The Patriots were not worried about the the guaranteed money, but did balk at a three-year contract with no outs for the team, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
Although linebacker Andrew Gachkar just signed with the Cowboys, he was very interested in the Patriots, who he visited with earlier during the free agency period, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN (via Twitter). However, family ties in Dallas helped him decide to join the Cowboys.
The Charles Clay saga wages on, as both the Bills and Dolphins seem intertwined with the versatile pass catcher’s future. However, no updates are imminent, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). The Dolphins are waiting for the Bills to give Clay an offer sheet.

Extra Points: Saints, Wilfork, Jets

March 13th, 2015 at 9:37pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Saints addressed their secondary in a big way Thursday when they signed free agent cornerback Brandon Browner, but another of the team’s corners seemingly faces a less certain future in New Orleans.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweeted Friday that the Saints are “actively shopping” Keenan Lewis, who voiced his displeasure with the team’s direction on social media earlier this week. Shortly after La Canfora’s tweet, though, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported (Twitter link) that the Saints are restructuring Lewis’ contract in an effort to appease the six-year veteran. Lewis has three years and $10.8MM in guarantees left on the five-year, $26.5MM deal he signed with the Saints in 2013. Lewis, 28, said Tuesday that the Saints should either guarantee all of the remaining three years or release him. However, he changed his tune Friday night. According to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (via Twitter), Lewis wrote on Instagram that “leaving was never an option.” We’ll see whether that proves true.

In other news:

Elsewhere on the Saints front, Woodbery writes that, despite its recent moves to open up spending room, the team is still in cap trouble. Woodbery speculates that the Saints will have to do something with 31-year-old guard Jahri Evans, which could mean restructuring his current deal, trading him or releasing him. Evans is signed for two more years at cap numbers of $11.2MM and $10MM, respectively.
Vince Wilfork‘s agent, Kennard McGuire, said Friday that the Texans have a “legitimate shot” to sign the free agent defensive lineman, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston. “One of the benefits from the organization’s standpoint is that of familiarity.” said McGuire. “Vince played with (linebackers coach Mike) Vrabel. He was coached by (head coach) Billy O (O’Brien) and Rac (defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel).” The 33-year-old Wilfork spent the first 11 seasons of his career in New England, with which he made five Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls. He’d further beef up a Texans defense that finished a solid 10th against the run last season. Wilfork is unlikely to join the Texans (or anyone else) imminently, however, as his agent said the player would “take his time” on choosing a team.
Multiple sources told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that the NFL is investigating the Jets for possibly tampering with free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis, whom they signed earlier this week. The negotiating period between teams and free agents opened last Saturday, and the league is taking the notion that the Jets may have had contact with Revis prior to then “incredibly seriously,” per Cole.

Jets Sign Darrelle Revis To Five-Year Deal

March 11th, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 9:12pm: The deal is official, the team announced on Twitter.

TUESDAY, 8:40pm: After becoming a free agent earlier today, cornerback Darrelle Revis will head from AFC East team to another, according to his representatives at Schwartz & Feinsod, who announced on Twitter that Revis will sign with the Jets.

The four-time first-team All-Pro cornerback will return to the team that drafted him on a five-year, $70MM deal that produces $39MM guaranteed, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported (Twitter link). Revis will make fully guaranteed sums of $16MM and $17MM, respectively, in the contract’s first two years, according to Mehta (via Twitter).

This accord’s total value matches Patrick Peterson‘s $70MM extension he signed last summer. While the the guarantees fall short of the $48MM the Cardinals standout corner received, Revis’ $39MM is fully guaranteed, while a good chunk of Peterson’s guarantee was for injury only.

This concludes another rapid free agency for Revis, whose 2015 option wasn’t renewed by the Patriots on Monday.

The Patriots, who sent their one-year mercenary at No. 1 receivers all year en route to their fourth Super Bowl title, opted not to plug Revis back in at a $25MM cap number for next season after signing him to what amounted to be a one-year deal last March. The move now leaves a massive void at cornerback for the Patriots after they also let No. 2 corner Brandon Browner test the market.

The Patriots, having chosen to lock up safety Devin McCourty long-term, got the sense earlier today they were going to lose Revis to their rival, and the elite corner parlayed his stint in Massachusetts into another megadeal. Revis signed a $96MM contract with the Buccaneers in 2012, but played in a system that didn’t utilize his lockdown man coverage as much. As a result, the Bucs were able to get out of that deal, which included annual $16MM base salaries and no dead money, after that one season and ultimately provide the Patriots with a unique weapon that they did use in the man looks in which he thrives.

Revis earned three of his All-Pro distinctions with the Jets from 2009-11, with the fourth coming last year in New England, and will now play for their new regime under Todd Bowles. Entering his age-31 season, Revis re-established his elite form after a torn ACL sustained in 2011 with Rex Ryan‘s Jets and will get a chance to help lift Gang Green back to prominence.

It marked a busy day for Bowles, the former Cardinals DC, and the Jets, after they added ex-Browns No. 2 corner Buster Skrine on a four-year, $25MM deal. That’s a significant investment on the Jets’ flanks. They have much more firepower now after having to start Darrin Walls and Marcus Williams for much of last year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Suh, Wilson, Revis

March 11th, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he’s confident that the Dolphins did not break any rules in the lead up to the Ndamukong Suh signing, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. The Dolphins appear to have struck an agreement with the defensive tackle during the “legal tampering” period, but the league specifically asked that handshake deals not go down during that time. Of course, other teams certainly exchanged figures prior to Tuesday, but Suh was one of the most prominent free agents available. More from around the NFL..

Seahawks GM John Schneider said the team has met with the agents for Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, though the reps for each player know Seahawks have other things to do, as well, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (Twitter links).
A year ago, the Raiders were willing to assume all of Darrelle Revis‘ existing contract with the Buccaneers but the cornerback’s camp convinced the team that he wouldn’t report, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
The Patriots dropped out of negotiations with Revis upon hearing he was seeking $16MM per year and $40MM guaranteed, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets.
The Chargers offered Andre Johnson more money than he got from the Colts, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweets. It’s not known how much San Diego offered, but the Colts got Johnson for $21MM over three years.
Tom Benson, principal owner of the Saints and the NBA’s Pelicans, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to remove all stock in the sports franchises from the trust funds that he set up for his daughter and grandchildren, Andy Grimm of The Times-Picayune writes.

East Rumors: Revis, Mariota, Washington

March 11th, 2015 at 11:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets had a significantly higher offer on the table for cornerback Darrelle Revis than the Patriots did, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Howe isn’t exactly sure of what the gap was, but the Pats apparently didn’t approach the five-year, $70MM pact that includes $39MM in guaranteed cash. Howe (link) was also told that the Patriots did not give Revis permission to explore his value from the competition before the official opening of free agency on Tuesday like they did with Browner. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..

John Clayton of ESPN.com (on Twitter) is convinced that Washington will take quarterback Marcus Mariota if he falls to No. 5 overall.
Sal Paolantonio of ESPN said on 97.5 The Fanatic that relative of Nick Foles relative said the quarterback is ecstatic to no longer be a member of the Eagles, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. “I just talked to a member of Nick Foles’ family. He is absolutely pumped, overjoyed he’s out of Philly,” Paolantonio said. Foles is now a member of the Rams following Tuesday’s trade.
New Washington defensive lineman Stephen Paea says the Lions, Broncos, and Buccaneers were also in the mix for his services, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes.
When asked if the Bills ever considered cutting running back Fred Jackson, GM Doug Whaley flatly said “no,” Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. Whaley also said that he does not have a framework of a deal with fullback Jerome Felton, Joe Buscaglia of WGR tweets.
Earlier today, we rounded up the latest on Cowboys free agent running back DeMarco Murray.