He's said it time and time before that he DOES NOT want to get traded, that would be a last minute resort if this Revis thing gets crazier He will report to TC, or he'll lose 20 mil but we already know that, so what's the positives of him not playing in the season, it would show that he's all about the money and not about the team, no team is willing to pay a 16 mil a year contract for a player that doesn't put the team first, let alone an elite corner There is no benefits for Revis sitting out during the season
Sure it is - it would mean that he would still have absolutely no leverage for 3 more seasons. It would be monumentally stupid on his part to not show up by August 10th.
Thanks. I didn't realize this and should amend my statements above. So if he were to hold out past August 10, then, as far as I can tell: (1) He's under contract for 2011 and 2012 at some unknown number below (and reportedly well below) the 5 and 15 million guaranteed the Jet would have to buy his contract back at; (2) His status is 2013 is unclear (he might lose service time for 2010 but some new CBA would determine if the five years of services in 2007-2009, 2011 and 2012 seasons gave him enough time to be a restricted free agent or something else) (3) depending on the new CBA he may or may not be able to do some kind of holdout in 2011 and 2012 and get service time
How can his refusal to be on the field not be leverage? His talent as a player is what makes him valuable in the first place. THe willingness to take that value away is all the leverage he needs.
It would be a risk but I'm not sure it would be monumentally stupid. The question is whether a guaranteed 21 million over three years plus whatever extension or free agent contract he signs down the road on top of that exceeds whatever contract he'd be able to get now. His value as a player is sky high right now, the Jets are built to win this year, the Jets really, really want a good year to sell PSLs, etc. before they run into a hold out or salary cap hell. Furthermore, if he does hold out past August 10, he doesn't appear to have any incentive to play at all this season beyond making his $1 million salary, which is a pretty paltry amount for an NFL starter. How good will his leverage look if he's holding out and the Jets are 1-3? EDIT: One point is that while the 15 million guaranty in 2012 is a pretty big number, the 2010-2012 numbers of $21 million total, or $7 million a year, and the 2011-2012 guaranty of $20 million or $10 million a year, are both probably below what his free market value would otherwise be. If he can force a new contract through a hold out, he should be able to get as much as he's risking.
By that argument every player could refuse to play, since then the team would have to play without them. That's just not the way professional sports works - if a player refuses to play the team goes on without him. If Revis shows up by August 10, whether it's quietly or full of complaints, he keeps all of his options open; if he doesn't, he gives the Jets the option of doing nothing and forcing Revis to either sign a contract they like, be tied to them for another 3 years, or be unable to play during his prime years. The leverage is clearly all on the team's side.
That's only assuming all players are of equal talent. Revis was the best corner in the league last season and by all indications he is ready to repeat this season. He is very talented, that is why he has a lot of leverage. If it was Drew Coleman, then yea, he'd be fucking retarded. No, that's how high school and college works. This is the NFL and Revis is a mutli-million dollar investment and the most important player for Rex Ryan's defense. This team cannot just move on without him.
If he doesn't play at all this season the $1 million would just apply to the next year - you don't get out of a contract by refusing to abide by its terms. And he's not forfeiting $21 million, he's forfeiting the amount the Jets are offering, which is a lot more than that. If the Jets are 1-3 they will merely trumpet over and over in the media the tens of millions of dollars that they are offering that he is refusing to accept. The fanbase will overwhelmingly turn against him, all over a few million dollars a year, most of which is not guaranteed anyway. He claims to be worried about getting injured without guaranteed money, but not playing does absolutely nothing about that, since he gets no closer to free agency - it only makes him look greedy and selfish. Look at how viciously LeBron James has been attacked for doing exactly what he had every right to do, just because of the way he did it. Revis would be doing what he doesn't have the right to do (if he was fulfilling the contract), and if as a result he cost the Jets a reasonable chance at a Super Bowl his name around here would be mud forever. How can that possibly be worth it?
There is no position on a football team other than a top QB that is irreplaceable. Would the team be as good without him? Of course not. Would they suddenly be horrible? Of course not. If Revis is not there someone else would become the most important player on the defense. When all is said and done, all that a cornerback can do is neutralize one player on any given play.
They can, every athlete in every sport has the option every year. But if your options are (a) sit on your ass, lose one year of earnings in your approximately ten year career, and depending on the contract risk having to pay back guaranties like Haynesworth was going to have to do, and face the risk that other teams won't want to sign you because you've been out of the league, or (b) play, get paid under your market value but make hundreds of thousands of dollars, risk injury, but build up your time towards free agency, generally speaking option B is the better choice. In Revis's cases there's such a huge disparity between his market value and what he's getting paid that option A may very well make sense for him. Now, Dwight Lowery could try and hold out but who'd give a shit? He'd probably end up out of the league in a year.
It is his leverage, but his career is shorter than the Jets' existence. Good though he is, he'll soon fade into forgotten history if he takes himself out of the limelight. If he is to assume that he will have a ten year career, a year's lockout is 10% of his earning capacity as well as any knock-on effect that a reputation as a troublemaker would get him. It's a very, very risky game for a player to play, even one as talented as Revis. Edit: post above says much the same, but better.
This sentence is essentially meaningless. Every player is going to have a shorter career than the team that drafted him will have an existence. It's a "what have you done for me lately" league, teams are interested in immediate results. That's why missing the best player on the team hurts them. Taking a year off in his prime isn't going to ruin his career. The post above said Dwight Lowery would be out of the league in a year.
It's also not the team's "career" that matters, it's the decision maker's. Would Johnson be understanding if Revis holds out and the Jets have a shitty season or would he hold Tannebaum and Ryan accountable? How about if Revis's hold out lasted into 2011? The Jets' management and coaching staff wants to maximize the value of their assets. Revis isn't helping you on the field if he's holding out so if Revis decides to play hardball you've got to decide if the value of being a tough negotiator on player contracts (which is valuable, no question about it) is worth receiving no short-term returns from a valuable asset.
Yeah, I realised I didn't express that very well. You know what I mean, though. No, but it's not good for it either. It burns bridges and stains reputations in a way that you'll never get back. Look how many hockey fans simply turned their back on the entire sport after the lockout. If people can do that with an entire sport, think how easy it would be to turn on a single player, no matter how talented. Yeah, and I totally accept the logic that says that Revis can make a better argument for sitting out a season than most, both financially and professionally. I just think it's an extreme behaviour which would do no-one any good, and he should think very long and hard before considering such action. Unlike many on TGG I don't know Darrelle personally, so I can't speak to how likely he'd be to do it.
Sure, but from Revis's perspective a hold-out doesn't hurt him that much. As a corner he's really going to have to count on his NFL salary for income; quarterbacks get all the endosement money. NFL teams don't really seem to hold selfishness (let alone selfishness in contractual matters) against a player when signing time comes around--like how much Marshall is getting paid. Because one injury can end an NFL career so quickly, particularly for a corner who's going to rely on speed and quickness, the clear goal for Revis is to get his giant second contract with a ton of guaranteed money as quickly as humanly possible, reputational consequences be damned.
It really won't matter to him what the fans think. He's not a big endorsement guy so his rep as a spokesman is not much of a consideration. If he sits out a season and leaves the Jets than he'll hear a little bit about how much of a bad teammate he is from the WWL until he starts helping his new team win. If he sits out and stays then he'll hear something about it from the WWL and the NY media until he helps the Jets become a top notch defense again. As long as he can play, he'll be loved because he is going to make a defense that much better. The jersey sales aren't a big enough loss to hurt him. :rofl::
