I can only go off the reports that are out there. I can speculate but I'd just be guessing. If I had to speculate, I'd say that the Jets said things knowing there's no way Revis would be back and that Revis is passed the point of being willing to play for the Jets, but the trade market wasn't there like they assumed. They've painted themselves into a corner. I think we both agree that the value we get in return for Revis isn't going to be near what people had hoped. If Revis starts the season with the Jets, the best case scenario for him is to not get traded and enter free agency with some games showing that he still has it. If Revis is still "recovering from injury" through the first two months of the season and plays half a season at his old level, he's going to crush free agency. I love Revis as a player and I think when he does play, he plays hard, but he hasn't been afraid to hold out and recovering slowly to prevent an in-season trade and then balling out to get his contract is the equivalent of holding out. Not even necessarily saying he would do that, but he's certainly not going to play if he's dinged up and risk injuring himself again.
So we're at the 8 game mark and Revis hasn't played yet. The Jets are 3-5 and effectively out of the race because they haven't yet found the QB of the future. What incentive is there at that point for them to put Darrelle Revis in the game? They've got a young CB playing opposite Antonio Cromartie and he's the future for them. He's cheap and he's getting the best experience a young CB can get, playing on the field through thick and thin in a low-pressure environment. I don't think the Jets put Darrelle Revis on the field if he's not ready to go by early in the season. I think they go with the other options to see what 2014 will have in store at the position for them. If they're in the race then they put Revis out there but if it's a rebuilding year as it looks to be I think they stay with the young guy if Revis wasn't ready to go at the bell. There's a lot at stake next season for the Jets and for Revis. I highly doubt either side plays fast and loose on this.
One very important thing that everyone is forgetting about Revis is that next year we have a shitload of cap space and could very well be able to hold our own in a bidding war.
The Jets are probably holding out for a really good deal for Revis. If he plays up to his normally high standards at the beginning of the season they can trade him for a good package. If not, then they can sign him for less money. He'll still probably be one of the best corners in the league.
if they Jets can't get what they want in a trade and are already on the hook for $13 million in cap hits with a trade it makes sense to try and sign him to a 5 year deal with a 6th year option. Their cap opens up big time next season, their defense will be young and athletic all over the field, and a solid defense gives the offense a year to develop. This year's cap should have no bearing on what they do with Revis. All they need to do now is show his agents that there isn't a hug market for their guy at his asking price.
Going to your point to Brad first, on the bolded part i don't think that is the equivalent. Putting aside playing stupid, which is a whole other thing, I don't think playing by "bailing out" is the equivalent of holding out. It is in fact much worse. Holding out is the player saying that he'd rather not play than get paid under his current contract. Faking it or holding back or anything like that is not equivalent. It is more like saying he wants to get paid but is not going to hold up his end. Back to the painting themselves in the corner comment. I think that might be correct, depending. It might be in a way that it wouldn't be if they had handled it differently. They could have said we will talk to Revis and try and reach a deal, but we are open AS WE ALWAYS ARE WITH EVERY PLAYER to trade talks with other teams. They could have directly denied the press reports that Woody wants him gone. Meaning as gone not in the sense they will review trade offers for anyone. But they want him gone. I think they should have anticipated that the way they handled it was as if they were bargaining against themselves. The hope is, however, that they really were not planning on getting rid of him no matter what or for some paltry offer. Now that they see that for whatever reason they are not going to get a lot of value for him, sure they are also saying that they could have handled it differently and probably gotten a better set of offers. But having gotten the offers they have, they still realize they don't have to take any if they are not enough.
I probably worded it poorly. I meant that for someone that has the mindset that it's okay to not play in an attempt to get more money, making sure they are absolutely 100% and not rushing a return because it's in their best monetary interest is probably the same thing. The one thing I'm hopeful of is that the smaller market for for CBs in general might put Revis in a position to re-sign with us for cheaper.
Revis has been 3 months longer than AP...he is young, athletic, in shape, and a hard worker - no way he doesn't come back on time. And if there is a rumor he is dogging it on purpose because he is unhappy it will just turn off any team looking to trade for him.
I don't know what to think anymore. I love Revis and hope he's a Jet for life but on the other side agree that building through a CB isn't the way to go so if we're tying up a huge amount of cap space in him it's going to hinder our ability to put out a competitive team. So unless we sign him for an extremely reasonable amount or trade him for a package that is just completely lopsided in our favor I think I'm going to be upset. In other words: I'm probably going to be upset because I don't think either of those two things happen. Either we'll trade him for a reasonable amount (first and change), sign him long term to more than we probably should for a CB (say $15mil a season) or he'll play this year and walk for nothing in free agency (worst case scenario).
It would be foolish to pay him the money he's asking. He's probably the best cornerback to ever play the game, but no cornerback has the same affect as a great quarterback. That's just the nature of the game. Revis' negotiating team is doing him a great disservice.
Big Blocker: Isn't the true value of Revis if we know we can't/won't resign him 2013 year of play with a cap hit on 2014 of 9 million pro rated bonus. Our comp pick is likely to be a 2015 third only if in a rebuilding mode we don't sign more FA than we lose.(rebuilding we could sign enough FA to get no pick) vs No Revis in 2013 and whatever picks we get for 2013 and or 2014 and a 13 million cap hit on 2013. Does it become whatever picks we get minus one year of his play and 4 million?
If the new GM lets Revis be a 1 and done with no compensation, he should be a 1 and done too. Trade him before its too late! You cannot afford him, and we cannot build a winning team around your highest paid player when he doesn't handle the ball.
The insanity of jets fans who constantly want to fire the GM or the HC every few seasons is pathetic and hilarious. Its just a stupid way to run a team. The Jets should be in now rush to trade Revis at all. If some team makes an offer that can't be refused - I would consider it. There is absolutely no reason for the Jets to feel compelled to anything (re-sign or trade) prior to June 1st. Don't believe 90% of the baloney that is being reported based on "unnamed sources" and tweeted about in the media - its pretty much all unreliable self serving BS.
Listened to the Tampa GM today in an interview, and they are not even sure the Jets are serious about Revis and they are looking at other options. They say the Jets are not even in real negotiations with them.
