What Would Revis Do?

In an offseason full of roster turnover and great expectations, perhaps the biggest story of the offseason for the Jets has been the ongoing contract negotiations for Darrelle Revis.

The Jets moved up to take Darrelle Revis in the 2007 NFL draft, and he has become the cornerstone of the best defense in football in just 3 seasons. Revis allows the Jets to play man-to-man on the best receivers in the game, while freeing up the rest of the secondary to play zone coverage on the other side of the field. There are several corners in the NFL who have this ability, however, none of them cover the other team's best receiver exclusively (most remain on one side of the field), and no one has had the kind of success that Revis enjoyed in 2009, at least since the rules have changed to penalize virtually all incidental contact as illegal contact.

If the Jets are at fault, it's that they promised Revis a new deal, then spent the better part of a year telling anyone and everyone that Revis was the best defensive player in football. When Revis came to collect, he wasn't going to settle for less money than Oakland Raider CB Nnamdi Asomugha, even if Asomugha's deal from the Crypt Keeper (the nearly-fossilized Al Davis) was ridiculous (3 years, approximately $45 million). Revis hasn't seemed willing to compromise off of his desire to be the highest paid corner in the game, even though the Jets face potential problems re-signing many of their key guys (C Nick Mangold, LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and MLB David Harris, to name a few), and with no idea if there will be a salary cap in 2011, and what that cap would be if there is one in place. Also, there is 3 years remaining on the contract Revis signed coming out of college, a contract he held out for 3 years ago.

Like most conflicts that involve money, there is plenty of blame to go around. Hopefully, both Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum have learned a lesson about how to discuss their own players to the media. If you run around telling anyone who will listen just how special your players are, there's probably a pretty good chance that player is going to use those words against you in re-negotiation. From Revis' perspective, he may want to take into account his teammates who are in the last year of an expiring deal in this situation. I know that football is every man for himself 99 times out of 100 when you are bargaining for a deal, but the Jets have a chance to contend with their core group for years to come, and if any of the other potential free agents have to leave New York so that Revis can stay, well, let's just say that the fans will remember just how selfish he chooses to be.

I don't think you would be able to find any Jet fans who want to see Revis in a different uniform as long as he's in the NFL. He has a chance to be the best player in the history of the franchise if he's able to maintain what he's started with New York. There are still financial incentives available to players in the largest media market, incentives that are exclusive to the tri-state area. Just ask any former champion from a New York City team how much income they are able to generate after they hang it up as part of the sports history of the city.

As far as the New York's front office is concerned, they must handle this deal the right way, because it will have long term ramifications if they blow it. The Jets are already fighting the perception that their word isn't worth anything, as several ex-Jets who were promised deals from the front office were left with nothing, namely Chris Baker and Pete Kendall. The Jets fan base wants to see the kind of commitment from their front office that serious contenders undertake every year, especially right after requiring PSL money from a large portion of their season ticket holders to help finance their new stadium. Hopefully, this contract situation will be resolved before the start of the season. A slow start in September has a tendency to bring unresolved contract issues back into the media. With a fair share of distractions already on the agenda for 2010, beginning with the Hard Knocks series on HBO, the Jets can ill afford anything else that can disrupt their plans for a deep run in January.