The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl this year thanks in large part to a defense that was vastly improved from previous seasons. Now, the Pats will be faced with a tough situation with their best defensive player.
Darrelle Revis has a $20 million team option in his contract for 2015. If the Patriots pick it up, he would count $25 million toward the cap next season. Revis’ contract was structured that way to prevent New England from using the franchise tag on him.
Should the Patriots decide $25 million is too much of a cap hit for one player, they’ll have to release Revis and try to work out a long-term extension with him. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher report, they’ll have serious competition from two teams in New York.
“The New York Jets are going to be a major player for this one,” Cole reports. “Rex Ryan up in Buffalo is going to want to bring Revis in no matter what. He loves Revis and Revis loves Rex Ryan. More importantly, Revis really likes New York. He would really consider a reunion with the Jets.”
It’s unclear if the Patriots winning the Super Bowl will make it more or less difficult to keep Revis. One line of thought is that he wants to continue playing for a contender. Others wonder if he’ll try to get every penny he deserves on what will likely be his final big contract.
On Monday, Michael Felger reported on CSN New England that those close to Revis believe he will re-sign with the Patriots as long as they make him the highest-paid cornerback in the league. In other words, if they pay him more than $12 million per year for several years it won’t even matter if the Jets or Bills offer $15 million.
Revis would have to really love New York to return to the Jets, who happen to play in New Jersey. He reportedly had the Jets at the top of his list after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released him last year, but most believe that had more to do with Revis’ relationship with Ryan. Given what Revis said about Rex this season, we’d view the Bills as a better bet if the All-Pro leaves New England.
