The Denver Broncos swooped in and landed the New England Patriots’ best free agent for a second straight year on Tuesday night. The last time that happened, Denver signed Wes Welker and the Patriots moved onto their contingency plan almost instantly by locking up Danny Amendola. Could they do the same this year with Darrelle Revis?
Yes, we realize the Amendola thing hasn’t worked out well for New England. The point is they had a backup plan in place and were quick to execute it. Now, the Patriots are left with a gaping hole at cornerback. Aqib Talib was one of the best shutdown cornerbacks in the NFL last year and changed Bill Belichick’s defense. Without a legitimate No. 1 corner, that defense will regress.
Of course, Revis has always been about the money and has never settled for a penny less than what he feels he is worth. He has also said in the past that he doesn’t like Belichick or Tom Brady, but it sounds like that stance has softened.
Everything I've heard is that Revis would love to be a Patriot, above any other option. Still ample time for that to happen
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 12, 2014
Patriots in a strong position to land Revis now, especially after Talib's deal. Revis wants to be there. Will only take a 5th round pick
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 12, 2014
Revis would almost certainly have to take less than his current $16 million-per-year deal if he signed with the Patriots. New England would likely only trade for him if he agreed to restructure his deal. While it still seems unlikely, La Canfora is the first credible source to report that Revis actually has a desire to play for the Patriots.
Belichick has never broken the bank for a single player in his 14 seasons in New England. That said, Revis is one of the best coverage cornerbacks to ever play the game. If Belichick appreciates that as much as everyone else, he may be willing to stray from his philosophy just this once.
