There is a strong likelihood that New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis will be on the open market when the new league year gets going in March. The team can pick up his 2015 option, but that seems highly unlikely at this point. If the Patriots did, Revis would count $25 million against the cap.
Instead, the Patriots seem willing to work out a long-term contract with Revis prior to the start of the new league year.
If Revis were to hit the open market, there would be a ton of interest in his services. Here’s a look at five potential landing spots for the 29-year-old Pro Bowler.
New England Patriots
It’s not brain surgery. New England’s defense took a major step forward with Revis leading a much-improved secondary during the team’s run to the Lombardi Trophy. While there are reports that the Patriots might exercise his option for 2015, the team wants to lower Revis’ cap hit by agreeing to a long-term extension with the future Hall of Famer. This seems to indicate the two sides might be able to work something out before March.
New England’s current cap situation—Revis’ 2015 option included—isn’t too great. The team is currently $4 million over the cap. If it were able to agree to an extension with Revis, that would be even more beneficial to the team’s salary cap situation heading into March. If not, there is a decent chance Revis moves on in free agency.
New York Jets
This is rather obvious. New England has filed tampering charges against the Jets and owner Woody Johnson, who has indicated he would love for Revis to return to the Jets. It’s also important to note, that Revis reportedly loved playing in New York.
The larger issue at hand right now is whether the two sides can move on from the bad blood that defined Revis’ earlier tenure with the team. If they can move past that, the Jets could be a likely destination. This is only magnified by the fact that New York is in need of a major upgrade at cornerback. After all, Jets cornerbacks yielded 14 touchdowns compared to four interceptions during the regular year. As a team, the Jets gave up 31 touchdowns compared to six interceptions to opposing quarterbacks this past season.
With a projected $45 million in cap room entering free agency, New York definitely has the cash to spend on Revis. However, it would need the Patriots to let the Pro Bowler hit the open market in order for this to become realistic.
Buffalo Bills
Rex Ryan. I could probably leave this right here and you’d understand why the Bills are a potential landing spot for Revis. However, there’s a bit more that goes into this. Not only is Ryan Buffalo’s new head coach, he pretty much brought his entire defensive coaching staff with him from New York—a staff that Revis excelled under earlier in his career.
More than that, the Bills’ defense could become one of the best in the entire league with a shut-down corner. Both Corey Graham and Stephon Gilmore had stellar 2014 campaign. Graham—a former special teams standout—actually graded out ninth overall at his position in coverage according to Pro Football Focus metrics (subscription required). If the Bills were to land Revis, either Graham or Gilmore would move into the slot. That would also create one of the best cornerback groups in the NFL.
Under the projected 2015 salary cap, Buffalo will have about $30 million to spend when the new league year starts. Considering Ryan’s tendency to focus on defense, Revis might be the team’s No. 1 target should he hit the open market. It would also be a seamless transition for the Pro Bowler.
Oakland Raiders
As we have mentioned multiple times in the past, Oakland will be in play for every top-tier free agent next month. Its activity on the open market will depend heavily on what Reggie McKenzie views to be a happy medium between building through the draft and finding talent in free agency. Last year, Oakland decided to use its surplus of cap room on stop-gap options. Considering that was met with mixed results, I fully anticipate the team to actually go out there and spend money on top-tier options.
At 29 years old, Revis would act as more than a stopgap for the Raiders. He has many years of tremendous football ahead of himself and would fill a position of tremendous need for the Raiders. Former first-round pick D.J. Hayden showed some promise during his second year, but injuries have to be of concern for McKenzie and company. Outside of that, the Raiders boasted two below-average veterans in Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown as well as a surprising youngster in the form of T.J. Carrie. If the Raiders are able to add Revis to this group, their pass defense would be just that much better.
The interesting dynamic here, outside of Oakland’s cap room, is that potential free agents may be lining up to sign with the team, especially on defense. Not only did the Raiders hire Jack Del Rio to be their new head coach, Ken Norton Jr. as the team’s defensive coordinator could very well be a solid draw.
Seattle Seahawks
A true wild card in every way, Seattle may decide that it needs to hit the open market to find a starter-caliber corner opposite Richard Sherman. Byron Maxwell is set to become a free agent, and may draw a nice amount of interest on the open market. As we have seen in the past, general manager John Schneider does not get into bidding wars for less-than-elite players. This was evident when the team let Golden Tate walk in free agency last year.
Seattle’s ability to even hit the free agent market will depend heavily on how Russell Wilson’s extension is set up. If the young signal caller takes a back-loaded deal, it would enable Seattle to hit the open market. If not, the two-time defending NFC champions will be largely quiet. As of right now, Seattle will have $23 million in cap room. Depending on Wilson’s extension and the team’s negotiations with Bobby Wagner, Seattle may be in position to bring in an elite free agent. Just imagine Revis an Sherman lining up opposite one another. That would be absurd.
Photo: USA Today