Thursday, August 12, 2010

Revis and Jets in a No Win Situation

The holdout of star cornerback Darrelle Revis has put a damper on the New York Jets’ hope and optimism in what has been the most anticipated training camp for the team and its fans since 1999.  Revis was arguably the Jets’ most valuable player last season.  Even though he lost the Defensive MVP award to Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson, Revis is considered by many to be the best cornerback in the National Football League.  Pundits even nicknamed him “Revis Island,” due to the fact the Jets are able to blitz the quarterback at will because of Revis’ ability to shut down the opposition’s top receiver by himself.  The hype around Revis and his play seemed to grow as the 2009 season continued and much of this was fueled by head coach Rex Ryan and the Jets themselves.  Mike Lombardi reported that the Jets told Revis and his agent at the conclusion of the 2009 season that they wanted to sign him to a “lifetime” contract.  Now the two sides cannot agree on a contract that is sensible for both.
Opinions vary on Revis and his contractual value to the Jets organization.  Proponents of Revis say that the Jets defense revolves around Revis and his play.  As stated before, the Jets ability to blitz is largely due to the play of the Jets secondary and specifically Revis.  Others say that Revis deserves to get paid but not at the level of elite quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Phillip Rivers.  Now it is being widely reported that the two sides are approximately $40 million apart.  On today’s Boomer and Carton show, Craig Carton reported that the Jets recently offered Revis a 10 year, $120 million deal, while Revis reportedly wants 10 years, $160 million.  To makes matters worse for Jets fans, owner Woody Johnson said earlier this week that there is a good chance Revis’s holdout will last through the entire 2010 season.
Two interesting things about this situation are directly related to Revis’s family and the labor issues that surround the NFL right now.  Revis’s situation is directly related to the labor agreement as Revis is a relative of former NFL player Sean Gilbert.  Gilbert famously held out for the entire 1997 season, wanting a new contract from the Washington Redskins.  The potential for labor trouble amongst the NFL and its players could play a role in Revis’s own quest for a new contract.  It seems that the owners are united in their fight against the NFLPA for a labor deal that benefits the owners themselves.  Spending was down this offseason with teams such as the (opulent) Cowboys opting to not hand out ridiculous contracts to free agents even though there is no salary cap this year.  The only team of note that spent money was the Chicago Bears. Spending down league-wide only hurts Revis’s leverage against the Jets.

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