The Darrelle Revis trade drama is finally over; the New York Jets have dealt Revis, their best player, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who signed the cornerback to a six-year, $96 million contract that shockingly includes no guaranteed money.
In return for four-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro, the Jets acquired Tampa Bay's first round draft choice in this draft, giving them the ninth and thirteenth picks in this year's draft. They also received a conditional draft pick in 2014 that could be either a fourth-rounder or a third-rounder. The way the pick becomes a third-rounder is if Revis is still on the Buccaneers roster on the third day of the NFL's 2014 calendar year.
Revis does not come without question marks. He is coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament which he suffered in Week 3 of the 2012 season against the Miami Dolphins. Sunday, though, the Jets granted Revis permission to meet with the Buccaneers and they had an opportunity to examine him. Clearly, the team was happy with what they heard and saw.
Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik expressed supreme excitement in the trade saying, "We're thrilled. It's rare that you get a chance to add a player of this caliber to your football team. That's what motivated us."
On Twitter, Revis expressed his appreciation for the Jets and their fans. "I been sitting around for the last hour trying to figure out what to say to the Jet Nation & I came up with this. The six years I played for the New York Jets were unbelievable. I put my body on the line everyday & did everything could to help the team win. I experienced a lot & learned a lot. The memories I had in New York I will keep dearly to my heart. I want to thank all the jets fans for making me feel welcome."
Jets general manager John Idzik said that the team's intent was not originally to trade their best defensive player, but the team's view of his value was far different than his own perception.
"It was never our intent to proactively go out and shop Darrelle," Idzik said. "It was never our goal to have Darrelle leave the Jets. On the contrary, we wanted Darrelle to remain a Jet for the long term, ideally. But Tampa reached out and displayed a sincere and sustained interest in Darrelle."
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.