Much of the NFL offseason trade talk has been centered-around disgruntled cornerback Darrelle Revis. The New York Jets best defensive player has been rumored to be on the trading radar of several NFL teams. Revis is coming off a major knee injury: He tore his ACL last season, an injury that kept him out for most of the year.
Revis is one of the best corners in the NFL. He is able to shut down the opposing team’s best wide receiver essentially taking away half the field from the opponent. This type of talent is very valuable in the NFL and many teams are extremely interested in his services.
Revis is easily New York’s best player and the Jets’ brass knows this. Currently Revis is still under contract with New York. It will take a lot for the Jets to part with such a valuable commodity. Not many teams are in a position to give up what the Jets will be asking.
Let’s think about this for a moment: If you are the Jets, you are not going to give up your best player for a lousy second-round pick. If I were the Jets' general manager John Idzik, I would be asking for a minimum of a first round pick this year and a second rounder next season.
The problem is, not many teams are willing to give up so much for a rental player. Revis is a free agent after next season. The team that lands Revis will need to have the cap space to sign Revis to a long-term deal. Another unlikely scenario is for a team to essentially rent Revis for one or two seasons in hopes of winning a championship with him.
The way I look at it, teams will be afraid to pay Revis the astronomical price he will demand. The way the NFL is structured these days, first round draft picks cost very little and elite cornerbacks in their prime cost a lot. Having said that, it doesn’t mean a trade for Revis won’t happen, it very well could. There are several teams that are in need of a cornerback and have the necessary cap space to pull of a trade. Let’s take a look at some of these teams.
San Francisco 49ers
Revis landing in San Francisco makes a lot of sense. The 49ers came within a game of becoming Super Bowl champions and could use a cornerback upgrade. Revis could be the player that takes them over the top. The 49ers are entering the draft with a huge stack of poker chips, the Alex Smith trade just added to their wealth. The 49ers are not afraid of acquiring elite corner backs to help them win Super Bowls. The last time they pulled it off, they knocked it out of the park; Deon Sanders anyone?
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are well known for pulling off bold moves and it wouldn’t surprise me if they pulled off another one with Revis. With the possibility of the Eagles releasing Nnamdi Asomugha before the start of free agency, the Eagles could use an upgrade at cornerback.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have the cap space and they need a cornerback, this move would make a lot of sense. The Buccaneers are one of the few teams that could make it work. Tampa Bay has already signed several key players on defense but could still use the help in the secondary, enter Darrelle Revis.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are in need of a shut-down corner to help slow down Tom Brady twice a year. While the Dolphins have the cap space and a bevy of draft picks, this move seems unlikely simply because the two teams play in the same division.
Other Notables: The Detroit Lions, Atalanta Falcons, New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts also make some sense.