I see 8 angles, most of them new.
1) Owners and coaches have a process of offering picks to another team to pick up any player's contract they'd like in the NFL. Even first-time owners and coaches understand they must contact another team behind closed doors, and most of those offers are rejected. Owners cannot circumvent this process by naming in the media a specific playoff-bound corner with 1.1 years left on his contract.
2) The owner named this player in a press conference about rebuilding (topics included a new coach, GM, and spending large amounts of money). This was not a discussion about "who is better at cornerback, Revis or Sherman?" or "who are some free agents you will look into?" It was at the biggest press event the Jets had since Rex was hired (5 years?), about who they will add during the rebuilding process.
3) The owner wouldn't name possible coaches or GM, but had no problems saying he wanted Revis back. That's a very strong signal he wants to spend a blank check on whatever Revis wants, regardless of what Patriots are trying to do, or the wishes of the coaches and GM's he hasn't even started interviewing yet.
4) Since no coach or GM was hired or even interviewed at that point, there was no guarantee the team would even pay for Revis. The owner had nothing to lose -- in March, he could save face by saying the new head coach or GM he eventually hires, simply wanted somebody else. On the other hand, this served only to damage the Patriots. Revis had two choices -- get paid $20 million for a year, way more than any corner has even earned, and join the Jets in 2016, or join the Jets right now.
5) It would be nice if we learn that the Patriots may have tried to trade Revis to the Jets as soon as they realized Revis was going to leave to the highest bidder anyway -- this year or next year -- if the Patriots didn't pay $20m. If the Jets refused or ignored this possibility, it would mean the Jets would rather guarantee a ton of money rather than pay a much smaller, non-guaranteed amount -- only to avoid giving up a pick to the Patriots. We can also infer that the Patriots may not have even bothered, knowing the Jets would rather wait for Revis to be cut.
6) In any case, giving the Patriots a Jets pick is not just a "penalty" or "punishment" -- it's exactly what should have happened when a team wants a player but has no control over his future and follows the rules by only discussing their interest with the other team, not the actual player.
7) The only explanation is the Jets wanted to get the Patriots' player for MORE money as long as they avoided giving up any picks to the Patriots as required when trades are negotiated during a contract, rather than talking to the media. Heck, if Revis held out in the playoffs until the Patriots guaranteed his year-two offer, that would make the Jets even happier.
8) Regardless of the intent, it's part of his job as NFL owner to never name players under contract he wants to get, especially at a press conference about rebuilding the team from scratch with about the most money on the table possible.
