 Darrelle Revis and the New York Jets agreed to a five-year contract Tuesday evening. (USA TODAY Images) |
A little more than five weeks after winning the Super Bowl, the sky is falling in Patriots Nation.
After one year with New England, cornerback Darrelle Revis is heading back to the New York Jets. The feared realization is setting in, the Patriots just lost their best defensive player.
Revis is reportedly signing a five-year contract, worth up to $70 million and $39 million guaranteed.
New York was desperate to make a splash and bring back one of the franchise's most popular players. Forget Rex Ryan and John Idzick. It's the Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan era now, and it's still a defense-first philosophy.
New York gains support from the media, fans, players and added a transformational talent to help their defense. With Revis back in the mix, New York's defense could be a formidable unit once again. Only this time, maybe the front office and Head Coach won't ignore the offense like the previous regime.
But this worked out for Revis, too.
Many thought Revis was a mercenary, and Tuesday only cements no.24's legacy as a business man first, NFL player second.
Revis has earned over $85 million so far in his career, and now just added a minimum $39 million with this new deal.
He's earned awards, accolades, several big contracts and thanks to his time in New England, a super bowl ring. He's the modern-day Deion Sanders. And just like "Primetime", he's a Hall of Fame player one day.
The Patriots were in the mix, but ultimately could not bring themselves to match the financial commitment it took to keep Revis Island in New England.
Apparently $39 million was too rich for Bill Belichick and the Patriots front office.
If you're a Patriots fan, you know the manta by now -- "The Patriot Way."
The Patriot way does not mortgage the team's future for the present, no matter the player. It's about building a team and compiling players that fit Belichick's system to achieve ultimate team success.
We'll know more in the coming days, but the Patriots reportedly were willing to go around $35 million in guarantees for Revis. So why not $40 million?
On one side, you'll hear fans say the team was cheap. That seems like a reactionary, unfair label to a team that just re-signed defensive back Devin McCourty to a $47.5 million contract a few days ago.
There's one word that fans don't want to hear, though. No, not cheap. The dreaded "v" word. Ah yes, value. The Patriots set a value for Revis, he surpassed what he was worth in their minds.
It took several years for the team to rebuild the secondary. Investing money, time and numerous draft picks in the process.
Now it's time for them to start over, again. So where does Belichick and the Patriots go from here?
You can't replace Revis with one player. New England will have to retool, add depth and upgrade at other defensive positions to mask the loss of one of the NFL's premier cornerbacks.
But Revis' loss creates even more problems than just a hole at the cornerback position.
Part of what Revis brought to the table was his ability to go toe-to-toe with the opposing team's top passing target, allowing New England's defense to roll coverage to other areas.
McCourty was one of the biggest benefactors, as he was able to play single-high safety, roaming the backend of the defense and make plays throughout the season. With a less talented cornerback in Revis' spot, the Pats won't be able to do the same things schematically. Unfortunately, this could mean more pressure on McCourty and less impact plays.
It could get even worse. Remember the soft zone days? Let's stop before we both have nightmares.
And let's face it, judging the Patriots at this juncture isn't fair. Do you have the right to be upset at the loss of Revis? Of course. But we are looking at one piece to an incomplete puzzle.
As bad as it seems now, Belichick has earned the right to ask for patience. After all, last season when the team lost Aqib Talib to the Denver Broncos, the very next day Revis fell into his lap.
Maybe the "In Belichick We Trust" Kool-Aid is flowing too strongly, but there's a contingency plan in place.
It's not what Patriots fans want to hear, I get it. You lose one of the NFL's best defenders and now you hear, "Oh this is just what the Patriots do."
But, it's true. This is what they do. And from the other side of today's news, this is what Revis does too.
This only adds to the Patriots and Jets rivalry. Revis returns to where he started his NFL journey, but New England will always have this season over New York.
As shocking and wild as today has seemed, maybe we shouldn't be surprised. The Revis and Patriots chapter wasn't as long as many in New England would have liked, but you can't argue with the short-term results.
In the end, both sides stuck with what they know best. Now we'll see how it plays out.
Do you have a Twitter account? Be sure to follow me: @PatriotsHaven!
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