The New England Patriots have Darrelle Revis as their top offseason priority and reports have the NY Jets chasing him this winter, while Devin McCourty also could be a free agent target after he was not franchise tagged and this comes as New York may release Percy Harvin and he could be an option for the Pats along with Andre Johnson, who is on the trading block for the Texans.
The Patriots won the Super Bowl with help from their strong secondary and now their group could be depleted come next year. According to ESPN Boston, the Patriots used the franchise tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski over McCourty, meaning the safety now will hit the open market. Mike Reiss on ESPN writes that this could make it tough for the team to keep both Darrelle Revis and McCourty, as Revis likely needs a new long term deal since his contract calls for a $25 million cap hit.
Signing Revis to a new deal and bringing back McCourty could be too much for the Patriots and that means they may have to choose one or the other. The team also has Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley hitting free agency, but they are comfortable with LeGarrette Blount and James White on the roster for now. Revis is the main priority for the Patriots and he said earlier in the offseason that he was hoping to stay in New England.
The Patriots will likely try and get a deal done soon, as the $25 million cap hit is unwieldy and they may not want to let him hit the market. According to the New York Daily News, if Revis hits the market, the NY Jets may take a look at signing him along with the Buffalo Bills. The Jets have a ton of cap space and could be willing to meet Revis's price and this comes after the team traded him a few years ago. The Bills also have a solid amount of cap space and could make a move, as Rex Ryan previously coached Revis in New York.
Revis is going to be a major target if he hits the market and the Patriots are hoping to retain him on a long term deal. Teams who miss out on Revis may go after McCourty, as he now is one of the top secondary players on the market with Byron Maxwell. McCourty could make up to $9 million per season and that was around where the franchise tag would have been. McCourty will be targeted by all teams that need safety help and that could price him out of New England.
The Patriots have a tight cap situation and once they resolve Revis's contract, they can make more moves. Andre Johnson was connected to the team in rumors before the season and he could be an option if the Texans release him. According to Pro Football Talk, Johnson is allowed to look for a trade, but it's likely he will get released and if that happens. Mike Reiss reports the team could be interested. Shane Vereen is a free agent and while the Pats want him to return, he could price out if he asks for too much money, with reports of him asking for $5 million per season.
