Darrelle Revis is set to hit the free agent market and while his return to the New England Patriots on a free agent contract is likely, teams like the NY Jets, Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks may try and target him and this comes after had a $25 million team option declined by the Pats.
Revis signed with the team last season and now that he has hit the market, the Jets and Buffalo Bills could come after him hard. Adam Schefter at ESPN.com writes that the Jets and Bills will be the two teams with the most motivation to sign Revis apart from the Patriots, while Mary Kay Cabot reports that the Cleveland Browns also could make a run. The Browns reportedly were interested last year and they could try and convince Revis to come with a big contract, as he has shown in the past he wants to be paid.
The NY Daily News reports that the Jets will be "aggressive" in going after Revis, as they had him a couple years ago before trading him to the Buccaneers. A new regime is in place and the Jets have a ton of cap space and that could lead them to bringing back Revis. ESPN.com reports that the Bills also could be in the mix, as Buffalo has Rex Ryan in the fold and Revis has said he enjoyed playing for his former head coach while in New York.
The Patriots are expected to make a strong run at retaining Revis, but with Devin McCourty coming back and Brandon Browner also on the roster, something may have to be sacrificed. To bring back Revis the team may have to cut or ask Browner to take a pay cut and that could force him out of New England. Revis is going to be 30, but he showed last year that he is still one of the top cornerbacks in the game and now he has a Super Bowl title under his belt as well, which could lead him back to the Jets, since he isn't chasing one anymore.
The Browns and Raiders are not considered front runners with the Jets or the Patriots, but since they can pay, there is a chance they could convince Revis to sign. Both teams need help in the secondary along with the Jets, while the Patriots are hoping to keep Revis in New England. Reports have Revis signing back with the Patriots if the "money is close" and that means the teams with cap space could step up with a big offer.
The Patriots and Revis had the chance to work out a new deal, but the sides couldn't agree and that is why they declined his team option. That was mostly a formality, as the $25 million for next year was never going to happen and now Revis will be getting a new contract. The Patriots are considered the number one team on the list, but the Jets are lurking. Revis should command around $20 million and with the Jets cap space, they can afford to compete. Revis is the top free agent cornerback on the market now with Byron Maxwell and Cary Williams agreeing to deals.
