Revis the Jet: Plans to be part of the WH visit

[JimD]

Matching that contract and kneecapping the team's ability to resign key guys like Hightower, Jones and Collins down the road was never in the cards.  I think the team was hoping that they'd be able to sway Revis, but I also believe that they were completely realistic and have multiple plans to replace him that they are pursuing.  Of course, the ultimate solution will probably cause much media and fan hand-wringing because the Patriots likely will not have an elite shutdown corner on their roster, but we've got the best defensive mind in the business working on a plan to adjust to this new reality. 
 
So ... at the risk of being accused of blind fan allegiance and optimism ... in Bill Belichick I trust.  He's absolutely earned that benefit of the doubt.

 

[TheoShmeo]

Is there any confirmation on what the Patriots were offering? A lot of the assumptions here are based on the idea that the Patriots had a similar offer. It is very possible that they weren't in the same ballpark. Based on their cap space and history, I would think that they weren't all that close, either in guaranteed money or in total contract value. Either way, I can't fault an athlete for taking the max value.

The fact is that we don't know all of the facts.
 
We don't know exactly what the Pats were offering and how their bid was structured.
 
We don't know exactly how their bid would have affected their own cap situation this season and down the road, and what Revis having accepted it would have done to this year's roster.
 
We don't know what the ramifications would have been had the Pats "just stepped up" and matched the Jets' offer.
 
We don't know if Revis would have, in fact, gone back to NE if the offers were equal.
 
None of that stops idiots like the CHB from penning his typical "Pats fans are yahoos and the team cares most about being the smartest guy in the room" tripe or the many other talking heads from killing the Pats today.
 
Now, yeah, it's possible that if we knew a lot more, it would be reasonable to conclude that the Pats erred, and erred big.  But in absence of knowing the answers to those questions, I don't know how you get there.

 

[dcmissle]

So I bump my estimate of last night form $125 to $150 MM + for his career. I agree with much of this analysis from Borges -- and violently disagree with important elements of it -- but Borges tells us that Revis pocketed $84 million playing professional football before yesterday's deal.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/ron_borges/2015/03/borges_how_darrelle_revis_patriots_used_each_other

 

[jodyreeddudley78]

The fact is that we don't know all of the facts.
 
We don't know exactly what the Pats were offering and how their bid was structured.
 
We don't know exactly how their bid would have affected their own cap situation this season and down the road, and what Revis having accepted it would have done to this year's roster.
 
We don't know what the ramifications would have been had the Pats "just stepped up" and matched the Jets' offer.
 
We don't know if Revis would have, in fact, gone back to NE if the offers were equal.
 
None of that stops idiots like the CHB from penning his typical "Pats fans are yahoos and the team cares most about being the smartest guy in the room" tripe or the many other talking heads from killing the Pats today.
 
Now, yeah, it's possible that if we knew a lot more, it would be reasonable to conclude that the Pats erred, and erred big.  But in absence of knowing the answers to those questions, I don't know how you get there.

The Patriots have about $14M in space. Any deal that would have been competitive in guaranteed money would have tied up almost all of that. You're right that there is a lot we don't know, but I would think that was the driving force behind Revis not being with the team in '15. http://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space

As far as CHB, national media, or Jets fans, just refer to the two weeks leading up to the SB for some perspective on their opinions. I don't mean that to sound snarky, just reminding you.

 

[Leather]

So I bump my estimate of last night form $125 to $150 MM + for his career. I agree with much of this analysis from Borges -- and violently disagree with important elements of it -- but Borges tells us that Revis pocketed $84 million playing professional football before yesterday's deal.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/ron_borges/2015/03/borges_how_darrelle_revis_patriots_used_each_other

 
I'm guessing this is one part you disagreed with (because it seems like a dumb straw man to set up a statement that is conveniently out of touch with reality, made for the purpose of shitting on Kraft for no real reason):
 

So if you’re inclined to whine, “How much do they neeeeed??” when thinking about Revis, you could ask the same question about Kraft and the Patriots. His franchise is one of the most valuable in football, and he’s one of the richest men in the world. He could have paid Revis out of his petty cash draw, but he chose to walk, just like Revis.
And don’t swallow that “the cap made us do it” line because the cap had nothing to do with this. If the Patriots wanted to pay him, they could have and still stayed afloat. If they didn’t, they cry poverty. That’s why teams have accountants . . . to cook the books.
 

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Why is anyone reading Borges for analysis? Have you all suffered head injuries?

 

[joe dokes]

Matching that contract and kneecapping the team's ability to resign key guys like Hightower, Jones and Collins down the road was never in the cards.  I think the team was hoping that they'd be able to sway Revis, but I also believe that they were completely realistic and have multiple plans to replace him that they are pursuing.  Of course, the ultimate solution will probably cause much media and fan hand-wringing because the Patriots likely will not have an elite shutdown corner on their roster, but we've got the best defensive mind in the business working on a plan to adjust to this new reality. 
 
 

 
I think this is right. Last year was something of a perfect storm -- minus Mayo -- of health, contracts and players.  I am pretty sure that BB and Caserio (and others probably) could see this day coming from the moment they signed Revis in the first place.
 
It is virtually impossible -- and probably unwise -- for a team to keep *all* its players AND be in 6 straight conf. championship games (9 of 14).  Its not like they chose to let Revis go because of they were planning on how to pay Smiley Creswell and Monty Beisel.

 

[bankshot1]

I don't like losing Revis, but was reasonably sure yesterday morning he was gone. He was more important to the Jets than the Pats, Woody was all-in, had the money, and the Pats tend not to take out a 30 year mortgage for a car loan. Signng Revis to the Jets deal would have put a mortgage on the future, and limited flexibility as who the Pats could suit up.
 
Was preserving long-term flexibility equal to or greater than losing Revis and some advantages on the AFC competition?
 
Tough call.
 
BB needs a plan B.
 
And he's earned our trust that he will come up with one.

 

[dcmissle]

Why is anyone reading Borges for analysis? Have you all suffered head injuries?

Actually, his "they used each other" point is right on. And he suggests that neither side deep down inside expected anything more than 1 year, and he's probably right about that.

I strongly disagree with his point about the cap, and I strongly disagree that BB is on a mission to prove to the world that the Pats can win a SB without elite players.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Actually, his "they used each other" point is right on. And he suggests that neither side deep down inside expected anything more than 1 year, and he's probably right about that.

I strongly disagree with his point about the cap, and I strongly disagree that BB is on a mission to prove to the world that the Pats can win a SB without elite players.

 
So he's OK when stating the blindingly obvious, and totally hopeless when trying to guess BB's mindset. That's no surprise.
 
Just don't fucking read him. Seriously. He's trash, like CHB's column today on the departure was also trash. He loves to stand up for the "abused" players even though Revis is playing the money game masterfully and will retire from the game a very, very rich man. Revis isn't the guy who needs hero Ronnie to defend him. It's merely another excuse for Borges to take potshots at Kraft. Just fucking ignore him.

 

[Leather]

Actually, his "they used each other" point is right on. And he suggests that neither side deep down inside expected anything more than 1 year, and he's probably right about that.

I strongly disagree with his point about the cap, and I strongly disagree that BB is on a mission to prove to the world that the Pats can win a SB without elite players.

 
Wait until he cuts Brady! -Bill SImmons.

 

[Devizier]

Do we have to bring out the William Goldman quote again?
 
As far as Revis' motivations are concerned, that is.

 

[TheoShmeo]

SJH couldn't be more right about ignoring Borges.  I've mastered that.  I will admit that it's mostly because I live outside of NE and the Herald's website causes my computer to crawl.  But whatever the reason, I don't miss him and am better off for not reading him.  I wish i could say the same about the CHB, who is equally worthless, as hard as that is to accomplish.
 
But one comment on what I read above.  Why would Belichick need to prove that he can win a SB without elite talent?  He already did that in SB 36.  I don't mean to denigrate that team, as it was lovable and of course had many talented players, but it was the least elite of all of BB's SB entrants and beat a 14-point favorite.  Bill's bucket list has been checked on this.  If BB is focused on his legacy, the best way to cement it is to win as many SBs as possible, in whatever way he can.  And since BB is not stupid, I seriously doubt that point is lost on him.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

SJH couldn't be more right about ignoring Borges.  I've mastered that.  I will admit that it's mostly because I live outside of NE and the Herald's website causes my computer to crawl.  But whatever the reason, I don't miss him and am better off for not reading him.  I wish i could say the same about the CHB, who is equally worthless, as hard as that is to accomplish.
 
But one comment on what I read above.  Why would Belichick need to prove that he can win a SB without elite talent?  He already did that in SB 36.  I don't mean to denigrate that team, as it was lovable and of course had many talented players, but it was the least elite of all of BB's SB entrants and beat a 14-point favorite.  Bill's bucket list has been checked on this.  If BB is focused on his legacy, the best way to cement it is to win as many SBs as possible, in whatever way he can.  And since BB is not stupid, I seriously doubt that point is lost on him.

 
Meh, it's been the common allegation against Belichick ever since he made Bledsoe's benching permanent: he's "arrogant." This shit has been going on for 15 years now. "He released Milloy! Arrogance!" "He let go of Ty Law! Arrogance!" "He traded Seymour! Arrogance!" "He traded for Moss and thinks he can get him to behave! Arrogance!" Etc.
 
When are we going to learn that the Pats have a system and they believe in it wholeheartedly? Ronnie sure hasn't.

 

[Dogman]

People are reading Borges for analysis?
 
Do you read Peter King for coffee or beer expertise?

 

[TheoShmeo]

 
Meh, it's been the common allegation against Belichick ever since he made Bledsoe's benching permanent: he's "arrogant." This shit has been going on for 15 years now. "He released Milloy! Arrogance!" "He let go of Ty Law! Arrogance!" "He traded Seymour! Arrogance!" "He traded for Moss and thinks he can get him to behave! Arrogance!" Etc.
 
When are we going to learn that the Pats have a system and they believe in it wholeheartedly? Ronnie sure hasn't.

No argument here that the "arrogance" argument is silly.  I was only reacting to the specific aspect relating to wanting to win with lesser talent, which I think is among the craziest things that could be said about the Pats.
 
Not that I care if he is arrogant.  Confident, arrogant, self-assured, whatever.  I WANT the HC/GM to believe in himself and his approach.  And it's obvious that Bill has the capacity to self-evaluate and re-boot.  One look at his moves like loading up the WRs in 2007 and the CBs before this season demonstrates that.  His admission that calling a TO might have been the better move at the end of SB 49 does too.  So any arrogance on his part doesn't prevent him from knowing that he can do things better and evaluating his actions as he moves along.

 

[BigJimEd]

Don't we have a media forum where posters can rant and rave of the likes of Borges and mazz? Who cares what they have to say?

I think this a decent deal for the Jets. Risky, sure. But it's not going to prevent then from getting a QB. FA QB are generally mediocre and they'll still be able to pay that.


Best chance at a franchise QB is in the draft and they'll be relatively cheap for the length of Revis deal.

 

[loshjott]

Since when is arrogance a character flaw in a successful head football coach?
 
Arrogant!! Maybe. Successful!! Definitely.

 

[scott bankheadcase]

As a non Pats or Jets fan, I absolutely love Revis and what he's doing. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone out NFL the NFL, and he's managing to do it.
 
If he's still playing at a high level, he'll hold out in 2 years and he absolutely should. Non-guaranteed contracts are ridiculous and it makes me happy to see one player push around NFL teams.

 

[joe dokes]

No argument here that the "arrogance" argument is silly.  I was only reacting to the specific aspect relating to wanting to win with lesser talent, which I think is among the craziest things that could be said about the Pats.
 
Not that I care if he is arrogant.  Confident, arrogant, self-assured, whatever.  I WANT the HC/GM to believe in himself and his approach.  And it's obvious that Bill has the capacity to self-evaluate and re-boot.  One look at his moves like loading up the WRs in 2007 and the CBs before this season demonstrates that.  His admission that calling a TO might have been the better move at the end of SB 49 does too.  So any arrogance on his part doesn't prevent him from knowing that he can do things better and evaluating his actions as he moves along.

 
 
 
Strictly speaking the "lesser talent" point probably has some merit. But only because NO team has "superior talent" at *every position* (at least not for very long.)  Seattle almost won the Super Bowl last month with a cast of wide receivers that rivalled the Pats cast of no-names that fell to Indy.
 
In other words, the whole, "BB thinks he's smarter than everyone beause he thinks he can win with a team of YMCA dropouts" is a strawman.
(In other news, water is wet.)

 

[NickEsasky]

People are reading Borges for analysis?
 
Do you read Peter King for coffee or beer expertise?

Hey Peter King has introduced me to some very hoppy and interesting beers. Weird.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

As a non Pats or Jets fan, I absolutely love Revis and what he's doing. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone out NFL the NFL, and he's managing to do it.
 
If he's still playing at a high level, he'll hold out in 2 years and he absolutely should. Non-guaranteed contracts are ridiculous and it makes me happy to see one player push around NFL teams.

 
Who are his agents? Because they're kicking the NFL's ass with his career. It's impressive.

 

[dcmissle]

 
So he's OK when stating the blindingly obvious, and totally hopeless when trying to guess BB's mindset. That's no surprise.
 
Just don't fucking read him. Seriously. He's trash, like CHB's column today on the departure was also trash. He loves to stand up for the "abused" players even though Revis is playing the money game masterfully and will retire from the game a very, very rich man. Revis isn't the guy who needs hero Ronnie to defend him. It's merely another excuse for Borges to take potshots at Kraft. Just fucking ignore him.

Sorry about creating frolic and detour, which should be abandoned. Wasn't trolling you; if I were, I would have mentioned Rex in the same post.

Really interested in that $84 MM number, but this has taken on a life of its own.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Sorry about creating frolic and detour, which should be abandoned. Wasn't trolling you; if I were, I would have mentioned Rex in the same post.

Really interested in that $84 MM number, but this has taken on a life of its own.

 
You know me too well, lol.

 

[Dogman]

Hey Peter King has introduced me to some very hoppy and interesting beers. Weird.

 
I stand corrected. It makes perfect sense that you are his target audience. 
 
You are a precocious lad. 

 

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

As a non Pats or Jets fan, I absolutely love Revis and what he's doing. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone out NFL the NFL, and he's managing to do it.
 
If he's still playing at a high level, he'll hold out in 2 years and he absolutely should. Non-guaranteed contracts are ridiculous and it makes me happy to see one player push around NFL teams.

 
Personally I disagree. I think Revis is a fucking loser.  The guy has made generational wealth already and we don't know exactly what the Pats offered but it certainly wasn't peanuts.  He chose to go to a 7-9 win team for more money vs. staying on a Super Bowl contender.  If this was some UDFA who was going through his one and only chance to cash in, then I wouldn't mind it.  That was not this.  
 
I know he puts his physical health at risk when he plays and should be rewarded financially for that (which the Pats deal would have done), but I have a hard time respecting someone who doesn't place value on winning, his legacy or respect for the game.  He did this for money and I don't respect that.

 

[NickEsasky]

 
I stand corrected. It makes perfect sense that you are his target audience. 
 
You are a precocious lad. 

I someday hope to live in a high-rise apartment in Manhattan just like my hero. 

 

[Devizier]

I know he puts his physical health at risk when he plays and should be rewarded financially for that (which the Pats deal would have done), but I have a hard time respecting someone who doesn't place value on winning, his legacy or respect for the game.  He did this for money and I don't respect that.

 
Maybe you should reconsider your affectation for professional sports?

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

 
Personally I disagree. I think Revis is a fucking loser.  The guy has made generational wealth already and we don't know exactly what the Pats offered but it certainly wasn't peanuts.  He chose to go to a 7-9 win team for more money vs. staying on a Super Bowl contender.  If this was some UDFA who was going through his one and only chance to cash in, then I wouldn't mind it.  That was not this.  
 
I know he puts his physical health at risk when he plays and should be rewarded financially for that (which the Pats deal would have done), but I have a hard time respecting someone who doesn't place value on winning, his legacy or respect for the game.  He did this for money and I don't respect that.

 
Come on, man, you're better than this. This sounds extremely petulant on your part. Revis has every right to maximize his earnings, and last year he gave up higher offers to sign with the Pats and try to win a Super Bowl here. He did just that. Now he's going to get his money, as is his right.
 
It's also not insane to think that Revis believes that he can make the Jets better with his play. He may well believe they can win there. Assuming he doesn't care about winning is really silly after what happened just this past year.

 

[Dogman]

 
Come on, man, you're better than this. This sounds extremely petulant on your part. Revis has every right to maximize his earnings, and last year he gave up higher offers to sign with the Pats and try to win a Super Bowl here. He did just that. Now he's going to get his money, as is his right.
 
It's also not insane to think that Revis believes that he can make the Jets better with his play. He may well believe they can win there. Assuming he doesn't care about winning is really silly after what happened just this past year.

 
 
Yeah, that's talk radio nonsense at its finest.  No need for that stuff to percolate here.  We all know that Revis took less last year to be a Patriot and he has moved on and has very possibly signed his last big contract in his career.  How can anyone find fault in someone throwing money at him and him accepting?

 

[RedOctober3829]

 
Come on, man, you're better than this. This sounds extremely petulant on your part. Revis has every right to maximize his earnings, and last year he gave up higher offers to sign with the Pats and try to win a Super Bowl here. He did just that. Now he's going to get his money, as is his right.
 
It's also not insane to think that Revis believes that he can make the Jets better with his play. He may well believe they can win there. Assuming he doesn't care about winning is really silly after what happened just this past year.

He treated 2014 as a business decision too.  He chose the place that could garner him the most future earnings with the best chance of winning a Super Bowl.

 

[TheoShmeo]

 
 
Yeah, that's talk radio nonsense at its finest.  No need for that stuff to percolate here.  We all know that Revis took less last year to be a Patriot and he has moved on and has very possibly signed his last big contract in his career.  How can anyone find fault in someone throwing money at him and him accepting?

That post had to have been tongue in cheek.
 
I mean, I believe that in Revis' shoes that I would put more emphasis on playing for a SB contender, but that's a very individual choice, and that post reads like it's intended parody to me.  Then again, I don't listen to sports radio on a regular basis....

 

[Ralphwiggum]

I'm bummed it turned out this way, but not surprised.  Loved watching the guy on the Pats, wished he would have come back, but totally understand why he did not.  Saying the guy is a fucking loser or whatever is beyond a childish response to all of this.  Who knows what Darelle Revis really values about where he plays?  The Jets drafted him, it was his home for a long time, it is where he became an NFL superstar, and maybe he thinks the new coach is building something he wants to be a part of.  And maybe he puts some value in being the face of the franchise and recognized as the best Jet ever rather than just another great player who contributed to winning on a TB/BB team. 
 
Beyond all that, to me this just underscores how hard it is to stay good in the NFL for as long as the Pats have been good.  Given all of the talent the Pats have on both sides of the ball they simply couldn't give Revis the deal he wanted without hamstringing their ability to lock up some of the younger guys who are the foundation of the next great Pats teams.  It is really hard to keep the band together, yet the Pats just keep on winning. 

 

[scott bankheadcase]

He treated 2014 as a business decision too.  He chose the place that could garner him the most future earnings with the best chance of winning a Super Bowl.

 
Agreed. And this is what I love about the guy. He even got a ring and now once again is getting a high-value contract on a different team. He's having it all in a system specifically designed to have the players, who take 100 percent of the risk, get discarded.
 
All three other major sporting leagues have at least some regard for their players in their CBAs, the NFL has none. Which makes it great when a player can effectively go against that. 

 

[RedOctober3829]

In terms of fully guaranteed money, Revis got $17 million more than the next highest paid CB.  That is crazy when you think about it.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

 
Some people will never learn.
 
Granted, after the Patriots won the Super Bowl (which they indeed DID do, by the way) I did not foresee the parting of ways with Vince Wilfork, Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis as the first moves towards the team’s title defense.
But if there is one thing that we’ve learned in the last 15 years, it is that these guys generally know what they’re doing, right? I don’t think that’s a ‘fanboy’ take, it seems pretty rooted in line with facts.
 
Did they want to keep Revis? I’m sure they did. Would it have made sense to match what the Jets gave him? They would’ve had to have shaved off even more salary in order to do that, and still needed more to sign anyone else or their rookie class. Yet, you’ll see and hear various ignoramuses spouting that they ‘should’ve just paid the man!’
 
It doesn’t help that there are willfully ignorant sports radio hosts leading the charge on this, with their thinly veiled anti-Semitic comments about the team owner. “They have a budget, Tony, and they stick to that budget…”  Others insist that the Patriots are still paying Revis $5 million this season to play for the Jets.
 
So what is the plan? I really have no idea. Are they going to start their title defense with Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan as their starting cornerbacks? I don’t think so, but who knows?
 
I do know that they valued Devin McCourty enough to make the huge financial commitment to. He, along with Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower are the key cogs to this defense and they are 28, 25 and 24 years old, respectively. They’re the current and future leaders of this group. Chandler Jones is 25 as well and Sealver Siliga is 24. All of those guys will have paydays coming up in the next few years.
 
It’s tough, but that’s how the salary cap works. Name me the last team to go “all in” on the first day of free agency and win the Super Bowl. It doesn’t work that way. Team that spend a lot in the first days of free agency are generally lousy teams who have a lot of cap space because they don’t have good enough players on their own team to pay.
 
The team will play a different style come fall. They’ll have to. I think they’ll figure something out. That’s not blind faith. That’s looking at an established track record and having confidence in the leadership that put it in place.
So the lunatic fringe of Patriots nation (h/t to Kerry Byrne) can howl and whine and moan, and the Jet fans can gloat over another offseason victory, but in the end, I’m pretty confident they’re all going to end up looking stupid.
Again.

 
Bruce Allen at BSMW. Nails it.

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

I do wonder what it is that makes these guys happy.  I mean, in no way can I fault Revis for taking more money.  And, moreover, it's entirely possible he loves the Jets and always wanted to go back there.
 
But if the Jets continue to suck, and the Patriots continue to win - both distinct possibilities - I wonder if he'll ever sit at his dysfunctional Jet locker room, staring at another 6-10 or 7-9 season, watching the Patriots celebrate yet another AFC East championship and battle for another Super Bowl, and ask himself why he chose this.  Money is important, but in real, every day terms, the difference between owning $35 million and $39 million isn't tangible.  That $4 million difference probably will sit in a bank account or investment vehicle and he'll probably never actually see it (it'll go to his grandkids eventually).  
 
So I wonder if he'll ever regret taking extra, surplus, money to play for a losing franchise when he could instead be consistently competing for Lombardis.  

 
To top athletes, the money isn't income, it's a measure of respect.  There is so much about the team's success they can't control in a sport with teams as large as this, so their own income is a proxy for how much they're valued, for how they stack up to their peers, how their career is measured in relative terms.  NFL players have such short half-lives, that compared to, say, NBA stars, I'm astounded every time an NFL player appears to take less to stay in a more comfortable situation or a likely playoff team.  I think Revis is the most rational of the lot, not the one whose priorities need to be explained.
 
Revis will also probably net out much higher on endorsements as the NYJ's top star than as the johnny-come-lately #5-most-marketable star in a much smaller NE market.  Which may have been factored in.  NJ income tax may be higher than MA, but he's not paying NY City/State so the differences are closer than they may appear.  I think he gets substantially more money with the Jets than he would have in New England, at least based on what's been reported.
 
And as has been alluded to, the contract favors him the first 3 years, and then in the last 2, he can just hold out again.  Woody is absolutely the kind of owner who can get fooled twice by the same trick played by the same guy.  Revis is in the driver's seat for his contract, whereas he wouldn't have been if taking any Belichick-negotiated deal.

 

[allstonite]

 
Bruce Allen at BSMW. Nails it.

 
He's usually great and I agree with his sentiment but the anti-Semitic stuff is a bit much. He's implying that it's Felger hinting at that by including Tony but Felger himself is Jewish. I'm all for calling those idiots out but he should at least stick to the facts

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Why is anyone reading Borges for analysis? Have you all suffered head injuries?

 
You of all people know the thrills of hate-reading.

 

[joe dokes]

 
Personally I disagree. I think Revis is a fucking loser.  The guy has made generational wealth already and we don't know exactly what the Pats offered but it certainly wasn't peanuts.  He chose to go to a 7-9 win team for more money vs. staying on a Super Bowl contender.  If this was some UDFA who was going through his one and only chance to cash in, then I wouldn't mind it.  That was not this.  
 
I know he puts his physical health at risk when he plays and should be rewarded financially for that (which the Pats deal would have done), but I have a hard time respecting someone who doesn't place value on winning, his legacy or respect for the game.  He did this for money and I don't respect that.

 
Maybe he's thinking about the 40-50 years of his life after pro football and what he wants to do with it, and how playing in NY would make that better, instead of seeing his life solely through the same lens you do.  Maybe *that* will be his legacy, not some dumb-ass football game?
 
And if you're serious about the money, then you probably dont have a ton of respect for too many pro athletes, most of whom would have other "jobs" if they weren't being paid to play.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

SJH couldn't be more right about ignoring Borges.  I've mastered that. 

 
I haven't read a Borges or CHB article in probably 5-6 years now. Tomase too, but I hold grudges. 

 

[Van Everyman]

 
He's usually great and I agree with his sentiment but the anti-Semitic stuff is a bit much. He's implying that it's Felger hinting at that by including Tony but Felger himself is Jewish. I'm all for calling those idiots out but he should at least stick to the facts

Maybe so. Maybe not. But Revis walking leaves more than a few brothers uncomfortable this morning.

 

[Super Nomario]

 
You of all people know the thrills of hate-reading.

Borges LOVES that you hate-read. Why give him the satisfaction?

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Oh, I don't.  I don't read Borges or CHB, much like SJH, because every time I stumble unwittingly on something written by them, it invariably makes me angry even before I glance at the byline.  This latest piece is no exception.
 
But that's enough media side-talk, from me anyway.  I'm much more interested in the line of discussion I furthered in post 242, and T&A's point of view in 231.

 

[jsinger121]

Dan Koppen ‏@koppen67  19m19 minutes ago
Malcolm Butler just changed his jersey to No. 24! #Patriots

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

I'm a little disappointed but I'm not surprised they didn't want to give that kind of contract to a soon-to-be 30-year-old CB.  One of the issues with that kind deal is that its very hard to get to that kind of effective 3/48 with 40 guaranteed contract while keeping the cap hits in the first two years reasonable, which is what we would have needed to do in order to fill out the rest of the team this offseason and then keep guys next year.  There's no point in signing Revis to make "one last run" if you're throwing street free agents in at other key spots.  You can give the player a huge bonus to defray initial costs (say $25M over a five year contract and then salaries of 5 , 8, 10 to get to $48M over the first three years), but then the bonus money is so large that its hard to cut the player in year four.
 
I also think a realistic analysis of future outcomes for Revis suggests that he's unlikely to sustain first-team all pro level play over the next 2-3 years.  Its too facile to say that he works hard and is a student of the game and therefore will beat the odds.  The reality is that the vast majority of elite CBs in the last 20 years have been unable to maintain a truly elite level of play into their 30s.  The downside risk of having $15-17M of your cap taken up by a good-but-not great CB is pretty significant from a roster construction standpoint.
 
The one thing I don't like about the whole scenario is the Browner angle.  I don't understand the logic of cutting him from a performance/cost standpoint and if they just needed the extra space to better make a run at Revis, that suggests that they didn't plan everything out very well.  There were other ways that they could have created a couple million in space  (ie, a simple Gront restructure, moving some salary into next year and/or converting salary to bonus).

 

[loshjott]

 
And as has been alluded to, the contract favors him the first 3 years, and then in the last 2, he can just hold out again.  Woody is absolutely the kind of owner who can get fooled twice by the same trick played by the same guy.  Revis is in the driver's seat for his contract, whereas he wouldn't have been if taking any Belichick-negotiated deal.

 
I'm not sure a 33 yrd old CB, even Revis, will be in a position to hold out.

 

[The Social Chair]

 
Personally I disagree. I think Revis is a fucking loser.  The guy has made generational wealth already and we don't know exactly what the Pats offered but it certainly wasn't peanuts.  He chose to go to a 7-9 win team for more money vs. staying on a Super Bowl contender.  If this was some UDFA who was going through his one and only chance to cash in, then I wouldn't mind it.  That was not this.  
 
I know he puts his physical health at risk when he plays and should be rewarded financially for that (which the Pats deal would have done), but I have a hard time respecting someone who doesn't place value on winning, his legacy or respect for the game.  He did this for money and I don't respect that.

 
The NFL is a league that's made billions off the bodies of its players. The salary cap in this league is ridiculous (not to mention the fact most contracts aren't guaranteed). The Patriots (like every other team) don't think twice about getting rid of players when they no longer have value. Vince Wilfork is the latest example. I LOVE that Revis is one of the few players in this league that has managed to turn the tables on the league and its owners. 

 

[Three10toLeft]

He's usually great and I agree with his sentiment but the anti-Semitic stuff is a bit much. He's implying that it's Felger hinting at that by including Tony but Felger himself is Jewish. I'm all for calling those idiots out but he should at least stick to the facts

Am I the only one who didn't know Robert Kraft is Jewish?

But, regarding the topic at hand, I think it's sad to see some Patriots fans attacking Revis for leaving for more money. He came here and helped us win a Super Bowl title and now he got his payday. It fuels the "ungrateful" title some people cast on NEP fans. Granted, with this much sustained success, it's hard to appreciate every little thing.

As much relief as it brought knowing that one side of the field was shut down every game, I'm genuinely excited to see what BB and company will cook up this season ahead. You can't complain too much when locking up a guy like McCourty is your "consolation" prize for losing a guy like Revis. This defense is still super young. We really need address the pass rushing this offseason, since the value probably won't be there as far as CB's go. The reason we were able to sign Revis last year, was because we don't sign guys like Revis to a contract similar to what he just got. I'd rather stay flexible for the next 2-3 years ahead, and see if we can get lucky with another star free agent.

The people scoffing at a 4-8 million dollar difference and calling Revis greedy sound incredibly stupid. A lot of these guys don't have a college degree and have nothing else to fall back on once they leave the league. Which could be forced upon them the very next time they step on the field, with a career altering/ending injury. For most of these guys it isn't just about setting up their own family, but other relatives, and close friends. Not that they should be the caretaker for those people, but I'm sure they feel an obligation to at least put them in a better position to succeed at life. That 4-8 million is a huge difference. The fact that needs to be explained is mind boggling. And even if those things aren't a factor that I just mentioned, 4-8 million buys you some really beautiful vacation homes.

Do you guys really think Tommy Boy would be so severely underpaid if his wife wasn't a billionaire? We are incredibly lucky he married someone so independently wealthy.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Points I don't expect the likes of Mazz to be making this week.

 
Who fucking gives a shit about things like this?