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After being selected in the first round of the 2007 draft, Darrelle Revis
was an outstanding during his first stint with the Jets from 2007-2012. His final season ended prematurely due to a knee injury.
His first stint with the team officially ended on April 21, 2013 when Revis was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jets owner Woody Johnson grew tired of non-stop bickering between the Revis’ camp and the Jets over contracts.
The owner also got tired of being smeared in the media by agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod. These two would leak a lot of stuff to writers trashing Johnson and the Jets. There were a number of reporters who essentially turned into surrogates for the Revis’ camp. Schwartz and Feinsod leaked so much good stuff to them, that they often reciprocated by towing the company line of the Revis’ camp.
Johnson was so fed up that he was actually asking candidates interviewing for the open GM job in 2013 questions about Revis and what to do with him. I heard this from a couple of good sources.
Revis spent a year in Tampa Bay before being released. He wasn’t bad there, but not a great fit for their defensive scheme which relied a lot more on zone than man-to-man.
He then played for New England in 2014, had a solid season and got a Super Bowl ring.
In 2015, he came back to the Jets, landing a five-year deal for $70 million with $39 million guaranteed. It also cost Jets owner Woody Johnson an another $100,000 fine for tampering.
The contract was almost a mea culpa to Jets fans who were upset Revis left the first time. It was probably too expensive.
In his two years back with the team, he was pedestrian the first year, and substandard the second year.
He seemed to lose a step, and often didn’t “play the sticks.” What does this mean? It means that if it was, let’s say, “third-and-six,” you are supposed to “play the sticks” and make sure the receiver doesn’t catch a pass for a first down. Revis often didn’t do this, seemingly more concerned with getting beat deep due to diminished speed. This is very bad for a defense. Third down stops are obviously very important in the NFL.
Another problem with Revis was he seemed to feign interest in tackling his last year. Some have theorized that his interest in tackling diminished after suffering a concussion in Houston in 2015.
I hear Woody Johnson was pretty pissed about not getting much bang for his buck from Revis the second time around, especially in 2016.
The Jets released Revis after the 2016 season and he played briefing last year for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Is he a first ballot Hall-of-Famer?
“Should Darrelle Revis make the Hall of Fame, his 29 career INTs would be fewest of any cornerback who has been enshrined: Lowest amount of INTs by HOF corners: Roger Wehrli 40 Mike Haynes 46 Jimmy Johnson 47 Herb Adderley 48 Mel Renfro 52 Deion Sanders 53,” tweeted Gil Brandt.
He probably will get into the Hall-of-Fame on the first ballot because a lot of reporters/voters from outside this area don’t seem too bothered by Revis’ final two years in New York.
Headline on “The Ringer” today – “Darrelle Revis Had a Nearly Flawless NFL Career.”
I don’t think he’s a first ballot Hall-of-Famer. I think second- or third ballot based on his two last seasons in New York, and because of what Gil Brandt said. And Revis should obviously be in the Jets’ Ring of Honor very quickly.
And it’s not sacrilege for me to say he’s not a first ballot Hall-of-Famer. I saw those final two seasons in New York, maybe others didn’t. He contributed to losses in 2015-16.
Revis was a tremendous player his first go-around with the Jets – as good as it gets. His second-time around more like a journeyman.
But certainly an all-time great Jet.
July 18, 2018
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