NFL front offices often take a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately approach to acquiring and retaining players. It seems Darrelle Revis is taking a what-are-you-doing-for-me-this-year approach to his contractual demands.

Or, at least, he "may."

Yes, we did, Tom. 

Before we get into the details, it should be noted that the report isn't really big news; we knew Revis "may begin camp as a holdout" long ago when he was asked that very question and answered, "I don't know."

Revis got a little more than what he was asking for in the first two years of the deal ($16.25 million) but is scheduled to make well below that number in the next two seasons ($6.75 million).

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He's arguably the best cornerback in the league and unarguably the best player on the Jets roster, yet his base salary only puts him at No. 16 among cornerbacks and No. 3 on the Jets' payroll in 2012 according to Spotrac. 

It's a tricky situation for the Jets. On the one hand, they can't afford to be without the best player on a defense in transition, but on the other hand, can they afford to bend to his will once again? Would the problem resurface again in two years if the Jets set a precedent of continually making Revis the highest-paid cornerback year after year?

And to think, this entire situation is the fruit of a seed that was planted two years ago.

Revis should have had the foresight to see that the final two years of the deal weren't favorable to him two years ago when he signed the deal. 

The Jets should have had the foresight to see the potential for a holdout after the second year of the deal. Perhaps they did, and that's why they went so hard after Nnamdi Asomugha last year. But the Jets could have approached Revis to get the situation taken care of last year after they failed to land the prize pony of 2011 free agency.

There would be no shame in making Revis the highest-paid corner in the NFL for another three years; there wouldn't be much risk in it, either. He's 27 years old with an almost-spotless injury history. He's not only the best player on the Jets roster but also one of the two best players at his position in the league year after year.

The bottom line is, the Jets don't have to do it, though. If Revis holds out, it kicks in three years at the end of his contract where he'd only be making $6 million per year, according to Spotrac.

If he's got sour grapes now, imagine where his head would be by 2016.

Tom Brady's salary makes him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks year after year. Mario Williams' salary puts him among the highest-paid defensive ends year after year. There's no reason that Revis shouldn't have a contract that does the same for him at cornerback.

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The problem is that the Jets don't necessarily have the money to do so. According to Brian McIntyre of NFL.com, the Jets have $6.044 million in cap space left for this year. That doesn't give them enough space to make Revis the highest-paid cornerback in 2012.

It's easier to justify getting to the table to work something out than it is to justify them allowing him to hold out, but if the Jets bend to his will once again, it wouldn't just be setting a precedent for Revis but also for the team. 

 

Erik Frenz is the AFC East lead blogger for Bleacher Report. Be sure to follow Erik on Twitter and "like" the AFC East blog on Facebook to keep up with all the updates.