Todd Bowles Says Darrelle Revis' Arrest Was 'Shocking'

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles spoke Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine about recently released cornerback Darrelle Revis and the player's arrest this offseason.

"It's shocking, because I know the man," Bowles said, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. "Forget the football player; I know the man. I know he has good character and he's a good guy. Sometimes you get put in situations that things happen. I don't really know what happened or who's at fault or anything like that. I just know the guy."

Revis is currently facing four felony charges for his alleged role in a Feb. 12 fight in Pittsburgh. But he also had a cap hit of $15.3 million in 2017, per Spotrac.com, and Bowles reiterated Thursday that releasing Revis had nothing to do with his legal issues.

"Obviously, the business side of it... had a lot to do with it as well," Bowles acknowledged. "Trying to move a guy and project a guy from corner to safety at that kind of salary is kind of tough."

Nonetheless, Bowles defended the five-year, $70 million deal the Jets and Revis agreed to in March 2015, a mammoth contract.

"I think it was a good idea," he said. "I think it was a good call at the time. Obviously, he didn't play as well this year. Neither did anybody else, but he's a good football player, and that doesn't bother me at all."

Still, holding on to a player who was Pro Football Focus' 64th-best cornerback (h/t Peter King of The MMQB) at such a huge price made little sense for the Jets going forward, especially given the uncertainty surrounding his future position. Revis may transition to safety, but it would have been an expensive experiment for the team.

Plus, the Jets are clearly in rebuilding mode. They have also released veterans like center Nick Mangold, tackle Breno Giacomini and kicker Nick Folk this offseason, while Cimini noted that Brandon Marshall could be cut and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson could be moved via trade.

Revis may ultimately be remembered as the greatest Jet in the history of the organization. But the writing was on the wall for the cornerback in New York this offseason.