Darrelle Revis Only Has One Person To Blame

In 2007 Darrelle Revis was selected as the 14th overall pick in the NFL entry draft.  It was quite an honor, as he was the first cornerback selected that year, and only the second defensive back (LaRon Landry was the first taken No. 6 overall).  That August, after missing a significant portion of training camp, Revis agreed to a six-year, $30 million contract, which included $11 million in guaranteed money.  

Rookies are not required to sign such long term deals, and in fact, a player drafted in the first half of the first round cannot sign a contract longer than six years.  Thus, Revis, in all his wisdom, signed the biggest longest contract he could. Certainly, the Jets gave him more guaranteed money and a larger bonus because he signed a six year deal. 

That's just how it is done.

Revis obviously took his time, rejecting many offers before finding one with which he was satisfied.  Instead of taking a three-year deal, which would have come with less guaranteed money, he chose to go for as much as he could get his hands on.  Now, it is clear that he did so without any intention of playing out that deal.

Rookie contracts can not be renegotiated in the first two years. So, Revis couldn't have asked for more money until last year, which he did. However, he chose not to hold out or create too much of a stir. 

Now, in the fourth year of a six-year deal—the halfway point in the contract that he fought for and agreed to, after having held out of his rookie camp—Darrelle has again decided that he's more important than the team.

So, the one who is to blame for this situation—one person only—is Darrelle Revis.  Had he not been so greedy in signing his rookie deal for six years, in order to get that big guaranteed paycheck, he could have been a free agent by now. 

He and only he could have avoided the situation in which he now finds himself. 

My biggest problem with this guy, honestly, is that he wasn't willing to bet on himself as a rookie, so he took the safe money—the long deal with big guaranteed number.

If he was so sure that he was going to be a superstar, and really thought he would be worth upwards of $10 million per year, as he now reportedly does, then he should have taken a three-year deal with only a few million guaranteed.  And right now, he would be rolling in piles of cash. 

There's no question that he's a good player at a position which many teams are lacking strong talent.  He would have been the biggest free agent on the market this summer. 

However, he made his bed, so now, it's time for him to lie in it.

Certainly, I see the realities of the NFL, and I'm well aware that a team can cut you at any moment, without paying you another cent of your contract (other than the guaranteed money which fuels most negotiations/holdouts these days).  But, Revis was a first round pick, who did hold out as a rookie in order to get what he wanted. 

He screamed and cried and kicked, like a spoiled little brat, and now that he got his lollipop, he's decided he wants a second one—a bigger and better one.  

Looking back to the 2007 draft, all I can think is—thank you so much Carolina Panthers and NY Jets for making that trade, which allowed NY to move up to No. 14, just ahead of the Steelers, thereby saving Pittsburgh from having to deal with Master Eric Bates and his temper tantrums. 

Oh, and way to keep it real rockin' the sideways hat Darrelle...  [dismissive wanking motion]