Darrelle Revis: 10 Reasons He Doesn't Deserve His New Deal
As of Monday, the Jets have signed Darrelle Revis to a four-year contract, with approximately $32 million in guaranteed money.
Revis believes he is the best corner in the NFL, and wanted to be paid as such. But does he deserve this kind of money?
Here are 10 reasons Revis Island didn't deserve a contract the size of the one he got.
10. Asante Samuel
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Remember Samuel? He was a ball-hawking cornerback from the New England Patriots, who was regarded as the next big thing in the secondary in the NFL.
What happened? He signed a massive contract with the Eagles, and has underperformed, finding himself getting beaten as he makes plays to try and intercept the ball, rather than just defending the pass.
Revis has a higher ceiling than Samuel did, but the Eagle serves as a warning that a player with a big contract may try to pad his stats, rather than making the safe play.
9. Nnamdi Asomugha
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Asomugha is the primary reason behind Revis' new deal. He was the highest paid cornerback in the NFL before the Revis contract, and he's widely seen as an elite playmaker.
But, there's nothing to indicate Asomugha isn't better than Revis. Remember, prior to the upcoming season, the Raiders only deployed Asomugha on the left side of the field. Now, he'll shadow a team's best receiver, like most elite corners do.
I'm not saying Revis isn't better than Asomugha. But this season will go a long way towards showing us who the best in the league is. Maybe the Jets should have waited a year to see.
8. Tony Richardson
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Richardson was a 15-year NFL veteran fullback for the Jets heading into the season. He was cut by GM Mike Tannenbaum to save the team a bit of money (Richardson can re-sign with the team after Week 1, without the guaranteed salary).
Richardson's value, like most fullbacks came from his blocking and his locker room presence. He's a savy, intelligent, well-liked veteran presence.
Revis' contract only serves to tighten the Jets' financial belt. That means there could be some more high-character veterans who depart the team before the deal is up, and the team's chemistry could take a serious hit.
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7. The Contract Itself
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Sure, Revis Island's deal was worth less than what he had been asking for most of the off-season.
But it's still worth a minimum of $32 million over the next four years, making Revis tough to drop if he underperforms, and almost impossible to trade. If he plays to his potential, it will be a steal for the Jets. But, in the NFL, a lot can happen, and that's a lot of money to pay a guy who's on the bench or hurt.
6. Asomugha's Contract
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Here's the thing about Asomugha's massive three-year deal: it shouldn't count as the benchmark. Why? Al Davis, longtime Raiders owner, is crazy, and could possibly be dead at this point.
Look at what he gave Darrius Heyward-Bey, a guy most draft experts saw as the third or fourth best wideout in the 2009 draft, and a guy who would be more of an upside pick than an instant star.
Clearly, Davis isn't in his right mind when he gives contracts to players, so none of the deals those players signed with the team should count as benchmarks. They skew the contract market significantly, which hurts the league in the long run. In short, it means that when players like Revis want to be paid as the best corner in the league, they should look at Champ Bailey's contract, rather than Asomugha's.
5. The Precedent it Sets
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No one would argue that Derrelle Revis isn't an elite cornerback in the NFL. But his contract sets a dangerous precedent in the league. Why? Now agents have a non-crazy owner signing a corner to a big deal. Think Revis will be the only one to get one of these? Think again.
Revis is a great player, but he's not an earth-shattering one. Big contracts like this skew the market and raise everyone's salary,even players who don't deserve it. Revis deserved a big payday, but perhaps not this big.
4. His Position
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Revis Island plays cornerback, an important position in the NFL, but one whose job involves repeated failure. Even if a corner plays a ball and a receiver perfectly on every play, he will still get beaten 3-4 times a game. It's just the nature of the sport.
So the Jets are giving serious money to a player who, even on his best day, won't completely prevent a player from being a factor? Doesn't seem worth it to me.
3. He Doesn't Make That Much Difference
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Revis is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. And he certainly can't not only help, but improve a Jets defense that looked good, but not great in the preseason. But can he really help that much?
It's not like the Jets don't have other options at corner. Antonio Cromartie is a good player, and the Jets have a number of talented rookie or second-year corners who can fill in.
I'm not saying Revis isn't clearly the better option, because he is. But is he so much better that the Jets needed to give him all that money now? Perhaps. But nothing in sports is ever a foregone conclusion. Cromartie is a good corner, and the young guys could turn out to be good. Perhaps the Jets could have survived without Revis.
2. The Pressure
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For the fourth year in a row, Revis will be plying his trade in one of the biggest, toughest markets in sports: New York City. Jets fans are notoriously fickle, and expect results this season.
Asomugha has a huge contract, but he plays in Oakland, where expectations have lowered significantly. With a contract this size, Darrelle Revis will be expected to perform at an incredibly high level. If he doesn't, and the team struggles, he will shoulder a major chunk of the blame. How will he handle the pressure of expectation?
1. He's Only Done It For Two Years
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Revis is a fourth-year player for the Jets. His first season was strong, but not excellent. That means he's only performed at an elite level for two seasons. Most guys don't get big new contracts until they've proven it over three or four years.
Revis got his deal after two years. Will he keep his level of play high? Possibly. But he hasn't shown that he can do it over a long period of time yet. For that reason, the Jets should have waited a season to see if he can do it with the publicity making him a household name.
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