Darrelle Revis (Photo : Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports/ Reuters)
Darrelle Revis decision to return to the New York Jets by virtue of a contract didn't shock the New England Patriots at all, because the reigning Super Bowl champ knew from the start that Revis Island would be just a one-year rental, according to Boston Herald writer Dan Shaughnessy.
In his recent column, Shaughnessy opined that the Patriots were barely shaken by Revis' flight to division rival, Jets. In fact, sources who once believed Revis would be long-term fixture for the Pats never discounted the fact the cornerback would change his mind and bolt out at the moment free-agency starts. Of course, returning to the Jets all along has been his top preference.
"Now that dialogue has dissolved. Now the Patriots knew all along. The same people who told us Revis liked it here are telling us that - all things being equal - Revis was going to go back to the Jets no matter what. And everybody's buying it, because, well, the Patriots just won the Super Bowl and everything they do is part of a master plan that is unmatched in American sports today," Shaughnessy stated.
Despite becoming a major cog in the Patriots' Super Bowl campaign, Revis was never considered a top priority heading into the free-agency season because they felt 'father time' would soon catch up the 30-year old Revis. Perhaps, this mindset is the reason why the Patriots let Revis sign with the Jets to a five-year, $70 million contract with $39 million guaranteed, sans any signs of regret.
The exodus of players led by Revis certainly left several loopholes in the Patriots system. However, history tells that the Pats have been successful in plugging these voids with new personnel capable of replicating similar results year-in and year-out. Most of all, they get things done without putting themselves into cap space quandary.
"Let Revis go. Let Brandon Browner go. Let Vince Wilfork go. The Patriots don't want to be in cap jail. The league is changing. Smart teams won't be playing man coverage in the future. Revis was overrated. Age was creeping up on him. He was going to go to New York no matter what. If New England signed Revis it would have been a stroke of genius. But since it opted not to commit $39 million, it's also genius."
