The NFL rumors about Darrelle Revis not having much time left in Tampa Bay were true, though he didn’t leave via trade as had been widely speculated.
On Wednesday the Bucs cut Revis, but not before desperately trying to shop the former All-Pro cornerback around the league. Tampa had until 4 pm on Wednesday to trade him or else the fourth-round pick they owed the Jets in the second part of last year’s trade would upgrade to a third-round pick. They cut him instead.
Before Darrelle Revis was released, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had tried to talk him into a pay cut, but he refused.
Now that he is a free agent, Revis is churning up NFL rumors including a possible return to the Jets. New York Daily News writer Gary Myers said the Jets may take a run at him primarily to keep Revis from ending up with the New England Patriots, who just lost Aqib Talib.
The Jets would need some work to get Revis, especially considering his less-than-happy departure from the team before last season.
But all that just remains speculation and NFL rumors. Meanwhile there are concrete reports that the Patriots are interested in Revis . Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the team started making a push for Revis even before he was officially cut.
Bringing Darrelle Revis on board would be a bold move for the Patriots, but Bill Belichick has been known to make a splash and take a risk on players that others view as outside their prime. His push for Randy Moss at a time when other team executives viewed him as a locker room nuisance led to one of the most explosive offensive teams in NFL history, and Revis would also help shore up a defensive secondary that just lost its best player.
Where Darrelle Revis ends up remains in the realm of NFL rumors, but it’s likely he won’t be on the market for long.