Darelle Revis Will Attend Jets Training Camp
Although contract negotiations between the New York Jets and cornerback Darrelle Revis have not been entirely fruitful, the disgruntled player has stated that he will in fact report for training camp.
The reason Revis will be attending the August 1 camp that is being held in Cortland, New York is to maintain a guarantee in his contract. He currently has the option to void his contract following this season with the Jets; he has the right to buy back the remaining two years for $20 million, fully guaranteed.
This means if Revis were to miss any sort of time deemed mandatory due to his contractual issues, the Jets would have him under contract for two more years. The first year would cost the Jets $5 million, the second $15 million. As Revis seems to be at odds with the New York front office, the possibility of two more years as a Jet may be something he would prefer to avoid.
Revis wants to be the highest paid cornerback in the National Football League, but also wants a large sum of guaranteed money. The Jets have been attempting to sign him to a long-term, high-wage contract but have not been able to offer the guarantees that Revis wants.
The Jets have made Revis two offers, but he has rejected both thus far. A source close to the organization says the Jets are prepared to make Revis the highest paid defensive end in the League, but the guarantee aspects of the deal have not been resolvable. The Jets seem ready to offer Revis a contract worth more than $100 million, or may simply extend his rookie deal for another six years with a sizeable pay increase.
Revis wants to be the highest paid cornerback in the League, a distinction currently belonging to Oakland Raider Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha signed a three-year, $45.3 million extension in 2009.
Given the nature of contracts in the NFL, which unlike any other major sport are not guaranteed, Revis is doing the right thing. The Jets have built their success upon their defence, and Revis is the strongest part of that backfield.
It is insulting that the Jets don’t have the heart to give Revis guaranteed money because it shows a lack of faith in his abilities. Revis played in all 16 games last season and had 47 tackles and six interceptions. He was also voted the American Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
If the Jets felt confident in Revis maintaining those All-Star performances, they would guarantee Revis some money and put him at ease. Instead, they are most likely going to affect his on-the-field performance through their off-the-field insensitivity.
Many players have been victims of the non-guaranteed contracts in the NFL and Revis is in the position to avoid such a situation. In the end, he is far too valuable an asset for the Jets to let go, so to a certain extent he will get whatever he desires.
Revis has consistently emphasized that his dilemma has nothing to do with coaching or any of the other players. It is a strictly monetary problem. As the Jets are one of the highest touted contenders for the Super Bowl this year, it is essential they resolve anything with Revis as soon as possible.
If things do go sour, the Jets will lose a lot of their defensive efficacy without ‘Revis Island’s’ one-on-one guarding abilities. In a professional sport where contracts heavily favour owners to players, Revis’s performances have allowed him to turn the tables. The 24-year-old is one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL and deserves to be pampered by his team in the manner of elite cornerbacks like Charles Woodson and Asomugha.
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