Revis Island heads south as cornerback inks contract with Buccaneers
Darrelle Revis will be in a Buccaneers uniform this season. The most sought-after cornerback in the NFL inked a contract for unspecified terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Cole first tweeted the confirmation from both teams.
Revis is battling back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 3 last season, and he has continued his rehabilitation in Arizona. He reportedly flew from New Jersey on Sunday morning to take a physical with the Buccaneers medical staff. That evaluation reportedly satisfied Tampa Bay as to his ability to play in 2013.
Cole expects the deal to be worth between $15 million and 16 million per year, which has been the case for other high-profiled deals in recent memory. The details of the deal are expected to be hammered out by Sunday night or Monday morning.
Don’t feel too sorry too quickly for the Jets. Analysts are expecting New York to draft at least one top cornerback due to the trade in the draft, as they own the No. 9 pick in the draft and it is a relatively weak market this year for quarterbacks, who traditionally own the top picks. New York drafted Revis 14th overall in 2007.
The absence of Revis within the AFC East will be a cause for celebration for the division’s offenses. “Revis Island” has always been a matchup nightmare for elite wide receivers. Whenever the Jets came to Foxborough for the weekend, all eyes tended to be on the Brady-Revis matchup featuring arguably the best quarterback throwing against the most talented cornerback.
In the era of pass-friendly, quarterback-centric dominance, Revis has proven that defense is the most effective cure against an opponent like New England that wins games by simply scoring a lot of points. His remarkably apt defensive plays and instincts are also fun to watch, friend or foe.
Revis is now the flagship player for a Buccaneers team that struggled last season against the pass, ranking dead last. Tampa Bay has much to gain from the trade. New York will lose a great defensive presence, but they survived even without Revis last season.
A closer look at the numbers:
The Buccaneers have allowed 30 passing touchdowns to the Jets’ 20 in 2012. That’s 50 percent more touchdowns allowed, an atrocious number. The Buccaneers gave up 775 yards in the air more than they gained. That number for the Jets is a meager 145. Since both starting quarterbacks have similarly low quarterback ratings — meaning neither had very good seasons — the yards allowed vs. yards gained comparison should be more telling of the teams’ defensive performance than the Jets and Buccaneers skill offensively.
There’s also the matter of completed pass for vs. completed passes against. The Jets also completed 272 passes to the opponents’ 266. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, is in the red. They had 311 completions, but allowed 410 completions by opponents. Although both personnel and schemes are factors in taking away opportunities, a differential of 105 completions in a 16-game season should be an indication that one team’s defense isn’t doing well overall.
This should make for an exciting season for Buccaneers fans.
