Darrelle Revis put together the worst year of his career in 2016 and was released by the Jets despite being guaranteed $6 million next season. The team was willing to pay him to simply stay home.
A return to the NFL hasn't been ruled out for the 31-year-old and seven-time Pro Bowler, though, and multiple people are reportedly under the impression that Revis will make his way back to New England.
According to Jason La Canfora, a Revis return to the Patriots "looks increasingly likely." One personnel person told La Canfora that he believes Revis can still play, but his team is convinced he's headed to New England.
"We did our work on him," the personnel man told La Canfora. "He can still play. He can cover. He doesn’t have that long speed anymore; he’s not going to cover a No. 1 receiver deep. But he can cover in tight spaces and he has great instincts. The film is not as bad as some would have you believe. He’s a perfect fit in that quarters scheme Belichick runs, and they have the kind of safeties who can help him out, too. We’re convinced he’s going back to New England. It just makes too much sense."
The Patriots could have some depth concerns at corner should Malcolm Butler play elsewhere in 2017. They signed Stephon Gilmore to be their top bread-winner at the position, and they have Eric Rowe, Cyrus Jones and Jonathan Jones rounding out the depth chart.
Revis could be an attractive option to potentially fit into the mix as a top-three guy at the position, but does he still have the ability to reach that level? Quarterbacks had a rating of 104.2 when targeting him last season, and he has admitted he was in less than peak physical condition for the 2016 season.
Bill Belichick typically likes to field motivated teams that are hungry to compete for championships. After Revis won his title in 2014 with the Patriots, he earned a huge pay day from the Jets and seemed less than fully-motivated in his second season after returning to the team that drafted him.
New England Patriots
Revis insisted recently that he still wants to play.
"The hunger is definitely there," Revis told reporters last week after he had assault charges dismissed in Pittsburgh. "It’s just passion and love for the game. I’m excited for the season to start. I can focus on what team I can fit with and the best system."
Some believe a move to safety is coming for Revis, but the Patriots are well-stocked there with Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon as their top-three options.