Should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Consider Trading For Darrelle Revis?
By Leo Howell
Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
According to a report by CBSSports’s Jason La Canfora, the Jets are heading in a new direction with their new general manager John Idzik, and part of the new plan for New York may be to trade cornerback Darrelle Revis. Revis is without a doubt the best cornerback in the NFL when healthy, and is currently in the midst of rehabbing from an ACL injury. All signs point to Revis making a complete, timely recovery, so the question becomes: Should the Buccaneers consider trading for the dominant cornerback?
At first glance, it seems like a no-brainer. Revis is only 27, and is still in the prime of his career. He’s athletic, smart, and has the ability to lock down any NFL wide receiver. If you’ve watched any NFL football over the past few years, I am sure you know all about Mr. Revis. The contract situation with Revis is where you may begin to pause. In the same article linked above, La Canfora points out that Revis is entering the final year of his contract, and will likely command the biggest contract possible for a cornerback when he hits the open market. This means twice to three times as much as what the Buccaneers were paying Eric Wright, but for an obviously better player.
So should the Buccaneers consider Revis? I think it’s worth it on face value for a one year trial run, to bring in Revis alongside a rookie cornerback brought in for the future. If he likes it in Tampa Bay, he may resign for a bit less than what he’d get on the open market. If not, he can move along and the Bucs will have taken a risk and would have still received the benefit of having an excellent cornerback for a season. The cost of the trade will ultimately be the determining factor. Mark Dominik would be foolish to sacrifice draft picks in 2013 or 2014, as the Buccaneers are still building the core of their franchise and the draft has proven to be a focal point of the current front office.
The Jets will clearly want value for Revis, and unless the Buccaneers were willing to offer a great young player for Revis, it’s likely that the trade would require a high draft pick. I don’t think either scenario is in the Buccaneers’ best interest, as the team is likely still a year or two away from being a competitor. At this point, I just hope Revis doesn’t go to the NFC South, and stays away from the Buccaneers’ schedule for 2013. But if the price is right, I would love to see Revis Island as a part of the Tampa Bay area’s biggest attractions.
So what do you think, Bucs fans? Should the Buccaneers go after Revis this offseason? Leave your feedback below!
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