Jets “Exploring Options” for Trading Darrelle Revis

Now that the New York Jets have a new General Manager in John Idzik, meddling owner Woody Johnson has now given him his first big task.

That is to “explore options” for trading cornerback Darrelle Revis, according to reports by Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports and the New York Daily News.

If one looks deeper at just the facts, then this shouldn’t really surprise or come across anyone as big news.

Revis, who was a 1^st round pick for the Jets in the 2007 draft is a 27-year old cornerback who is coming off an ACL injury in the 2012 season opener against the Buffalo Bills on September 9^th and was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Revis is owned $6 million this year which would make plenty of sense if the All-Pro cornerback was completely healthy. But Revis also wanted a new deal last summer and the Jets did no budge. That makes for some interesting decision making in the front office. Revis will surely want more money regardless if he’s coming back from knee surgery on his ACL and will enter the 2013 offseason as an unrestricted free agent. Via his contract, the Jets are prohibited from placing the franchise or transition tag on him. The Jets are projected to be at $30 million over the salary cap this offseason and Revis’s contract will actually add to that total if he were to be traded because of the accelerators and bonuses.

In essence, Revis has the upper hand in dealing with the Jets, which makes trading the arguably the best cornerback in the NFL that much more difficult in regards to not only his contract but the fact that he’s coming off an ACL injury.

Remember, Revis is not Adrian Peterson or Robert Griffin III, no two ACL injuries are alike and rehab for each individual is different and all three of them play different positions, making their rehab also different and the way they play and move around on their knee different.

In 2006, the Tennessee Titans wouldn’t even let Steve McNair in the building because if he were to get injured the Titans would be on the hook for a guaranteed $50 million. The Colts let Peyton Manning walk when they did not want to take a chance with his neck and started a new era with Andrew Luck.

The point?

As history has always shown, even the best players in NFL history become expendable. Darrelle Revis is no different.

When the Jets hold their press conference to introduce John Idzik as the team’s new General Manager, he will have a chance to address the situation.