NFL Executives 'Convinced' Darrelle Revis Will Sign With Patriots, 'Perfect Fit' For Bill Belichick's System
BOSTON (CBS) -- A bit more smoke is starting to surround a potential Darrelle Revis-Patriots reunion.
After one executive told The Boston Globe's Ben Volin that it "makes sense" for the Patriots to sign the veteran cornerback, several NFL executives have now told CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora that they're "convinced" Revis will return to the Patriots in 2017.
La Canfora quoted one anonymous executive, whose team looked closely at Revis and believes the 31-year-old can still play:
"We did our work on him. 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 Jets released Revis earlier this offseason, thus making him a free agent -- one who's available at the lowest price of his entire Hall of Fame career.
The Patriots already signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore this offseason, a move that likely takes care of that aforementioned role of covering No. 1 receivers. And with Malcolm Butler potentially still in the mix, the addition of a low-cost Revis would certainly make sense from a football perspective.
Of course, there is an off-the-field perspective, considering the initial Patriots-Revis divorce was not particularly amicable. But Belichick's history has shown that he wouldn't let any such factors interfere with whatever is "best for the football team."
