Bucs Acquire Revis From Jets
TAMPA (CBSMiami) – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired cornerback Darrelle Revis from the New York Jets late Sunday in a trade that will send Tampa's first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2014 Draft to the Jets.
The deal was completed when the Bucs agreed to a six-year contract extension with Revis worth a reported $96 million. However, the contract with Revis contained no guaranteed money from the Buccaneers.
For the Bucs, the deal solidifies a secondary that struggled through much of the year in 2013. Revis, arguably the NFL's best defensive player when healthy, will lock down one side of the field for Tampa. He'll join safeties Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron to form a rapidly improving secondary.
"We're thrilled. It's rare that you get a chance to add a player of this caliber to your football team. That's what motivated us," Dominik said, adding he would withhold further comment until a Monday news conference at the team's training facility.
For the Jets, the deal had to happen as there was too much bad blood between Jets management and Revis to likely continue any relationship. Revis had held out two previous times looking for more money from the Jets.
The Jets will receive the 13th overall pick from the Buccaneers which the team will use to try to fortify a roster that is devoid of much talent. The move by the Jets also likely signals that 2013 will be part of a rebuilding process that could take several years as the team tries to navigate out of salary cap purgatory.
Trade talk involving Revis had been swirling for months, and all along the Bucs were thought to be the most serious suitor. In addition to having the league's worst pass defense last season, Tampa Bay was more than $32 million under the salary cap before landing a player generally regarded as the best cornerback in football.
It turned out, Tampa Bay was the only suitor for Revis across the NFL.
The deal will be measured by when Revis can come back from a torn ACL he suffered last year in a game against the Miami Dolphins. Revis, when healthy, is the best in the business at cornerback. Tampa's doctors said he is healthy to help confirm the trade.
If Revis is healthy and can contribute at the level of his past play, then Tampa got the best end of a deal and the Jets are once again left with nothing to show. The Jets are going to struggle in 2013 and now have picks on each side of the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Incidentally, the Jets will open the regular season against the Bucs.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
