Back in 2014, Darrelle Revis was coming off a tough year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was expected to be an elite corner, and had fallen short of expectations. Despite that, Revis attracted suitors when he was released by Tampa Bay after failing to deliver his expected value. One of those suitors was the New England Patriots, who signed Revis to a one year "prove-it" deal for $12 million.
First Season with Patriots.
The deal that Revis made with New England was beneficial for both sides. New England received an elite cornerback who delivered massive value at his contract price.
In the 2014 season, the Patriots went 12-4 and won the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks. Per usual, opposing quarterbacks refused to throw the ball anywhere near Darrelle Revis, who routinely broke up passes thrown his way. At the end of the season, the Patriots were faced with an interesting question: Sign Darrelle Revis again?
Back to the Jets.
The Patriots were smart enough to avoid signing Revis to a long term deal. After Darrelle's solid season with the Patriots, the Jets decided that they wanted him back and signed him to a five year deal worth $70 million with $39 million guaranteed. In 2015, it certainly looked like the Jets had made a good decision. Revis had a solid season and was considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
2016 Season.
Last season, it all fell apart for Darrelle Revis. He was beaten routinely by opposing wide receivers and was considered one of the worse cornerbacks in the league. A player who had once been seen as a shut down corner was routinely beat deep and proved he had lost a step. And at 30 years old, who could really blame Revis?
He might have been one of the best players in the league in his prime, but he is no longer in that position.
Why the Patriots Shouldn't Sign Him Again.
In Tampa, Revis was limited by a Buccaneers zone defense that didn't fit his skills. The Patriots pounced on the opportunity and signed Revis to a low risk one year deal. This time, the situation is much different.
Revis is already 31 years old. He was in the same defensive system with the Jets in which he had so much success. And he was bad last season. Now that the Patriots have signed Stephon Gilmore, there's really no reason to sign a player who had so much trouble last season for any amount of money.
