Talk to enough NFL people about the trade market for cornerback Darrelle Revis and there is a recurring theme.
If the New York Jets want to get this done quickly, they would be best served working with Revis' agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod.
It would behoove the Jets to trade Darrelle Revis soon. (AP)
"If I'm making this deal, there's a lot of stuff I need to know," an NFC team executive said. "I need to know if he's healthy. I need to know if he wants to play for us. I need to know if I'm going to get a long-term deal or is this one year and we'll see.
"But I talk to the Jets and they're like, 'OK, what are you offering?' I can't begin to figure it out."
Revis, who essentially has one year remaining on his contract, is scheduled to make $6 million next season. Following the 2013 season, the Jets can't use a franchise tag on him based on language in the contract.
Because the Jets are about to begin a rebuilding process, they do not want to pay Revis what would likely be in excess of $13 million per year and perhaps as much as $16 million a year. At the same time, any team trying to acquiring Revis would likely be interested in signing him to a long-term deal, particularly any team that is willing to give up a high draft pick or two.
In essence, if the Jets want to get as much as possible for Revis, they have to give teams a chance to negotiate with his agents to see if a long-term contract can be worked out. In addition, they have to give teams a chance to give him a physical because Revis is trying to return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee that sidelined him most of the 2012 campaign.
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However, new Jets general manager John Idzik, who has declined two requests by Yahoo! Sports to discuss the situation, has yet to give Schwartz and Feinsod permission to talk to other teams. In fact, the sides haven't talked for weeks. Aside from a couple of brief exchanges between Idzik and Revis, there has been almost no contact between the sides.
"What the Jets are creating is a situation where [the agents] have to beat them. Teams are saying, 'OK, we're trading picks for you, what kind of discount are we getting on the contract?' " a source said. "Well, why should [Revis] give somebody a discount when he can just wait it out and get his money? It makes no sense."
Conversely, it's in the Jets' best interest to get this done sooner than later before interested teams run out of cap space, and before Revis has to report to the team for the offseason program.
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