Don't Get Angry At Revis

You have likely heard on the compunet or on your bro's transistor radio that Jets All Pro Cornerback Darrelle Revis is holding out of the Jets training camp. He is unhappy with the organizations inability to provide him with a contract extension that suits his financial needs and perceived talent on the field. His leverage is the omnipresent public perception that he truly is the best at his position if not side his side of the ball.

Some of the passionate Jets fans out there see this as act of greed on Revis' part. Some want to believe that the old fashioned, "honor your contractual obligations" way of going about your work defines the attitude of how they WANT their favorite NFL players to be like. Some fans see that Revis is due to make 1 million dollars this season and they think that is enough for someone to live by comfortably. Tweeters also saw that Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum wanted to go to Darrelle's house to talk in person and try to work something out but Revis's camp denied this act of "truce". It was also reported that Tannenbaum offered 3 different contracts that were all rejected.

Camp Revis sincerely affirms that the #1 corner in the league should receive the #1 highest paycheck of any corner in the league. Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha inked a three year $45.3 million, $28.5 million that made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. Revis, understandably, wants to have a larger per year contract value and more of that money guaranteed.

Life, talent, and success in the NFL is fleeting and one play can alter lives. I can't ever blame someone for not doing everything they possibly can do within reasonable ethical and legal boundaries to earn as much money as they can for themselves and their families. My opinion is that the Jets need to pay him at least the same amount of money guaranteed with incentives that exceed Asomugha's overall deal value but instead of 3 years, 4 or 5. This should get the organization more bang for their buck. But Revis needs to consider all angles too. He needs to envisage that Jets team roster situation. He has 3 other teammates who also deserve an extension in the near future (Nick Mangold, Dustin Keller, David Harris). The team has invested money this year in several veteran teammates who will hopefully bring the team to the next level.

If he holds out a 2-3 weeks then I can't hate on the man for trying to earn the best living he can according to what his skill set calls for. If he is in shape and up to date with everything he needs do then I'm fine with him coming to camp late. The only way Jets fans should get angry is if he hurts the team by holding out for too long and becomes a distraction for the rest of the team. Lets hope a deal gets agreed on sooner than later.

Should Revis play out this year and wait for a new contract next year?