Darrelle Revis will be a Buccaneer before the draft. Believe it. I do.
No, I can't prove this. No, I don't have any sources that say this. What I do have is the ability to analyze a situation and come to reasoned conclusions. As do most people. Let me explain why I think the Buccaneers will trade for Revis this season. It comes down to three simple facts.
- The New York Jets will not play Revis this year. There's no point to it: they will stink this season. They have too little talent not to stink. And they won't extend Revis next offseason, so they'd be letting the best cornerback and one of the best defensive players in the NFL walk for free if they do not trade him. No, they can't use the franchise tag: Revis' contract forbids it. NY Daily News writer Manish Mehta agrees.
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be the only real Revis suitors. There were early rumors of other teams, but those have disappeared completely. This means the Bucs have plenty of leverage, as the Jets have little recourse but to trade Revis to Tampa Bay. And the persistent rumors from multiple writers suggest that this is real.
- The Bucs have a massive need at cornerback. Their roster: Anthony Gaitor, Danny Gorrer, Leonard Johnson, Myron Lewis, James Rogers, Eric Wright. And that last player is likely to be cut soon. Most quality free agent cornerbacks are off the market already. With the Glazers having signed off on a trade, nothing stands in the way of matching need with the best player in the NFL.
The only real conclusion I can come to right now: the Bucs will trade for Darrelle Revis because they don't have a lot of other options, they want to, and the Jets want to get rid of Revis. Everything's aligned for things to come together. The Buccaneers and Jets just need to agree on a price.