Darrelle Revis trade rumors: the Jets are going to screw this up

It seems that Pro Football Talk isn't the only outlet the Buccaneers have been using in their quest to put some more pressure on the New York Jets. The New York Post has a neat little article up on that very subject, and it's filled with hilarious quotes.

The Buccaneers have told people around the league they may have to look at other options at cornerback soon if they can't make a deal for Revis.

"It's amazing," a league source said. "The Jets are going to screw this up."

Accroding to sources, Tampa Bay is the only willing trade partner the Jets have been able to find.

So, let's see. The Buccaneers, one of the most secretive organizations in the NFL. The only organization I know of who managed to keep the signing of a player secret for several days before it got out via official channels, are actively telling people their thoughts and strategies.

Yeah. No. This is about as obvious a ploy for leverage as I have seen in years. Although, to be fair, there's some truth to it: the Bucs will at some point be forced to look elsewhere. I just don't see why that point would be tomorrow rather than at the draft.

For that matter, I don't really understand why this trade would stand or fall with the Buccaneers' first-round pick, on either side. The 13th overall pick represents some value. You can argue over the value it represents, but there's nothing special about that value. First-round picks are valuable, but they are hardly a guarantee of a good player nor are they irreplaceable. That's even more true in a draft filled with good-but-not-great players and where the difference between the 13th overall pick and the 11th pick in the second round may not be as big as it was in previous drafts.

The first-round pick should absolutely be in the conversation -- but the Buccaneers should be focused on getting the best deal they can. They've undoubtedly determined how far they're willing to in their pursuit of Revis, and what would be an acceptable price and what wouldn't. As long as they stick to that evaluation, they should be fine.