Darrelle Revis released: Buccaneers say goodbye to star cornerback

Darrelle Revis is no longer a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, per Mike Garafolo. The star cornerback has been cut after just one year on the roster, saving the Bucs $16 million and a third-round pick. Had Revis been on the roster by Wednesday, 4 PM ET, the Bucs would have sent their third-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft to the New York Jets. Now they'll send them their fourth-round pick instead.

The Bucs traded a first-round pick for Darrelle Revis last season, handing him a non-guaranteed, $16 million-per-year contract. That came with the expectation that he'd be the focal point of Greg Schiano's defense, but it didn't work out that way. Instead, the Bucs are left with nothing to show for their 2013 first-round pick.

Lovie Smith's defensive philosophy focuses on the defensive line, with cornerbacks being less of a priority. Tying up $16 million per year in a cornerback doesn't make sense for Smith's defense, no matter how good that cornerback is. Releasing Revis will allow the Bucs to add talent across the board, which is just what the team has done in free agency so far, signing Alterraun Verner and Michael Johnson, among others. And they're not done yet.

Still, getting rid of the best cornerback in football simply because he's earning too much money looks like a bad move, even if it allows the Bucs to spend like crazy in free agency.