The New York Jets have agreed in principle on a trade to send star cornerback Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay for undisclosed draft picks and the Buccaneers have agreed to a long-term contract that will make Revis one of the highest paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL, according to multiple sources.
Revis boarded a private jet Sunday morning to fly to Tampa Bay for an official physical, although the Buccaneers' medical staff is already aware of the results of an MRI exam Revis took April 15 when he returned to the Jets’ offseason program. Assuming the physical goes well, a final agreement could be reached by Sunday night or Monday morning.
“There’s a .001 chance this deal doesn’t happen, so I don’t want to say it’s done,” one source said. “There’s always a chance something could go wrong, but it’s unlikely.”The Jets gave Revis permission to visit the Buccaneers on Sunday morning after reaching an agreement with Tampa Bay on the trade portion of the transaction.
As for the contract, the Bucs are well aware that Revis is seeking a deal worth in the range of $15 million to $16 million per year. Revis’ agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, have told the Jets on multiple occasions that their client is seeking a deal in line with what players such as defensive end Mario Williams (six years, $96 million) and wide receivers Calvin Johnson (eight years, $150.5 million) and Larry Fitzgerald (eight years, $113 million) have received.
The Jets were in a bind for two reasons. First, owner Woody Johnson is not interested in paying Revis what he wants. Second, Revis can’t be franchised after the 2013 season, when he can opt out of the final two years of his contract.
Tampa Bay, which won a Super Bowl two years after making a similarly splashy trade to get Keyshawn Johnson from the Jets in 2000, have both the salary-cap space (the team is $28 million under the cap) and the experience with Schwartz and Feinsod. The Bucs signed wide receiver Vincent Jackson to a five-year, $55.5 million deal last season. Jackson is represented by Schwartz and Feinsod.
The teams have been working on the trade since the NFL scouting combine in February.
because they had more picks to offer.
