Did Darrelle Revis Backstab The Bucs?
January 29th, 2015
Darrelle Revis’ handlers blew up two trade deals the Bucs had on the table, claims CBS Sports.
Fascinating what can happen when solid writers have a week to sit down and probe NFL contacts, coaches and executives to dig up a juicy story. And heavy-metal-headbanging Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports did just that.
La Canfora pieced together a story on just how All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, shoved out the back door by the Bucs last offseason, turned up on Bill Belicheat’s front door.
Now, with the Bucs in the basement of the NFL, Bucs fans can only wonder what would have become of their favorite franchise while they watch Revis play in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Naturally, the path of Revis to New England began in Tampa Bay. But La Canfora types that Bucs general manager Jason Licht had trade offers on the table for Revis that he was about to consummate, but Revis’ suits let those potential franchises know he wanted nothing to do with them, and the trades collapsed.
The Bucs had little leverage — it was clear they would ultimately cut Revis rather than give up the higher pick to the Jets and to avoid a looming $1.5M roster bonus, and Revis and his agents are the rare men to have thrived, repeatedly, even when opting to hold out or not report if necessary. If perennially losing teams didn’t realize that dealing for Revis, and willingly continuing to pay him $16M a year, was a lost cause — he wasn’t going to end up at some outpost — they would soon enough.
Revis, as well as his agents, declined to speak about other teams or the specifics of any talks with them, but the list of potential suitors was long. NFL sources said the Raiders and Browns both had deals with Tampa essentially in place for Revis, but those trades were scuttled when it became clear that’s not where Revis would be interesting playing. Sources said Jets coach Rex Ryan was consumed with re-acquiring Revis — a former first-round pick of his and someone who could immediately lift New York’s depleted secondary (one that ended up damning their season), but could gain no traction with his appeals to ownership and the front office.
At one point Ryan told confidants on his staff he thought he would maybe pull off acquiring Revis “around Idzik’s back” but nothing materialized and while Ryan was acutely monitoring the situation and trying to keep the Jets in the game, in reality he was losing time. Ryan made a calculated gamble that, unable to convince others in the organization to give up a draft pick for Revis, he’d be able to get them to secure him as a free agent, at a lesser salary. But sources said even that gained little traction within the front office and the Jets had quickly earned a reputation for being patient and prudent to a fault during this regime.
Essentially, the pick the Bucs saved turned out to be running back Charles Sims. So in the future, Bucs fans, when you watch Sims struggle, as he too often did this year after a lengthy injury, you can proudly remember this is what is left of the Revis deal.
Joe always liked Revis. The stud corner always treated Joe respectfully, even with difficult questions after agonizing losses. But it sure seems like, reading La Canfora’s piece, he did his best to muddy the waters in Tampa Bay on his way out.
As Joe has stated before, haters can’t hang that on former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.
January 29th, 2015 at 8:04 am
The guy is a mercenary.
Simple as that…..
January 29th, 2015 at 8:21 am
Sometimes there’s more thatn meets the eye….
January 29th, 2015 at 8:23 am
This is another reason to consider L & L were forced to work out of the big mess Dom & Schiano left the franchise in. Hated to see my BUCS force the deal for Revis. He was great, but it was a real shortcut to try to get back to relevance. Without long term vision no team will get to the next level. Worst GM in the NFL last decade. #smfh
January 29th, 2015 at 8:36 am
No … Bucs fans can’t hang losing Revis on Dominik.
However we CAN hang BRING HIM HERE ON DOMINIK!!!!
That was the worst trade in the history of the franchise.
January 29th, 2015 at 8:44 am
he muddied the waters in Tampa? Joe give me a break. They could have kept him but chose to get rid of him. The fact that they couldn’t get a deal done is nobody’s fault but the Bucs and Licht. If Dominik was here, Revis would still be in a Bucs uniform and making a significantly larger contribution than both Verner and Johnson combined. Everyone knows that.
January 29th, 2015 at 8:44 am
This was just another of countless organizational blunders. Par for the course with this franchise unfortunately. I will remain hopeful that this off season is different but……….
It is kind of like expecting to get something other than turkey on Thanksgiving, it is possible but not likely.
January 29th, 2015 at 8:47 am
The Only way you can’t hang that awful trade on Dominick is if one of the Glazer comes out and states that they ordered the trade. The negotiations lasted way too long and was appartent that the Buc was the only serious team to trade for Revis, but still when the Bucs has all the leverage, dominick does what he does, he over pays! It was apperent to most by the closing of that season that Revis did not want too be in Tampa. So thanks to Dominick we lost a 1st and 4th round draft pick on a team that has holes everywhere!
January 29th, 2015 at 8:55 am
Can’t blame the guy for not wanting to play for Cleveland or Oakland.
January 29th, 2015 at 9:04 am
The fact of the matter is Lovie had one of the best defensive players in the game and he didn’t want him. The Bucs would’ve been able to afford him for at least another season or two. Instead of paying the salary to a stud, they’re paying for a bunch of duds. Hand picked duds by Lovie. Oh well. Water under the bridge. Onward and upward.
January 29th, 2015 at 9:10 am
I wouldn’t want to play for those teams either. But this story seems fishy. At the same time why would he want to play for the Bucs, who are in the same category of terrible teams across the league without a respectable secondary? And I find it very hard to believe that the Browns and Raiders would be willing to trade for him and pick up his ridiculous “Rockstar” given contract, even if it was because Revis didn’t want to play there. Everyone figured the Bucs were going to cut him loose. They did and thus completed one of the worst trades in Bucs history, or should I say the one-year rehab job for the Patriots?
January 29th, 2015 at 9:18 am
Every awful thing that happened this season will be completely worth it come April.
January 29th, 2015 at 9:24 am
Front office are just waiting until after the SB to trade our first round pick for Revis and his 20 million dollar contract.
You just know it’s going to happen don’t you…
January 29th, 2015 at 9:53 am
No contract ? Per an article in the TBT’s today L&L did offer two years @ 11M. Sounds like Revis just wanted out.
January 29th, 2015 at 9:54 am
the man knows what he is doing, thats why he is the best
January 29th, 2015 at 10:05 am
I was never on the Revis bandwagon. Way too much money for what he brought to the field. Like one overpriced hot shot was going to propel the Bucs to immediate success.
January 29th, 2015 at 10:06 am
Jay Glazer>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Adam Schefter>>>>>>My dog’s crap>>>>>La Canfora
He truly is the worst. If this is what he’s saying, you can basically assume the opposite happened.
January 29th, 2015 at 10:16 am
Revis: a gm’s worst nightmare, a coach’s best friend.
January 29th, 2015 at 10:18 am
Lacanfora also said Freeman is a “great kid” who will have a long successful career, since he knows his father (and he said it while the big crackhead was trying to torpedo the franchise)…guy is a damn hack who also once said Mike Sherman being the head coach of the Bucs was basically a done deal.
January 29th, 2015 at 10:20 am
When the Bucs traded for Revis, they were bidding against themselves…the Jets otherwise were gonna just hold him there and let him leave after 2013 yet somehow the “Rockstar” gave em a 1st and a 3rd but, oh, what a genius trade cause it dropped to a 4th if he wasn’t on our roster the 3rd day of the next league year or whatever. Dom got bamboozled by bidding against himself!
January 29th, 2015 at 10:22 am
We can damn sure hang Reavis’ being on the team originally on the “Rock Dud”! Obviously he and the Bucs learned NOTHING from his past history! Reavis cares only about the money and whomever he can get it from! Having said that, would YOU want to play for the Raiders or Browns, the two NFL franchises that can actually claim the reputation of being worse than the Bucs? The “Rock Dud” was an unmitigated disaster! Thanks to ALL of you who got Chucky run out of town and everything that has sprung from that!
January 29th, 2015 at 10:24 am
…and yes I spelled Revis’ name wrong. He doesn’t deseerve to have it spelled properly! So Naaa! 🙂
January 29th, 2015 at 10:26 am
PREACH, gt40bear!! Amazing how the local media LOVED The “Rock Dud” yet hated Gruden, especially the drunk doofus on DAE. !
January 29th, 2015 at 10:40 am
He was already traded to Tampa who in their right mind wouldn’t block a trade to Cleveland or Oakland? Mark Dominick made a bad trade and licht did what he could to clean it up. He wasn’t loyal in a city like new York so what do you expect him to do to a franchise like our
January 29th, 2015 at 10:43 am
Joe intentionally finds any way to defend Dominik. It’s obvious. If he was such a great GM the Bucs wouldn’t be the joke they’ve been since 2009.
January 29th, 2015 at 10:50 am
Don’t blame Mark Dominik?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
This whole Revis mess should be totally blamed on Mark Dominik!!!
Just the absolute worst GM in NFL history…
January 29th, 2015 at 10:56 am
Joe – unfair of you to hang the stench of that awful trade on charles sims. Smh..
January 29th, 2015 at 11:05 am
Joe the “Rockstar” apologist. If you honestly think trading for a 1st/4th for the right to give Darrelle Revis 16 mil when a bounty of Free Agent cornerbacks were available taking a third of that who have performed just as well (Grimes, Talib who the “Rockstar gave up on) was a good move then maybe you should go back to covering baseball, because football isn’t your sport.
La Canfora never said what was included in those potential deals but you can be certain neither Oakland or Cleveland was stupid enough to be giving the Bucs a 1st round pick for their 16 million dollar man. That was the foolish price paid for by a foolish man who knows a thing or two about massively overpaying people (Michael Clayton, Eric Wright, Dashon Goldson, Michael Koenen, Carl Nicks).
January 29th, 2015 at 11:16 am
Idzik was so bad that he lasted a scant two seasons in NY (is that a record?), and still got Teflon Dom.
Imagine Sheldon Richardson next to GMC.
January 29th, 2015 at 11:29 am
Dominick bid against himself for Reemus. Then signed him to 1yr contract for 16 million and gave up a 1st and 4rd pick for a player coming off a knee rehab. Which typically requires a year before it is 100%. The Bucs go on to have an awful season. Lovie had no choice but to move Reemus. Reemus is a better contract negotiator than corner and is not worth franchise quarterback money. Ever !
Chalk up another bad decision for Dominick.
January 29th, 2015 at 11:43 am
He’ll be in Buffalo next season.
January 29th, 2015 at 11:50 am
Who knows if Revis backstabbed the Bucs on the way out, but he certainly gutted the Bucs on the way in. Dominick set this franchise back 20 years with his awful decisions. It will take several seasons for the Bucs to pull themselves out of the hole that he dug, so we will just have to be patient…
January 29th, 2015 at 11:53 am
BucTrooper Says:
January 29th, 2015 at 8:36 am
No … Bucs fans can’t hang losing Revis on Dominik.
However we CAN hang BRING HIM HERE ON DOMINIK!!!!
That was the worst trade in the history of the franchise.
————
That was probably the worst trade since the Vikings acquiring Herschel Walker…hmmm funny, Herschel and Walker…. having The Walking Dead thoughts popping into my head…anyways, you don’t pay top free agent money to a player AFTER you’ve already given up a high 1st and a 3rd round pick to get him, especially one coming off a torn ACL. That’s called double payment. If you wanted to trade for Revis and he wasn’t coming off an ACL injury AND he wasn’t making franchise player type money, let’s say $5 mil a season (which would be a bargain for a good CB), then he would have DEFINITELY been worth the picks. If he was a free agent and they shelled out $16 mil a season AND he wasn’t coming off an ACL injury, it might have been worth it. But you add in all of those parts and it doesn’t equal a good trade.
January 29th, 2015 at 12:03 pm
Everyone forgets that this is a business and the smart ones like Revis know they only have so many years in it as a player. He seems to be a nice guy and is a great player who wants to earn the most money he can and also be noted for excellence and a career after playing is over.
Here he was not able to play his best because the players surrounding him plus the coaches were not that good. He wanted to be on a winner and he is with the possibility of winning a SB now and he is in one for sure.
Was he worth the money while he was here, I think so because if Banks and company that learned from him continue to grow we will have much better players. As for winning, we saw what happened to Payton Manning when his line was over powered by New England, he was not able to win, it takes a complete team and coaching staff.
So with a 600% increase in wins next year, we can be there, but we already have world class cheerleaders so all we need is the team.
January 29th, 2015 at 12:05 pm
The Revis trade isn’t even the worst trade of the last 3 years (pretty obvious what is….). The trade itself was not bad, elite players are not readily available and not cheap to acquire. Dumping him after his rehab year is the problem. But we are the Pats farm team so we once again did what a good minor league club does for the big team.
January 29th, 2015 at 12:16 pm
Can’t hang it on Dominik? It is the deal that he structured.
January 29th, 2015 at 12:35 pm
I always got a feeling that Dom was being buddy buddy with Idzik since they used to work together when he didn’t really need to be..as bad as Idzik was with the Jets he still probably laughed his behind off at Mark being such a putz!
January 29th, 2015 at 12:43 pm
Sims might of struggled this season behind a crappy offensive line, but he will be a dynamic in the next few seasons. Mark it down. 😉
January 29th, 2015 at 12:59 pm
Revis was a huge mistake in multiple ways. I want to forget about that ever happening, it was simply foolish.
January 29th, 2015 at 1:03 pm
It’s all about the bucks… Wonder where he’ll be next year.
January 29th, 2015 at 1:35 pm
This isn’t new. Back when we let him go I believe there were numerous reports, Not sure if it was on JBF or not, but it was all over that Revis’s camp was sabotaging any trade deals. It even was speculated that the leak about us releasing Revis was done by his camp.
January 29th, 2015 at 1:42 pm
The entire time Shat-On-Yo was here, he was a mole for the Patriots. Plane and simple.
January 29th, 2015 at 1:44 pm
JOE is way off here.
YOU CAN blame The ‘Rockstar’ for selling the farm for a Rent’a’Player in Revis coming off a major injury, with so many other talented FA CBs available.
The Bucs weren’t one CB away from the Super Bowl.
How does JOE NOT GET THIS!!!
DOM SUCKS DUDE!!!! This was a huge error on his part!!
One of the worst trades ever!
BRENT GRIMES.
Go Sucs!
January 29th, 2015 at 1:53 pm
would loved on see this organization start being the “top” for a change…but as long as the Glazers own it they will always be a “bottom”….
January 29th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
All I can say is that if he were still here this season, there is no doubt in my mind we would have lost out on the “chase for Jameis”! That alone is worth it all to me. 🙂
January 29th, 2015 at 2:19 pm
Dominik never sold “the farm.” Two picks is not “the farm.” So Revis wasn’t worth a mid-level first round pick and Charles Sims? Come on. Put the Haterade down.
January 29th, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Revis is the best corner in football right now. He’s a virtual lock to end up better than any player from the 2013 draft. Charles Sims was a complete throw away pick, an utter waste, so he shouldn’t even be counted as part of it. So Revis for Richardson straight up, Revis is easily better.
January 29th, 2015 at 2:53 pm
Mid level pick joe?
It was #9 or #13 if I remember correctly, which ended up being Sheldon Richardson, the Defensive rookie of the year. I’m not a total rockstar hater like many, but that was one of the absolute worst moves ever!
We lost out on a defensive stud, who could have helped this team for years, so that we could go 4 – 12 and still lose out on a 4th rounder in the last draft.
Absolutely terrible move by Dom.
January 29th, 2015 at 3:49 pm
Saying Charles Simms is a waste of the pick is pretty damn ignorant if you ask me. A rookie getting injured in training camp for 12 weeks and having surgery is a huge deal, and if you think otherwise you are brain dead. Let’s see what he does next year before we make ignorant conclusions.
January 29th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
lion EVERYBODY that walks through one buc goes limp…seriously how many broken free agents, weak sauce draft picks and lame coaches do you need to see come through this organization before you realize that there little to no resolve….so yeah Simms was a bust because he did nothing all year…its that simple…you perform then we can evaluate if you’re not here you are nothing to me…
January 29th, 2015 at 3:59 pm
And Revis is a piece of dogmeat? And Dominik would have drafted Richardson? Lot of dot-jumping there.
Have yet to hear anyone suggest Richardson should have a bust in Canton. Revis is damned near a lock someday.
January 29th, 2015 at 4:30 pm
Come on, Joe. The Bucs could have easily picked up Brent Grimes for half the cost, drafted Richardson (Dom did use a 4th on Spence that year), and would have Richardson for many more years than Revis, who will be pushing 30 this year and who knows that ACL injury could take a toll a few years from now.
Of course this is all hindsight, but I could see Dom pulling the trigger on Richardson had we kept the pick. Or using it on somone like Desmond Trufant or Kenny Vaccarro.
January 29th, 2015 at 4:32 pm
@joe,
Never said Revis was dog meat, but with his contract, there was no way he was playing here for more than a year or 2. I also never said Richardson was a future HOFer either, although he’s certainly very good so far.
I’ll take an above average player who anchors my d-line for 4 – 5 years over 1 year of 1 highly Paid cb. And btw we won 4 games with him, so how much good did it do? Sorry Joe but this was just a bad move all around.
January 29th, 2015 at 5:41 pm
Ugh. Good to hear you are responding Joe, so riddle me this: Darrelle Revis and Sheldon Richardson are both pro bowlers. Revis was set to make 16 million, Richardson 2.5 million. Richardson is 5.5 years younger and 13.5 million dollars cheaper: Which player makes more sense for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today or last year? You tell me genius.
Now replace Richardson with Star Lotulelei, same salary 4.5 years younger. Which one makes more sense. THEN: Add All Pro Brent Grimes/Aquib Talib for less than half the money, or Sean Smith (Smith and Grimes were both courted by the Bucs) http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/1/29/7926817/kansas-city-chiefs-sean-smith-extension-2015 . Now please tell me, you aren’t stupid enough to think that Revis then or now made total sense. Revis on a 4-12 and/or 2-14 team makes NO sense. If you think it does, stick to baseball.
January 29th, 2015 at 7:06 pm
Yes Joe, I am “hating” on an unemployed (in the NFL) GM for pissing away a 1st and 4th Rd. pick for one year with a $16,000,000 injured mercenary when we could have signed three other healthy, mid to top tier CBs in FA and kept the picks.
Your Dominik nut-huggery is blinding you on this dude.
Yes… I am HATING!
Go Sucs!
January 29th, 2015 at 7:10 pm
Joe why don’t you give Sims a break . The kid was hurt most of the season , but did show glimpses of what he is capable of behind a terrible run blocking . You have no patience . An optimist you are not . You are a Negative Nancy .
January 29th, 2015 at 10:17 pm
Danny Mcmullen Says:
“Joe why don’t you give Sims a break . The kid was hurt most of the season , but did show glimpses of what he is capable of behind a terrible run blocking . You have no patience . An optimist you are not . You are a Negative Nancy .”
Well when the team you cheer for ends up tanking games down the stretch to go 2-14 then it is very hard to be an optimist. Sims was a 3rd round pick and though unfair to him due to his injuries; there was expectations of him to contribute this season. The same could be said of 2nd rounder ASJ who basically made one play all ****ing season after which he did a classic Captain Morgan pose that gave the Bucs a 15 yard penalty on the ensuing kickoff…. Hopefully both will have strong sophomore seasons under OC Koetter and make the critics admit the Bucs had a decent 2014 draft after a few seasons have past…. The whole offensive scheme was out of whack thanks to Marcus Arroyo who was put in a no win situation as a result of Joe Tedford almost landing the “Big One” and a trip to the Happy Hunting Ground. Nothing was done intentionally (well after the Bucs were 2-10 I think a decision was made to lose out for draft placement) but the offense was bad, it never gelled, the only positive attribute was Mike Evans. The defense did show signs of life but none the less crapped the bed itself in a few of the close losses where a late stop would have insured victory (Rams, Vikes, Saints loss 1 etc…) yet they found a way to hand victory to the opponent….
So yeah Danny; a lot of us are Negative Nancies right now; the only thing that will turn Buc fans’ frowns upside down is winning and it seems like the Bucs simply have not been able to do that much; particularly at RJS since Malcom G had the stroke and the lads took over and started this turnstile of short term coaches….. Its hard to be optimistic when the team wins 2, 4, 7, and 4 games in the past 4 seasons….