Setting The Record Straight On Revis
March 12th, 2014
When your website regularly gets 25,000+ sets of passionate eyeballs visiting daily, it’s expected that a chunk of those people will think you’re a complete moron — along with those who think you’re a genius.
That’s how life is for Joe, who is constantly being called an idiot and a blessing. That’s just fine, but Joe feels the need to set the record straight this morning as it relates to soon-to-be ousted, all-world cornerback Darrelle Revis.
On Jan. 1, literally minutes after Lovie Smith was hired, Joe wrote this story that dove into the reality that Lovie likely would want to boot Revis and his salary to gain extra salary cap room for more players. Joe was roundly criticized by the analysis, which was the first of its kind in the media.
For example (keyword, “example”), the Bucs could probably sign 2014 Pro Bowl cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Aqib Talib for less than what Revis would cost, and they’d get the extra draft pick.
The Revis trade in April was a win-now move for the blitz-happy New Schiano Order defense, but it may not be viewed as such by Smith and his eventual general manager.
Of course, Smith could always get creative and find ways for Revis to be more effective than he ever was with the Jets. But who knows?
Joe likes Revis and was impressed by what he offered, outside of a couple of apparent loafs in the season finale in New Orleans. Smith, however, might have other ideas one what it will take to bring the Bucs a ferocious defense — and Smith will get what he wants this offseason.
Writing the above excerpt on New Year’s Day didn’t mean Joe wanted to ditch Revis, just like Joe now expressing that he would have rather kept Revis for 2014 doesn’t mean Joe thinks Lovie can’t or won’t win without him.
Joe doesn’t hide from his opinions — past and present — and Joe’s unafraid to change his analysis as factors change. Loving and thinking Bucs football 24/7 is a fluid analysis. Sharing takes, respectfully arguing, debating, agreeing and disagreeing is what makes it all fun.
Yes, in the coming days, Joe will shake his head and wonder loudly what could have/would have been with Revis in the fold for 2014. It’s Joe’s right as a passionate fan. Just understand that Joe fully understands the business of the NFL and don’t confuse what Joe wants with what Joe thinks Lovie and Jason Licht will do.
March 12th, 2014 at 8:59 am
All in all, love me some Joe! 🙂
March 12th, 2014 at 8:59 am
The Revis situation is an epic fail by this organization, and the new regime shoulders half the blame for that fail.
March 12th, 2014 at 9:00 am
Joe, I for one don’t agree with your apology piece you just wrote, this is JoeBucsFan.com not JoeNFLscout. Joe has no idea what you’re referring to.–Joe
Stand up and be wrong, while just keeping in mind that you want whats best for the bucs. That is a fan right and wrong, when its all said and done, we all just want to see this team in the playoffs.
March 12th, 2014 at 9:02 am
Awe Joe….. I like to pick at you bout Johnny. Other then that, your web page and NFL page are the only ones I’ll read. Love the site! Just not the Johnny talk! Lol that’s my poke at ya for the day
March 12th, 2014 at 9:03 am
joe youre right how can a buc fan not be mad about the fact that the best corner in the nfl is leaving our town. however, the signing of verner kind of easy some of that pain. go bucs
March 12th, 2014 at 9:03 am
Man that was great and Joe should know there is nothing personal or at least it should not be! Good take on how Joe thinks!
March 12th, 2014 at 9:08 am
When Revis makes All-Pro next year and his playing in the playoffs with a contender is when its really gonna hurt. We never got to see the generation’s best corner actually do what he’s supposed to do. Make all the claims about getting 3 players for the cost of 1…you’re ignoring that the 1 players is at worst in the top 3 at his position. None of the other 3 guys we got are top 10 in their position.
March 12th, 2014 at 9:10 am
I just want to know why you refer to Mark Dominik as a rock star.
It’s a nickname Joe used in 2010 after Dominik was in demand by various national NFL media and put together a string of appearances, you know, like a rockstar promoting an album. Joe never retired the nickname. It’s just that simple.–Joe
March 12th, 2014 at 9:10 am
HUH? Not sure if Joe is clamoring for kudos here or an apology or what?
Joe’s not clamoring for anything. –Joe
March 12th, 2014 at 9:15 am
Well I know for sure that I feel 99.9% better today than I did yesterday at this time… I’ll tell you what that was a heck of a day of free agency for the Bucs.
This time can make me more emotional than a spioled 16 year old girl with a horomone imbalance.
Although the greedy side of me still wishes they could find a way to keep Revis.
March 12th, 2014 at 9:21 am
I’ve read this 3 times and still don’t see the point.
That’s fantastic! –Joe
March 12th, 2014 at 9:21 am
I think its kinda obvious what Joe did here. Some people thought because he posted what was going to happen, it represented what he wanted to happen. Not the same. He knew Revis was probably gone as soon as Lovie was hired, but I can obviously see from his posts he is not happy about it at all.
March 12th, 2014 at 9:50 am
What?….
March 12th, 2014 at 9:54 am
Ha ha…. who thinks you are a genius?
March 12th, 2014 at 9:59 am
Meh-
How’s a bad deal from the beginning, how is this a epic failure?
March 12th, 2014 at 10:00 am
Joe- Love your web. Love listening to you on BIG DOG. Truly respect your opinion as you have a lot more info than WE do. Sometimes it is tainted from the perspective of a fan but I keep remembering the name Joe Bucs FAN. Keep up the good work..whenever I feel there may be news yours is the first place I go!
March 12th, 2014 at 10:01 am
Getting near zero value out of a hall of fame corner is an epic failure.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:05 am
To put this simply! If your house was in ruin and crumbling down around you, it wouldn’t make much sense to have a ferrari in your garage! The money can be spent across the board to fill so many needs! If all our starters from last year were all free agents, most of them would have trouble finding a team as a starter
March 12th, 2014 at 10:07 am
Most thoughtful piece you’ve written this week! My strategy too! Once you see the inevitable, get on board! See a parade, jump in front of it!
March 12th, 2014 at 10:08 am
Thanks for the history on that Joe. I assumed it was a reference to Dominik’s successes as GM. Some say that ‘rockstar’s” downfall was his inability to wash his hands of his mistakes. I was thinking that maybe this lesson could be applied to your nicknames, but if it’s simply a reference to his national media exposure upon his promotion (really?), so be it.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:10 am
Initially I was upset about losing Revis, actually I still am but signing Verner does help. But it appears Revis doesn’t want to play for the Bucs. All he has to do is take a little less and prove he’s worth more which is what he’ll have to do with another team anyway. Too bad we can’t keep Revis and Verner. Fact is we paid 16 mil for not a whole lot of production. There’s no guarantee Revis will return to who he was and obviously the new GM didn’t want to make that gamble. But we’ll see, money motivates Revis and by seeing which team he picks will show you if he wants to get paid or win a championship.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:17 am
“I just want to know why you refer to Mark Dominik as a rock star.”
It’s a nickname Joe used in 2010 after Dominik was in demand by various national NFL media and put together a string of appearances, you know, like a rockstar promoting an album. Joe never retired the nickname. It’s just that simple.–Joe
You know I love you guys Joe, but IMHO, if you guys want to set ANY Record straight, please make a sticky post explaining why you guys called Mark Dominik a “Rockstar”.
When I try to tell people about this place, some have said “OH, that azzhole who thought Mark Dominik was a Rockstar”.
Mark Dominik is pretty much public enemy number one in Tampa right now.
LOL. That’s ok, Chris. Joe can’t please everybody, and that’s ok.–Joe
March 12th, 2014 at 10:26 am
I voiced my opinions yesterday about this debacle, and I still stand by them, but I also see the business side of it, the $16 million investment in one guy who is not a QB is hard to grasp, but this isn’t just any CB, this is a top 3 at worst, you have to pay for this kind of talent. My only regret is not getting back what we literally threw away to get him, thats not on Dominik thats on these guys.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:28 am
So what did the Bucs get for that lost first round pick last year?
March 12th, 2014 at 10:31 am
I prefer Teflon Dom or The Gambler.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:31 am
A good poker player knowa when to cut his losses and walk away from the table.Time to unload Dom’s biggest blunder and move on.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:42 am
Talib and grimes for less than 16m? Didn’t happen. Not hat it was that much above, but still above. We coulda signed talib and verner for about the same though. Lol hopefully peanut signs. Give him 6 million a yr for 2 years and we’ll be set.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:43 am
Nice round about way to pat yourself on the back Joe.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:45 am
It’s interesting people are still calling Revis a top 3 CB. Well, he sure didn’t play that way regardless of the circumstances. Let’s face facts, he was a top 3 CB but he’s not anymore and who knows if he’ll ever be again. If you’re on the field you’re expected to play at a high level, especially getting 16 mil for a season and you’re not a QB.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:45 am
Thanks joe. At least I know that you read and respond to our comments. Your my favorite bucs blog and I share this with all my fellow buc ppl.
March 12th, 2014 at 10:52 am
Nice piece Joe. So…..what DO you think the Bucs will do with their first pick?
March 12th, 2014 at 11:06 am
New regime is trying to make Revis debacle work out best to improve the “team” not one over paid, overhyped diva. If Revis wanted to stay in Tampa he could restructure his contract. He is not going get anywhere near contract Dominick gave him in the open market. So why not stay with Tampa for the same money. Because he is a closet media whore. The last 3 years this guy has been in contract negotiations. Move on!
March 12th, 2014 at 11:12 am
Bee, seeing as people love to use PFF as a reference, PFF has Revis, off inury even, as their top rated CB in the league last year. He’s still one of the absolute best, and by the end of next year he will be right back the absolute top, especially with a coach who knows how to use him (unlike Schiano and apparently Lovie)
March 12th, 2014 at 11:15 am
I found JBF less than a year ago. I always assumed “rock star” was something along those lines that Joe stated above. It’s probably because there was no way in hell he could be a rock star any other way.It had to be something along the lines of always being in the spotlight.
March 12th, 2014 at 11:22 am
If they want to get rid of the bad taste of cutting Revis then they should jump up to the Texans or Rams spot and grab Johnny Football. Other than that I think we will be talking about what could have been for a long time.
March 12th, 2014 at 11:36 am
Everybody, quit hating on the Rockstar! The guy did some really good things in his tenure in Tampa…
For example, he traded a 2nd round pick for Kellen Winslow and his terrible knees and gave him a huge contract that nobody else would’ve paid him. With that pick we could’ve taken a stud DE out of GTECH, Michael Johnson, who was taken by the Bengals 20-something picks later.
He signed Derrick Ward to a huge deal, such a big deal that Ward got so fat he could barely get into and out of his exotic Italian sports car he bought.
He drafted freaking BRETT BOWDEN, an average at best punter in college in the 6th round, just a few picks from where draft faller and one-time project 1st rounder, DE Greg Hardy was taken by the Panthers.
He gave Clayton a giant contract 5 years after his last productive season.
He bypassed Cameron Jordan, a DE that totally tore up the Senior Bowl, and a guy that could play LDE, RDE, or pass rushing DT, for Adrian Clayborn, a RDE only that has the burst of a LDE only.
He hired Shiano…who is more to blame for the Bucs problems than Dominik.
He completed the trade for Revis, sending 1st and 3rd rounders to a team for a guy that was going to be a free agent the following year (and could be signed with no compensation) and then proceeded to sign him to a contract that was well over market value (still). That and the guy was coming off an ACL injury…
Oh, allowed Michael Bennett to walk…traded Blount for next to nothing, handled the Freeman mess about as poorly as could be handled…
So come on, what has Dominik done that was so bad?
March 12th, 2014 at 11:45 am
@ Brandon
Thanks for summing up what the last F*cktard GM did in Tampa. Could agree more!
March 12th, 2014 at 11:49 am
Thanks Brandon! Dumbfuknik traded a first and a third for Revis, then gave him so much money, we couldn’t afford to keep him!
March 12th, 2014 at 11:52 am
Mevis looked horrible against the Eagles, thought he was gonna cause a sinkhole getting spun around so much!! Looked horrible against Panthers and Saints. When young guys are schooling you, you are no longer Elite!! Love the new regime!!
March 12th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Mevis made $16 million dollars last year. Far more than every CB in the league. By not restructering his contract he proves to me that he is not about team, but all about himself. A great talent but I say good riddance. We need team players, leaders, veteran mentoring etc.
March 12th, 2014 at 1:23 pm
Joe,
It’s because of you why I stopped my subscriptions on other Bucs-related sites.
I may not agree with your opinions 100% but you’re always my first go to search in the work place and in the house. You’re the man. Keep doing what you’re doing. No other fan base is lucky enough to have a source like this.
March 12th, 2014 at 1:24 pm
“Hindsight is 20/20”, “no need to kick a dead horse”, “water under the bridge”…. insert analogy here.
We are never going to agree with everything our team does. Nor, can we foresee some of the “mistakes” the Bucs have AND WILL make. Lets stop patting ourselves on the back because someone’s opinion came to reality or didn’t. Nobody here works at One Buc.
I’m on board regardless, that’s called being a fan. Stop the belly-aching and lets go kick some Buccaneer a$$!
Joe- You do a great job with the sight. Keep up the good work.
March 12th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
*site
March 12th, 2014 at 1:30 pm
Joe…wouldn’t it be smooth if Licht stuck them and refused to release him…and then when they are desperate and can’t find talent between now and the draft, we pick up some nice picks…worst comes to worse, we convert the contract to the bonus/7 mil. cap hit. Tell the vultures waiting to pick our bones on this deal to “climb up a rope”.