NFL teams
Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer 11y

Bucs may deal pick for Darrelle Revis

NFL, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The New York Jets are open to trading cornerback Darrelle Revis, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be willing to part with their first-round pick to make it happen.

Bucs general manager Mark Dominik said Monday at the NFL meetings in Phoenix that he hasn't ruled out including the 13th overall pick in a compensation package for Revis, according to the Tampa Bay Times. That's a key development, because it was previously reported they wouldn't surrender their No. 1 in next month's draft.

"If we think it's in the best interest of the team, we will do something -- if that's a player that everybody is speculating [Revis] or maybe it's a player at a position that nobody has thought about," Dominik told the newspaper.

"But certainly, these meetings are very healthy for those kinds of discussions to see if there is a way to get this team better and does that include players or draft picks or a combination? That's what we'll look at.''

Dominik's comments came one day after Jets owner Woody Johnson said he'd consider trading Revis "to make the team better." Johnson declined to comment on whether he has talked to other teams, but the Jets and Bucs have engaged in discussions, sources said.

There appears to be too much mutual interest for a deal not to happen.
The Jets are rebuilding and see Revis as a major bargaining chip, one that they could parlay into draft picks. The Bucs owned the league's worst pass defense last season and, after signing safety Dashon Goldson last week to a $41.5 million contract, they see Revis as the missing piece.

Dominik said an elite cornerback like Revis is "really hard to find. They really are rare and that makes them an interesting commodity. You go into the draft every year and everybody thinks maybe that's the guy but there are very few of them. When they come out, it's pretty noticeable who they are."

The X factor is Revis' health. He's only five months removed from ACL surgery and he's not scheduled to start running until next month at the earliest. The Bucs seem willing to take on that risk for a player of Revis' caliber.

There's also the matter of a contract. Revis is entering the final year, due to make $6 million (he earned a $1 million roster bonus last Saturday), and he's seeking something in a $16 million-a-year neighborhood.

That may seem exorbitant in a slow cornerback market, but the Bucs and Revis don't see a new contract as a major hurdle, according to sources.

The Bucs would want a long-term deal because Revis could walk as an unrestricted free agent after the season. There's a clause in his current deal that prevents his team from using the franchise tag.

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