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Keidel: Revis And Butthead; Should Jets Airmail Darrelle?

By Jason Keidel
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Considering their dearth of decent talent and hiring an obscure number-cruncher instead of personnel savant as GM -- didn't we try this already with Mike Tannenbaum? -- the Jets are performing perhaps the ultimate mutiny by shopping Darrelle Revis, the best cornerback they've ever had.

My friend Jeff Capellini (you may know him as Green Lantern on Twitter) learned that Gang Green is looking to dump the only lockdown corner in the NFL.

Let's understand this. In a totally transparent, vanity movie, a way of flexing their social media muscle and bogart the back page, the Jets traded for Tim Tebow knowing they'll never play him but they can't stand keeping a man who makes all his hay on the gridiron.

There are, however, some off-field concerns with Revis. And If they weren't the New York Jets, ensconced in the netherworld of second-tier teams wrought with mouthy, mutinous players, botched drafts, and managerial anarchy, the idea would have some merit.

For all his dexterity on the field, Revis is a certified diva at the negotiating table. As soon as the ink cakes on his contract, he's already pining for a new one. And, at 27 and coming off serious knee surgery, Revis is in no position to demand Peyton Manning money. But what makes the world so cynical about this conflict is that Woody Johnson is behind it.

Johnson doesn't want to re-sign Revis to a long-term deal. So let's understand this. Johnson was all for Tebow, and almost surely orchestrated the trade for the Twitter God (despite myriad attempts to dump all dead weight on Mike Tannenbaum), but he doesn't want the best player his team has drafted since he bought the Jets. The notion of keeping a Hall of Famer makes the shampoo heir's hair stand, but he's good with Tebow, who was at best a distraction and at worst used for this Q rating way more than QB rating. And he had no problem wiring $50 million to Santonio Holmes, a football ringworm who implodes whenever all passes aren't funneled his way.

Objectively, it's easy to at least fathom this football move. But when you see it's the Jets -- who always require context and subtext and cynicism -- you wonder why they just don't pay the man, The Man, Darrelle Revis. God knows they could do worse than shovel a few extra million at the soul of the team who gives you his soul on the turf.

There are so many conflicting impulses to this team and this possible trade that any view is plausible. On the surface, at least, it feels rushed - like running a red light and causing a car crash. Rex Ryan and his red Mustang are a perfect metaphor for a franchise whose future seemed limitless just two years ago. The symbolism is always endless around the Jets. And trading Darrelle Revis could raise more than doubts. It could fly a white flag for years.

Feel free to email me at keidel.jason@gmail.com and follow me on Twitter @JasonKeidel.

Are you conflicted about Darrelle? Trade him? Don't trade him? Oh the pain. Sound off in the comments...

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