Ryan Insists Jets Not Actively Shopping Revis; Bucs 'Losing Patience'?
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It seems the Jets might have to scratch a serious suitor off the board if the Darrelle Revis saga drags on.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers "are losing patience" and "have told people around the league they may have to look at other options at cornerback soon" if they can't strike a trade with the Jets for Revis, according to the New York Post.
The Jets have found only one "willing trade partner" -- and that's the Bucs, the Post reported.
"It's amazing," an NFL source told the paper. "The Jets are going to screw this up."
Revis -- widely considered the NFL's top cornerback -- hasn't been on the field since suffering a torn ACL in September. The 27-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2013 season if he doesn't skip any mandatory team activities.
"I know for a fact that we're not actively trying to trade Darrelle Revis," head coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday from the NFL meetings. "At the same time, if somebody calls, you're going to listen."
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Revis will be looking to sign one of the league's most lucrative contracts for a defensive player — something the rebuilding Jets might not be willing to offer.
"This is speculation," Ryan said of the notion that Revis will definitely be traded. "Everything we talk about it is speculation. It's almost like, 'Well, it's a foregone conclusion.' I don't believe that."
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Buccaneers haven't ruled out trading their No. 13 pick in the upcoming draft as part of a package for Revis. The Jets already hold the ninth overall selection.
"There's only one (team) that knows who they're taking,'' Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik told the Tampa Bay Times. "The thing I'd say is I feel really good about the success we've had drafting players. At the same point, I'm not going to sit there and be bull-headed and not think, 'what's the best thing for the team going forward?' That's the only way you can build it right."
On Sunday, Jets owner Woody Johnson admitted his team was "open" to listening to offers for the four-time Pro Bowler.
"No team is just one player away maybe with the exception of the quarterback," Johnson said. "You can't be distracted by one player. You have to look at everything."
"We would be open to a conversation," he added. "But we're not actively out there beating the bushes, because he's on the team and we expect him to be on the team. … We fully expect him to be up to the Revis Island that we've all known and loved."
Revis received a $1 million roster bonus from New York on Saturday.
Should the Jets pull the trigger on whatever Tampa Bay is offering or hold onto Revis for now? Sound off in the comments...
