I’m still in the air, somewhere near Albuquerque (hello Mr. White, yo!), but the owners already are in Phoenix. And they’re talking. And the media who beat me to the Biltmore are listening.
Jets owner Woody Johnson has addressed the team’s current, confusing situation with cornerback Darrelle Revis. As it relates to the widespread presumption that Johnson doesn’t want to sign Revis to a long-term extension, Johnson said such talk is exaggerated and “patently untrue,” according to Tom Rock of Newsday.
Well, if that’s the case, why haven’t the Jets launched contract talks with Revis? As of the middle of this past week, there had been no communication aimed at working out a new deal -- even though the Revis camp would contend that Johnson promised to give Revis a “Derek Jeter” deal upon completion of the third year of the cornerback’s four-year contract.
While it’s entirely possible that the torn ACL from which Revis is rehabbing complicates things, why not at least say so, directly to Revis?
Also, if the chatter about Johnson not wanting to pay Revis is “patently untrue,” then every report that the Jets want to explore trading Revis is “patently untrue,” too. Because if Johnson wants to pay Revis, there’s no reason to trade him.
In our assessment, the Jets are trying their best to adopt the “no intent” posture that the Vikings parlayed into a trade of Percy Harvin. Whether that’s too late when it comes to getting a first-round-pick-plus for Revis remains to be seen.