In an in-depth examination of Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis’ sudden boycotting of voluntary offseason workouts, ESPN’s Rich Cimini brings up an interesting dynamic to the situation.
Revis’ holdout began on Thursday, the same day HBO’s Hard Knocks began filming at the Jets’ practice facility. (Camera crews were set up on Wednesday.)
“Thursday’s boycott was orchestrated,” writes Cimini. “That Revis skipped Thursday was no coincidence.”
Cimini doesn’t go into much detail as to what this means, but we’ve got a few theories.
1. The timed commencement of Revis’ holdout indicates that his intent is to continue his holdout into training camp. Hard Knocks doesn’t air until August 11.
2. Revis’ agent is using HBO to make his client’s desire for a new contract as public as possible. The Jets don’t exactly have a great reputation for extending their young players’ contracts. All-Pro center Nick Mangold is also in search of a lucrative pay day, and is deserving. The Jets’ failure to appease their disgruntled youngsters might make the organization look bad in front of a massive audience, spurring G.M. Mike Tannenbaum into action.
3. A conspiracy theory: HBO is working with Revis to pump up its ratings. Hard Knocks always needs a good story. Revis is the game’s premier cover cornerback, and possibly the best young defender in the league. His displeasure with the Jets’ front office is intriguing.
Still, as Cimini cautions, Revis’ holdout is not overly concerning at this point. The sides have two months to hammer out an agreement, and the workouts Revis is currently skipping are voluntary.
Jay Glazer of FOX Sports predicts that the Jets and Revis will eventually agree to “a huuuuge deal.”