Mike Florio reported early Tuesday morning that the Buccaneers are losing interest in making a trade for Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, something he attributed to the difference in what the two sides thought was fair compensation in a trade.
That’s a reasonable snag, although we wouldn’t be surprised if the Buccaneers weren’t also getting tired of the semantic games the Jets insist on playing when it comes to trade talks. Rex Ryan spoke to reporters on Tuesday and pushed a line that the Jets have been pushing for weeks even though it is quite clear that they have more than just a cursory interest in hearing what other teams might be willing to give up for Revis.
“I know for a fact that we’re not actively trying to trade Darrelle Revis. But if somebody calls, you listen,” Ryan said, via Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
The Jets may well be telling the truth when they say they are open to all possibilities with Revis, including an extension that keeps him with the team beyond the 2013 season. To keep beating the drum that all you’re doing is listening when teams call is a bit silly at this point since we’re clearly well past the point of a random phone call here or there to gauge interest in a potential deal.
Ryan said he does not believe it is a foregone conclusion that Revis is gone before the start of next season and he’s absolutely correct. No matter how hard they try to make it seem otherwise, though, the state of his knee and the prospect of negotiating a big new extension feel like much bigger stumbling blocks to a deal than the Jets’ uncertainty about what they want to do.