The Buccaneers were the only team interested in trading for cornerback Darrelle Revis. For plenty of teams, Revis wasn’t a consideration because they simply didn’t have the cap space.
The Bucs had, as of Monday, more than $33 million. By adding Darrelle’s unique, pay-as-you-go, $16 million annual deal, they still have more than $17 million remaining for 2013. That money can be spent this year, or it can be carried over to help cover next year’s $16 million Revis allowance.
Only four other teams could have given Revis the same deal without creating additional cap space: the Eagles ($23 million), the Jaguars ($27 million), the Browns ($33 million), and the Bengals ($28 million).
Technically, the Jets had the ability to give Revis what would have amounted to a $10 million raise, since the Jets currently have more than $11 million in cap space. The Jets, however, would have been required to clear cap space to sign their draft picks. (And owner Woody Johnson would have had to want to pay Revis that kind of money.)
So while other teams may have been interested, only four teams could have pulled it off right now. Others, in theory, could have done it earlier in free agency, before spending money elsewhere. But the unknowns associated with his torn ACL and the inherent possibility of future contract squabbles (which the Bucs don’t believe will happen) made it hard for many of 31 possible trade partners to be willing to roll the dice.
UPDATE 1:39 p.m. ET: The numbers quoted above come from NFLPA calculations. Based on calculations performed by the NFL, the Bucs have only $12.8 million in cap space, post-Revis.