After the Buccaneers hired Lovie Smith, we explained that the decision could end the Darrelle Revis experiment in Tampa. And we promptly were shouted down on Twitter and elsewhere as idiots, crackpots, and/or nincompoops.
While we still indeed may be those three things (and more), our analysis of the Revis situation won’t be proof of it.
Per a league source, the Buccaneers are actively shopping Revis. The development was first reported by Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, who explains that the Buccaneers are “stepping up” efforts to trade Revis. This implies that they previously were trying to trade him. Before Monday, they apparently weren’t.
There had been a theory in league circles that the Broncos and/or the Patriots were trying to shake Revis free from the Bucs. Suddenly, the story is that the Buccaneers are affirmatively trying to move him.
And here’s an intriguing angle. While it’s believed that the fourth-round pick that the Buccaneers owe the Jets to complete the trade becomes a third-round pick on the third day of the league year, it’s possible that the draft pick accelerates at 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday. (We’re currently trying to nail that down.) If true, this means that, if the Bucs trade Revis, they need a deal that compensates for the loss of a higher pick, since there’s no way to trade him before the draft pick upgrades.
Revis also is due to receive a $1.5 million roster bonus on Thursday.
So since the Broncos and Patriots were believed to be interested in trading for Revis, they’ll now try to do it, right? Not necessarily. Now that the Bucs have decided to move Revis, the Broncos, Patriots, and any other interested teams may decide to wait for the Buccaneers to cut Revis, which may be the team’s only option now that the trade cat is out of the bag and clawing up the furniture.
One way or the other, it looks like Revis will end up being a one-year player in Tampa.