Technically, Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis isn’t due to become a free agent, so teams aren’t allowed to negotiate with his agents.
Wink.
The Patriots and Revis knew last year that the two sides were entering into a one-year deal, with a second season added at the team’s request to allow for $5 million of the 2014 compensation to be bumped to the 2015 cap year. While the Patriots in theory could keep Revis for one more year at $20 million, that’s not the arrangement the team and the player envisioned. And that makes it more likely that Revis will gauge the market for his next contract without any griping by the team.
At some point, Revis and the Patriots will attempt to hammer out a new deal. What Revis would get elsewhere will be a major factor in that discussion, with the key components being average salary and the extent to which the deal is fully guaranteed. Significantly more money per year and/or, for example, three years fully guaranteed from another team instead of, for example, two from the Patriots could prompt Revis to choose to leave New England.
It’s believed that another team will have to outbid the Patriots on one or both of those factors to have a chance to get him to walk away from New England. At that point, the question will be whether the Patriots are willing to ignore the understanding from last year and keep Revis for one more season at $20 million fully guaranteed — and at a cap number of $25 million.