Keyshawn: Jets should trade Revis but have to find 'a real sucker'
Many of us would say that it's a bad idea if the Jets figure out a way to trade cornerback Darrelle Revis. Even though a fellow cornerback thinks Revis is “really irrelevant" anyway, Revis is still the best corner cover in the league, and the Jets really aren't in position to trade away the team's single-best asset.
Though there has been talk that the Jets are thinking about dealing Revis to the 49ers (the Jets also reportedly snubbed Revis' representation at the NFL Combine, so that probably wasn't helpful), Revis, in the meantime, really would like some answers -- particularly from owner Woody Johnson.
Good thing that ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson, a former Jets receiver, has some answers. Johnson, in fact, thinks the Jets should deal Revis.
"I think it's a smart move if they do move him and get value," Johnson told Newsday's Bob Glauber. "He's not going to win any games for you. He's a defensive back who will shut down the [opponents'] top receiver, but the ball is not in his hands. The Jets need more than a top corner. They need some pieces. If he gives them the value to get those pieces, then move him."
Well, Johnson is right that Revis might not win a game for you. But more so than any other defender besides Houston's J.J. Watt, there's no doubt that Revis affects the opponent's game plan. Basically, Revis can be trusted to cover one half of the field by himself. There are no other cornerbacks in the league who can make the same claim.
Still, Johnson thinks the Jets should get maximum value for their star by swapping him.
"It's not that the Jets don't want him," Johnson said. "It's the right thing to do to build the team. He's the top corner. He's the guy. But [the Jets] need a quarterback, running back, wide receivers, other defensive backs. [A trade] gives them that opportunity to fill some of those holes. If they keep Revis, what else do they have? Not much. They're in a division against the Patriots, and other teams in the AFC are improving."
But here's one problem with Johnson's thought process. Though we might think Revis' talents would get the Jets a first-round draft pick (at the very least!) in a trade, CBSSports.com's Clark Judge talked to multiple GMs at the Combine “who swore they wouldn't start by offering anything higher than a second-rounder.”
The reasons for that are simple: Revis badly injured a knee last year, and he wants to get paid like a top-five quarterback. Revis has been great, but will he still be that kind of player in five years? Will he be worth that much money? That's unknowable, but my guess is: probably not.
Yet, I suppose it's also possible the Jets could get a fortune for Revis.
"Two No. 1s is hard to get for a non-quarterback," Johnson said. "Get something of value for him. You've got to find a real sucker. But if you do, then take it.”
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