Over the weekend safety Devin McCourty agreed to re-sign with the New England Patriots on a five-year, $47.5 million deal. The Pats were already facing a narrow salary cap situation, and now have opted to not pick up Darrelle Revis' team option for 2015.
Revis was set to count $25 million against the cap in 2015 and was owed a $12.5 million roster bonus, a $7.5 million base salary and a $5 million signing bonus. Before they declined Revis' option, the Pats sat about $4.6 million above the cap and that didn't include McCourty's deal because it cannot become official until tomorrow at 4 p.m.
However, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com suggests the money given to McCourty should not affect what they can do with Revis.
"Without knowing the specifics of McCourty's five-year, $47.5 million contract that includes $28.5 million in total guarantees, a reasonable assumption is that it includes lower salary-cap charges in the initial years of the pact. That's the way long-term contracts usually work," he writes.
"So cap space shouldn't be a factor, nor should the 'ready cash' required to close a deal, in part because of quarterback Tom Brady's contract restructure from December."
That's all fine and dandy, but unless the Patriots have some clandestine ongoing negotiations with Revis to arrive at a new deal before 4 p.m. tomorrow, it looks as if the Pro Bowl corner is going to hit the free agent market.
"The Patriots can't allow it to get to that point," writes Eric Wilbur of Boston.com. "Revis will be 30 in July, and is seeking one, last huge payday in the prime of his career, and he's going to get it. Losing him would hit the team on two levels. One, they may have to face him twice a year in what's becoming a more interesting - if not more competitive - AFC East. Two, it would degrade their championship-level defense back down to something reminiscent of the past decade when the Pats were good, but just not enough, in their annual Lombardi hunt."
A source with knowledge of the situation between the Patriots and Revis told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk that the cornerback can still return to New England. However, if the New York Jets are ready to offer him a deal he cannot refuse, it's unknown how much more the Patriots can do to keep him. New York has $51 million in cap space and team owner Woody Johnson has urged General Manager Mike Maccagnan to "make a push" for the former Jet.
The clock is ticking.
