Darrelle Revis, still one of the best cornerbacks in the game last season despite coming off a knee injury. ProFootballFocus graded him the top Cover-1 corner ahead of Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman.
So it's no surprise that one of the most-buzzed about rumors at the start of the NFL's new year is that the Bucs will either trade Revis or flat out release him. At this point, it seems like a near certainty that Revis will not don the pewter next season.
But you have to ponder - why would a second team in two offseasons be looking to move a player who could be so valuable on the field, who experts still consider the best at his position?
When it came to the Jets last offseason, the two sides were never going to come to a money figure that appeased both. Revis didn't want to just be paid handsomely but at a historic rate.
The Jets moved him for a first-round pick and Tampa Bay was willing to dole out $96 million over six years. Yes, none of that money is guaranteed but his yearly figures are massive.
Revis is scheduled to make $16 million in 2014 under his current contract. The next highest-paid corner, Dallas' Brandon Carr, will make just more than $10 million.
That's a lofty number, even for a team with a lot of cap space. You tie up that much money in one position and it's rarely a boon, especially for a team in search of a franchise quarterback, as those are the guys who typically warrant that type of payday.
But many fans are salivating over the prospect of their team adding Revis, similar to Nnamdi Asomugha in the 2011 offseason.
Remember him? Asomugha is out of the league now but just a few years ago he was the hot ticket, considered an elite cornerback. Philadelphia won the sweepstakes, signing Asomugha to a five-year, $60 million deal. Jets front office members were "deflated," bummed they were unable to create their monster tandem (on paper) with who else but the guy we're talking about now, Revis.
Those 2011 Eagles were supposed to have a dream secondary combining Asomugha with Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. But that joyous offseason turned into a nightmarish regular season in which Philadelphia finished a disappointing 8-8. The darlings of free agency failed to make even the playoffs, let alone reach the Super Bowl.
Asomugha never turned out to be worth that chunk of change. In fact, he didn't even play out the entirety of that contract, cut by the Eagles after just two years and then the Niners three games into last season.
If Revis can reclaim his island, he could make a general manager's gamble look wise. But if he's even just a good corner, not an exceptional one that disrupts the offensive gameplan, then it could be an Asomugha redux.
Again, as with much of free agency, it's a case of buyer beware - and crucial to remember the Super Bowl champions build teams through quality drafting and continuity, not the biggest splashes.
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