NY Jets miss out on Darrelle Revis, who reaches agreement on one

Daily News Photo Illustration; Getty, AP Photos

This one stings for Jets fans... but Darrelle Revis will suit up for the Patriots next season.

Revis Island has joined forces with the Evil Empire.

In a stunning move that jolted the NFL landscape Wednesday night, All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis signed with the Patriots a few hours after getting cut by the Buccaneers. Revis, once the cornerstone of Rex Ryan's defense, will now join the Jets bitter rivals.

It's enough to make Rex & Co. violently ill.

One year after Woody Johnson spearheaded a divorce with one of the best players in franchise history, the best cornerback in the past decade is destined to haunt the Jets for years.

The News has confirmed that Revis and the Patriots have reached an agreement on a one-year, $12 million deal. The deal was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Daily News learned earlier in the day that the Jets and the Revis camp had discussed the possibility of a reunion one year after a bitter divorce sent the All-Pro cornerback to Tampa.

RELATED: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS DARRELLE REVIS?

Revis was officially released by the Buccaneers Wednesday afternoon. The communication between the Jets and Revis ultimately didn't lead to a reconciliation. Ryan's defense is in desperate need of an established cornerback after releasing veteran Antonio Cromartie earlier this week.

Revis, obviously, fit that description, but it wasn't meant to be.

Tampa Bay cut Revis after unsuccessful attempts to trade the five-time Pro Bowler. The organization cleaned house in the offseason by firing general manager Mark Dominik and head coach Greg Schiano, the driving forces behind the Revis trade last offseason, after a 4-12 season.

Revis, the league's best man-to-man shutdown corner before his ACL injury two years ago, may not have been an ideal fit in new head coach Lovie Smith's zone-based defensive scheme, but his hefty contract was the biggest factor for the move.

'It came close a couple different times,' new Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told NFL Network on Wednesday about nearly pulling off a trade. 'But at the end of day, teams didn't feel comfortable with it.'

Revis, scheduled to make $16 million in 2014, wasn't interested in restructuring his contract. He had five years remaining at $80 million, but the structure essentially was a series of one-year, $16 million deals with no guaranteed money. Tampa Bay didn't incur a salary cap hit by parting ways with the perennial Pro Bowler.

RELATED: JETS, REVIS DISCUSS POSSIBLE REUNION: SOURCE

'It was a tough decision,' Licht said. 'He's a very good player... We tried to make things work, but at the end of the day, we want to look forward, not back.'

There were expected to be no shortage of suitors for Revis. The Patriots, who lost top corner Aqib Talib to the Broncos this week, were the most intriguing option, according to sources. One member of the Revis camp was convinced Wednesday afternoon that the cornerback would ultimately wind up in Foxborough with Belichick.

'It's going to happen,' the person predicted to the Daily News.

And he was right.

The Browns, coached by Revis' former defensive coordinator with the Jets, Mike Pettine, were another possibility, but the lure of playing for perennial winners appealed to Revis, according to sources.

Revis made it clear last year that he never wanted to leave the Jets, but a contractual impasse prompted the team to trade him to the Buccaneers for a first-round pick and conditional fourth-round pick. The Jets would have received an upgrade from Tampa's fourth to third-round selection in this year's draft if he remained on the Bucs' roster on the third day of the new league year.

RELATED: REVIS CUT BY BUCS, PATS EXPECTED TO CHASE CB

The Jets used Tampa's first-round pick (No. 13 overall) last year on defensive rookie of the year Sheldon Richardson. However, the general manager John Idzik & Co. could have kept Revis and still drafted Richardson with their earlier first-round pick (No. 9) that they used on cornerback Dee Milliner.

Revis had told friends that he would like to return to play for Ryan. It's believed that the head coach that built his defense around Revis for years shares the same feeling. However, Jets management and ownership weren't amenable to bringing back Revis after their rocky relationship in the past.

Revis, who returned to the Pro Bowl in his first season after suffering a torn ACL, would have been the perfect piece for Ryan again.

Now, Rex & Co. are staring at the ultimate nightmare scenario.

Revis is a Patriot.

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