Why does Manning need Welker? He is a HOF QB he should be able to turn any scrub into a great receiver no? Sorry I could not resist.
With a QB like Manning (or Brady or Rodgers) what you want to do is give him lots of good options and let him sort things out for you. That's one of the reasons a CB like Revis isn't a lock against a good passing offense any more. The good passing offenses no longer rely on a great option and a good one opposite. Now they rely on having four good options on every play. This is why the Pats weren't willing to pay Welker as if he was a great receiver. They don't want a great receiver, they want four good ones and that takes cap space.
Maximum leverage for the Jets is a situation where he comes to camp, is in good enough shape, and then the Jets can sign an extension with a reasonable guarantee. I totally agree the Jets' leverage gradually decreases as time goes past that point.
NE doesn't want to waste money on a guy like Welker who is a GOOD WR but far from great, he is vastly overrated.
The point is they're uninterested in spending great money on a WR. They don't need great WR's eating up cap room. Any good WR can have a great season or two with Brady throwing to them.
They spent big on their TEs who are the stars of the O(outside of Brady) and that RB looks pretty good too so they have weapons.
I just don't understtand people who assume the opponent's Qb lines up, sees who Revis is lined up against, and says "as long as I don't throw it to his man, I don't have to worry about him." Revis rotates in coverage, and also can break off his man to go to the ball (which he does as well as any cb I can think of). In short it's not just the man he lines up against, but the half of the field he is in that opponents need fear him in. The larger point is there are in theory roster configurations that can defeat any single even fantastic player. Like the Giants in the 2011 SB had a front four that decimated Brady's ability to stand in the pocket. Does that mean Brady was no longer a valuable Qb? No. Becauase not every team he faces has the same DL that the Giants had in that game. Geez, not even next year's Giants team was as effective. Not every opponent has a roster that will minimize Revis's impact on the game. In fact, most do not. It is a ridiculous suggestion to make that becuase there might be a roster that can minimize his impact, that he no longer has a significant one over the course of the schedule.
Rick Stroud @NFLSTROUD There's a sense that no deal with the Bucs for Jets CB Darrelle Revis is 'imminent,' and reports of an agreement on compensation is not true
I'm sure that could have also been said for Adrian Peterson...so now you understand the thinking GM's are pondering about with Revis. http://www.theonion.com/articles/adrian-peterson-retears-acl-in-preparation-for-201,30895/
Why would Revis want to stay here? This team is in fire sale mode it seems. They are under the cap and signing no one but Hilliard who sucks.
This is an interesting game of chicken. If Idzik can pull off a good deal with absolutely no leverage at all, I'll be impressed.
http://m.nfl.com/news/0ap1000000150611/report-buccaneers-management-fully-on-board-a-revis-trade/ Published: March 13, 2013 at 10:02 PM Wednesday's big-money signing of safety Dashon Goldson won't preclude the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from continuing their pursuit of a Darrelle Revis trade. The Bucs have been the favorites to land Revis since free agency commenced, and they're still champing at the bit to land the shutdown cornerback. The team's management is "fully on board" with a Revis trade, multiple sources told Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole. Jets general manager John Idzik has a reputation for deliberateness, and he's yet to be swayed by the Bucs' offer. The sticking point is the No. 13 overall pick in April's NFL draft, which Tampa Bay has been unwilling to sacrifice. If the Jets are modeling their potential trade haul on the first-, third- and seventh-round picks collected by the Minnesota Vikings in the Percy Harvin blockbuster, it's hard to blame Bucs general manager Mark Dominik from balking. Dominik's first-rounder at No. 13 overall carries more value than the No. 25 overall selection traded by the Seahawks. More importantly, Revis' healthy is a complete mystery following reconstructive knee surgery. Last but not least, the Vikings had the option of hitting Harvin with the franchise tag for two more years while Revis' prohibits use of the tag. The sides could find common ground in the coming days, though, as one source told Cole the Buccaneers are more willing to give up their 2014 first-round pick. Since the Jets are in full-blown rebuilding mode this year, it's a compromise that makes plenty of sense. ------- We should be able to get more For revis then Vikings got for harvin
2014 first rounder plus a later pick this year would be fine. The Jets do need warm bodies this season so going without any return at all on Revis would be an issue.