2014 Market Set For Star Cornerbacks

March 3rd, 2014
Revispick

Is Revis earning twice as much as he should be?

Last offseason was a bizarre one for cornerbacks. Free agent corners scored nowhere near the cash they had in previous years, yet injured Darrelle Revis landed a whopper of a payday from former Bucs rockstar general manager Mark Dominik.

Revis got $16 million a season while his peers were signing for one-third as much.

Today, NFL.com reported that Dolphins CB Brent Grimes (a Pro Bowler last season and in previous years) signed a new four-year deal for $32 million, with $16 million guaranteed.

It’s a deal that set the 2014 market for corners. If you want a great one, you’re going to pay half of what Revis costs. Yes, the price has gone up at the position, but not significantly. (Look for helmet-wielding, coach-cussing, pistol-toting, cabbie-slugging Aqib Talib to find a Grimes-like deal.)

Joe points this out amid the smoke of a potential Darrelle Revis trade. ProFootballTalk.com reported that the Patriots and Broncos are eager to deal with the Bucs.

Is Revis good enough to prompt another team to pay him $16 million and give the Bucs a bounty of draft picks? Joe can’t imagine it. Bottom line: if a team wants a great cornerback, it can get one a hell of a lot cheaper.

29 Responses to “2014 Market Set For Star Cornerbacks”

  1. voice of reason Says:

    revis is better and younger than grimes

  2. Sneedy16 Says:

    Yeah trade will not happen. The Bucs will have to cut Revis if they want that cap space.

  3. Snook Says:

    Grimes is “great”?

    hahaha!!

  4. Vern4499 Says:

    Snook,

    I was thinking the same thing. Is Grimes good and above average? Yes but would I say he’s Great? No way.

  5. Snook Says:

    If Grimes is worth $8 M a year with $16M guaranteed, then Revis is definitely worth $16M a year and $0 guaranteed.

    Cmon now.

    Revis’ money will be guaranteed in a matter of days.–Joe

  6. Snook Says:

    Other than Josh Freeman, does Grimes strike fear in to opposing QBs?

    No.

  7. Bucsfanman Says:

    I still wouldn’t trade/cut Revis. You’d get a lesser skilled DB for half the price. That’s like trading a Mercedes for two Hyundais! No thanks.

  8. joseph mamma Says:

    Revis is great no doubt, but he makes more than most premium pass rushers, which can effect the game on every play. He doesn’t even return kicks or punts, like Primetime used to and Patrick Peterson does in Arizona. He is just not worth that kind of money in my opinion. With all that being said, I am not for trading/cutting him right away because that creates another hole. But he won’t be on the team long with that salary.

  9. canadian bucsfan Says:

    Take a look at Grimes passes defenced since he has come into the league. He is damn good! I was really hoping the bucs would have signed him last year.

  10. The_Buc_Realist Says:

    If the Bucs trade Revis, it will be for this years 2nd rounder and next years 2nd rounder.

  11. blackmagic00 Says:

    Grimes passes defensed<quarterbacks afraid to throw towards Revis.

  12. patrickbucs Says:

    Grimes is 31 I believe? I think younger, taller corners maybe Talib in the future may get more. Although his off the field and health issues may hurt that. Sherman is going to get a bigger deal then Grimes for sure.

  13. Thibs5599 Says:

    Key word there…GREAT…there are only 3 great cornerbacks in the league, Revis, Sherman, and Peterson. Two of which are still on their rookie contracts and will demand more than Revis when they get paid.

  14. pick6 Says:

    if the bucs brass has any desire to part ways with revis they should wait a year. everything is in their favor. revis will be 100% healthy, the cap should increase, and lovie will get a chance to fill more significant holes this offseason. in a year, revis’ performance would raise his trade price and there will likely be a larger market as more teams can afford his contract. once sherman and patrick peterson sign new deals, this contract will seem like less of an outlier also.

  15. pick6 Says:

    that being said, if he puts up a “traditional” revis year, they would also have ample time to talk themselves off the ledge and hold onto this elite player who is likely worth more playing in your jersey than another team is willing to give you so he can play in theirs. i think we should keep revis and let him be what champ bailey was to the broncos after the redskins foolishly traded him away.

  16. The_Buc_Realist Says:

    @pick6

    The Bucs have 5 draft picks this year. How is Lovie and Licht suppose to fix this team to make it competitive once again.

  17. Brian Dorry Says:

    Most of you have no idea what you’re talking about. Grimes is unquestionably a top 10 cornerback…he was top three a few years ago. I like Revis…but we could’ve signed Grimes and Bennett to long term deals last offseason for less than we’re paying for Revis and kept our 1st and 3rd round draft picks…is there even a question as to what is the better value?

  18. Destinjohnny Says:

    If we can get a de and another bAdass corner to go with 24 and a middle backer who can cover we will be in biz on one side of the ball anyway

  19. pick6 Says:

    @realist, at this point most of what you’d get in a revis trade would just help the team fill the roster\talent hole he leaves behind. you’d need a deal that includes 2 or more picks in the first 2 rounds to have more replacement value. if people think we paid too much for revis, that ship has sailed and taking too little in offloading him does not make up for it. it only makes the talent deficit worse. i’d rather see the bucs unload guys mason foster, mike williams, and adrian clayborn (talented players who might not suit the new regime) for 3-5 rounders to recoup picks if they feel the need. players like those you can actually imagine replacing their ability with value free agents, stopgap vets, and players outside of the elite slots in the draft. if there is a desire to ship revis out (and i’m not in favor of it), it should be next year when his stock is higher, more teams are in the bidding for his services, and multiple 1s and 2s are an actual possibility. i think the carson palmer haul should be the minimum to pry him away from the bucs, otherwise he’s worth more to the team while sporting that ugly new bucs uni.

  20. Goodolebucfan, Says:

    Umm maybe through free agency and the draft. Add better coaching should improve team draft picks in there first year (besides some first rounders) rarely help there team in their first year.

  21. Chris Says:

    Hey joe this just proves how vastly we overpaid for Revis. It starts up front. We could definitely get a 1 and 4 from New England.

  22. louden Says:

    Let´s make it very simple(with player skill rating from 00-100): do you want to have one player at 93 playing along with 75´s (meaning GLARRING weakspots on offense and or defense) or do you want a core of players with Ratings between 83 (medicore) and 90 (very good)

    “Experts” say – Bucs have some serious talent, well guess what, every NFL team has some of that.. Bucs miss a multitude of pieces to compete on a VERY high level (SuperBowl-level; not only starters, but quality depth also). And Revis is old and he isn´t great, he is “just” very good..
    Bucs could save a lot of money and get some serious good pieces (for the near future). There is no need to have elite players at every positon.. Bucs just need to finish the building, at some time.. As of right now: Trade Revis for a 1st and what you can get.. Additional 16MIO in Cap + restructured contract (maybe) + high draft pick this year; or just an 2nd or 3rd this year and a 1st rounder next year (when some good QB´s are coming out; which could mean “the value” of next years 1st rounder could be higher than in this years draft)—
    Anyway you look at it: It simply makes more sense to deal him, than to keep him. CB´s will always get burned. He is NOT a true shutdown corner (at least he wasn´t last year.. although yeah i get it, he came back from that injury).
    The point is: One good player doesn´t make a team – some good players make for a good team.. therefore build a core of players with good talent and some years left in free agency, and get your star player with that 7th pick and build depth through the rest of picks.. = good set up team for future.
    Our o-line lacks, WR´s lacking, TE lacking, FB not fully sold on but okay, QB same as FB (a little worse maybe), and that´s just offense.. DT lacking, DE lacking, CB/FS/DB´s general – lacking… and then we are talking about keeping a 16MIO not QB player?? Who got burned last year multiple times and isn´t in his prime (age+injury). Who could easily see his career ending with every sinlge snap he plays?? And therefore we loose the trade factor?? And remember how we lost the ability to get some realy good players in last years draft??
    Not trading Revis (for 2 picks at least or 1 pick and a good player) would result in sth. like 4 possilbe good players that we missed (either draft picks or a veteran)… plus he cuts us tight with 16MIO(!!) a non QB.. i dont even think QB´s should make that kind of money……
    Every team needs pass rush over coverage abilitys – last offseason we let our sack leader walk – for a 16MIO Damged Goods cover man.. stop that shhh i am sick of it..

  23. pick6 Says:

    revis’ salary will not prevent us from making any moves we’d like to make this offseason. my prediction is we go into the season in excellent cap shape despite the money being paid to revis

  24. Old*Skool*BucFan Says:

    Joe, stop putting players like Grimes in Revis category. All these players still put in tape of Revis to LEARN how to cover receivers. If Revis gets burnt the way Champ Bailey(in his now elder CB years) does then yes I would have an issue. If Revis stays healthy he will continue to dominate WRs because of his over-all skill set. How many CBs know a receivers route while they run it? I can see if Revis was a bum last year, dude made the pro bowl after a major injury. Half the fan-atics are just running their mouths and have never in their life strapped on a Football helmet…

  25. Old*Skool*BucFan Says:

    @louden…did you say he was NOT a true shut down corner? I swear you dudes don’t really know football at all. Revis recovered from a major injury and still shut down receivers. Did you see the play a healthy Revis made during the pro bowl. Why do u think New England and Denver may have been trying to trade for him. Not many corners can play any side of the field like Revis can. The reason he doesn’t have too many career picks is because QBs don’t throw to his side of the field because he is ALWAYS in position to make a good play on the ball. Fan-atics are funny, I get a kick out of these blogs. Dudes write paragraphs of B.S. and think they can really play G.M. roles…what a joke. Other than Sherman who would you rather have than Revis at CB?

  26. Brandon Says:

    I’d take two Brent Grimes to the one Darrelle Revis and bargain basement CB with the same money.

    Exhibit Q of why Schiano and Dominik were the most bumbling duo ever… building a defense on the secondary and not the front seven.

  27. pick6 Says:

    we could’ve had grimes on a cheap multi-year deal last season while we waited on the revis deal to happen. it might have actually increased our leverage to get revis for just the 1st rounder, and could’ve been structured so that he was cuttable after this year. but once again dominick overestimated his own players and thought leonard johnson and a draft pick would be good enough behind the rehabbing revis.

  28. louden Says:

    @Brandon/pick6 and OldskoolBucFan: i agree with you first two mentioned guys.
    If we got Grimes – and this offseason there seem to come some good CB out to FA, we could have had Grimes + Peanut Tillman for example. These two, and we would have had the 1st round pick from last year. That alone is more value than having Revis now..
    Plus the 3rd rounder this year – or 4th rounder..
    only @ olkdskoolBucFan:
    you wrote sth. like “never strapped a football helmet” – well i did. Trust me, i know football pretty well. I never ever claimed to be a good GM or sth. like that – i am just writting what is my idea of improving the Bucs.
    Trading Revis, under right circumstances, makes just too much sense.

    Again: We could have had and we could have a serious talent push in overall team. Our star CB is a very talented player, who is way overpaid and doesn´t deserve that kind of paymant from a value standpoint.
    Case over; what you wanna say?

  29. BoJim Says:

    @louden

    You say Revis is old and then you mention Tillman? Damn. He’s OOOOOld.

    That being said, I think the Bucs will give Revis another year. Can’t wait to see him at 100%. Don’t decimate our backfield.