Revis, Jets reach impasse over contract
The contract stalemate between New York Jets fourth-year cornerback Darrelle Revis and the club has now reached its zenith with no clear resolution in sight.
Revis expects to be the highest-paid player at his position, but the Jets made it clear Monday they aren’t prepared to meet his asking price.
While both sides might not quite be at loggerheads, they’re close to it. A source familiar with Revis’ thought process said he will not report to training camp in time for Tuesday’s NFL-imposed deadline to earn another accrued season of service.
So what’s the holdup?
Guaranteed money/Signing bonus
Revis has said he wants a deal eclipsing Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha’s $15.155 million average per season (APY) over his three-year extension. In fact, Revis has said recently that he would accept a deal that pays him at least 50 cents higher than Asomugha’s APY. Those three years in Asomugha’s deal are fully guaranteed for skill and injury, a source familiar with his contract said Monday.
The Jets don’t appear eager to give Revis a lot of guaranteed money. Veteran agent Neil Schwartz, who represents Revis along with Jonathan Feinsod, told FOXSports.com on Monday that what Revis said to reporters recently still holds true.
“If you really want to know what’s going on, look at what Darrelle said recently,” said Schwartz, referring to what Revis told reporters during the team’s OTA practices in June.
Said Revis in June, "You sit here and you tell guys, 'You're the best player in the league, you're our No. 1 priority,' and you're not showing loyalty in terms of keeping your core guys here and wanting to keep them here for the future.
"If you want to build a dynasty, you've got to start being loyal to some of your players who are loyal to you on the field and play the best football they can.''
Schwartz would not go into any specifics about the three-page proposal he and Feinsod handed Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum last week during a meeting at a local diner, but Schwartz wanted owner Woody Johnson to look it over.
“I asked Mike to make sure Mr. Johnson looked over the proposal. It wasn’t some 50-page document that would be hard to understand. We made it shorter and easier to read,” Schwartz said.
But when Johnson was asked by a reporter on Monday about the progress on the deal, it didn’t seem like Johnson actually read the proposal.
“My impression is no progress. That's the way Mike (Tannenbaum) characterized it to me (is there) was no movement whatsoever. The proposal was 'nothing new and different,' as they say in marketing,” Johnson said.
Because of the complexities of the collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players, there’s not much the team can do without giving Revis a substantial signing bonus.
The holdup in guaranteed money (assuming that’s what the issue really is) is tied to the 30 percent rule and reallocation of base salaries, which essentially states base salaries can’t grow more than 30 percent in the last year of the CBA to the following year. The only way to fully guarantee the money is to give him a mega signing bonus (perhaps just over $45 million).
Signing bonus money is fully guaranteed and is not subject to the 30 percent rule.
Currently, Revis is expected to make around $1 million this season. He signed a six-year deal as a rookie back in 2007, but the final two years can void. However, the Jets have the option to “buy back” those two years.
The contract stalemate between New York Jets fourth-year cornerback Darrelle Revis and the club has now reached its zenith with no clear resolution in sight.
Revis expects to be the highest-paid player at his position, but the Jets made it clear Monday they aren’t prepared to meet his asking price.
While both sides might not quite be at loggerheads, they’re close to it. A source familiar with Revis’ thought process said he will not report to training camp in time for Tuesday’s NFL-imposed deadline to earn another accrued season of service.
So what’s the holdup?
Guaranteed money/Signing bonus
Revis has said he wants a deal eclipsing Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha’s $15.155 million average per season (APY) over his three-year extension. In fact, Revis has said recently that he would accept a deal that pays him at least 50 cents higher than Asomugha’s APY. Those three years in Asomugha’s deal are fully guaranteed for skill and injury, a source familiar with his contract said Monday.
The Jets don’t appear eager to give Revis a lot of guaranteed money. Veteran agent Neil Schwartz, who represents Revis along with Jonathan Feinsod, told FOXSports.com on Monday that what Revis said to reporters recently still holds true.
“If you really want to know what’s going on, look at what Darrelle said recently,” said Schwartz, referring to what Revis told reporters during the team’s OTA practices in June.
Said Revis in June, "You sit here and you tell guys, 'You're the best player in the league, you're our No. 1 priority,' and you're not showing loyalty in terms of keeping your core guys here and wanting to keep them here for the future.
"If you want to build a dynasty, you've got to start being loyal to some of your players who are loyal to you on the field and play the best football they can.''
Schwartz would not go into any specifics about the three-page proposal he and Feinsod handed Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum last week during a meeting at a local diner, but Schwartz wanted owner Woody Johnson to look it over.
“I asked Mike to make sure Mr. Johnson looked over the proposal. It wasn’t some 50-page document that would be hard to understand. We made it shorter and easier to read,” Schwartz said.
But when Johnson was asked by a reporter on Monday about the progress on the deal, it didn’t seem like Johnson actually read the proposal.
“My impression is no progress. That's the way Mike (Tannenbaum) characterized it to me (is there) was no movement whatsoever. The proposal was 'nothing new and different,' as they say in marketing,” Johnson said.
Because of the complexities of the collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players, there’s not much the team can do without giving Revis a substantial signing bonus.
The holdup in guaranteed money (assuming that’s what the issue really is) is tied to the 30 percent rule and reallocation of base salaries, which essentially states base salaries can’t grow more than 30 percent in the last year of the CBA to the following year. The only way to fully guarantee the money is to give him a mega signing bonus (perhaps just over $45 million).
Signing bonus money is fully guaranteed and is not subject to the 30 percent rule.
Currently, Revis is expected to make around $1 million this season. He signed a six-year deal as a rookie back in 2007, but the final two years can void. However, the Jets have the option to “buy back” those two years.
