The New York Jets brought back a fan favorite on Tuesday when they inked cornerback Darrelle Revis to a five-year, $70 million deal with $39 million guaranteed. The deal is savvy, front-loading Revis' money with $16 million in 2015 and $17 million in 2016; he is also receiving $33 million of the guaranteed money in those two seasons.
The move was the latest headline grabber in an offseason that's already seen seismic shifts in the AFC East. The first major move was the Buffalo Bills' trade with the Eagles that netted them running back LeSean McCoy. Then the Dolphins tried to steal the show by making defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh the highest paid defensive player of all time, handing him a six-year, $114 million deal that hasn't been made official yet.
Suh figured to be the biggest addition any team could make this offseason, but Revis re-joining the Jets may rival his impact. Revis solidified New England's secondary last season and helped them win a Super Bowl title. Even though his interception totals don't overwhelm-five total interceptions in the last three seasons-he acts as a deterrent from opposing quarterbacks even throwing the ball in the direction of their usual No. 1 targets.
Revis' disruption is subtle, while Suh's is markedly noticeable. He registered 8.5 sacks last season and anchored the NFL's best run defense. His aggression sometimes extends beyond the whistle though, and his lengthy history of trouble with the league office has him one incident away from a long suspension.
In addition to Revis serving as a surefire shutdown corner, his contract is less onerous than Suh's will be and he's only one year older (albeit with one major knee surgery on his resume). The Jets have more cap space to work with than Miami as well, so while Suh figures to vastly improve their run defense, his money will hamstring their efforts to effectively plug other holes.
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