Is ex-Jets star Darrelle Revis a first-ballot Hall of Famer? Uh, not so fast
A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:
1. Canton Island? Now that the Jets have parted ways with Darrelle Revis, this is a good time to take stock of his legacy. To paraphrase Bill Parcells, Revis will go to the Jets’ Ring of Honor on roller skates. The question is, what about the Pro Football Hall of Fame? A better question: Is he a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
ESPN surveyed 10 of the 48 on the selection committee, which consists of media members, and the overwhelming sentiment was that Revis already has the credentials for induction. Eight of the 10 said he belongs in Canton, with one no and one undecided.
It’s a different story on the first-ballot issue. Only one committee member said Revis deserves to make it in his first year of eligibility, which comes five years after he retires. Six leaned toward no and three said they’re undecided, with several saying it’s difficult to gauge a candidacy without knowing the strength of the 15 finalists in that particular year.
A few facts to chew on:
Only two pure cornerbacks (Deion Sanders and Darrell Green) made it on the first ballot in the past 10 years. Of the 14 corners in the Hall of Fame, 13 played longer than Revis (10 years). Revis has only 29 career interceptions, far below the lowest Hall of Fame corner (Mike Haynes, 46). As noted by Bleacher Report, a handful of top candidates coming up have more interceptions than Revis: Charles Woodson (65), Ty Law (53) and Champ Bailey (52).
Revis hasn’t produced eye-popping stats because, in his heyday, he wasn’t tested often by fearful quarterbacks. But let’s be real: From 2008 to ’11, he dominated his position. As for his chances of making it on the first try …
“My guess is that you will know more when Champ Bailey comes up as a candidate in 2019 and, yes, I believe Champ will make it on his first try,” said Clark Judge of Hall of Fame Talk Radio. “Do I think Revis gets in eventually? Yes, I do. He checked all the boxes, with numerous Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl ring. Plus … he was considered the measuring stick for others at his position for a significant number of years, named to the first-team all-decade team for the 2000s, and that counts for a lot.”
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report believes Revis will make it eventually, but “I don’t think he walks in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.” He cited Revis’ short career by modern standards, the low number of interceptions and his poor performance last season.
Barry Wilner of The Associated Press was the only one of the 10 to say Revis’ current resume still doesn’t meet the Hall of Fame standard.
“No, I don’t think he is a first-ballot guy, and I am not sure he’s even a Hall of Famer,” Wilner said. “His period of strong performances is short, though impressive. I compare him to Ty Law, who has been up a few times and who I would actually put ahead of Revis to get in. The caveat: If Revis hooks on elsewhere, as I expect he will, and has another big year or two, it would put him ahead of Law and over the hump with me. As of now, I’d say I would need strong persuading to vote for him.”
Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland said “predicting first-ballot Hall of Famers is a risky proposition because each class of finalists is different. … Timing is everything, and if it’s an overloaded class the year Revis is eligible, he might have to wait. The list of no-brainer, automatic first-ballot Hall of Famers is short.”
2. Gentlemen, start your checkbooks: Four days away from free agency, the Jets’ most likely targets are: Quarterback Mike Glennon, left tackle Russell Okung, safety Tony Jefferson and linebacker Kevin Minter. Jefferson and Minter played for Todd Bowles in Arizona, so they’d slide seamlessly into his defensive scheme. If they sign Minter, it probably would mean the end of David Harris.
3. Brandon, Brady & Bill: If the New England Patriots pursue receiver Brandon Marshall — The Boston Globe reported that there’s mutual interest — one factor in the discussions figures to be Marshall’s TV career. Assuming he continues his role as a studio analyst for Showtime’s “Inside the NFL,” Marshall will need to be in New York on Tuesdays for taping. That’s one of the reasons he loved playing for the Jets; talk about an easy commute. Tuesday is the traditional day off for players, but Bill Belichick runs a tight ship and — just speculating here — might not give his blessing to Marshall’s TV arrangement.
If Marshall signs in New England, you know he’ll find a way to haunt the Jets. That’s a lock.
4. Not-so-Magical Mike: Two years ago, Mike Maccagnan was named the NFL Executive of the Year, based largely on three player acquisitions — Marshall (trade), Revis (free agent) and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (trade). Now all three are gone. It shouldn’t diminish what he accomplished in 2015, but you’d like to have more than a two-year shelf life for big additions.
5. Quarterback talk: The Jets met at the scouting combine with Deshaun Watson and Mitch Trubisky, widely regarded as the top quarterbacks in the draft. Relax — this doesn’t mean they’re going to draft one of them. Teams are allowed to meet with 60 prospects at the combine, so let’s keep it in perspective.
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, for one, believes the Jets should stay away from a quarterback with their first-round pick.
“If you’re asking me whether the Jets at No. 6 should take a quarterback, I would emphatically tell you no,” Mayock said. “I don’t have a top-10 grade on any quarterback in this draft. I would not be in that conversation.”
In three of the past four drafts, the Jets have used two second-round picks (Geno Smith and Christian Hackenberg) and one fourth-rounder (Bryce Petty) on quarterbacks. And they’re still searching.
6. Money is the root of problems: Interesting comment the other day from ESPN analyst Bill Polian, who said the Jets had “bad financial chemistry” last season. He didn’t cite any specific examples, except to say it’s not good for locker-room morale when high-salaried players are outplayed by players who make less money. The most glaring example was Revis, whose shockingly poor season caused some resentment among teammates.
7. The endangered list: The Great Purge has claimed five players, all of whom are in the 30-and-up category. That leaves Harris (33), running back Matt Forte (31) and defensive tackle Steve McLendon (31) as the oldest players on the roster. I don’t believe any of them are in immediate danger of getting cut, but we’ll see how the offseason plays out.
8. Mangold wanted to stay: In an interview with the New York Post, Nick Mangold confirmed that he never was offered a pay cut, which I reported on the day he was released.
“I was hoping there was going to be a negotiation of some sort to get something worked out,” Mangold said, “but when you’re told, ‘Hey, we’re cutting you, and good luck,’ that really caught me off guard.”
