Since tearing his ACL in the 2012 season, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis has shown signs of slowing down. Is it time for the potential future Hall-of-Famer to make the move to free safety?
By Jeff Weisinger
With 26 career interceptions, three career touchdowns, and an island named after him, Darrelle Revis has established his place among the NFL’s elite. However, since he tore his knee in the second game of the 2012 season, Revis hasn’t been close to the lock-down corner that he once was, forcing some to ask the question: is it time to move “Revis Island” to free safety.
Revis, a six-time Pro Bowler who turned 30 last summer, has looked a bit slower in man-coverage compared to his early years, but still fairly dominant against possession guys, holding the likes of Raiders rookie Amari Cooper to just five catches and 46 yards in the Jets 34-20 loss at Oakland and held the Patriots’ Julian Edelman to just five catches for 54 yards in Gang Green’s 30-23 loss in New England last month.
But as shown in the Jets 24-17 loss against the Texans on Sunday, Revis, along with the rest of the Jets secondary, was torched by Houston’s young-star DeAndre Hopkins, who caught five balls for 118 yards, highlighted by a 61-yard bomb off of a play-action, beating Revis at the line on one-on-one coverage with no safety help.
A move like this could help prolong Revis’ career much in the same way it did for Raiders safety and future Hall-of-Famer Charles Woodson.
Woodson moved to safety with the Green Bay Packers and has continued to build upon his Canton-bound resume since, winning a Super Bowl against the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV – the same one he dislocated his shoulder in while defending a pass in the end zone.
Revis is one of the brightest defensive backs in the game. A move to safety could only help him, while also adding some much-needed speed at the cornerback position, especially if the Jets want to give themselves a shot at a wild-card spot in January.
.@Revis24 calls DeAndre Hopkins one of the best WRs in the league.
"Kind of reminds me of Anquan Boldin." pic.twitter.com/zvvTsAmTjP
— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 19, 2015
[su_button url=”https://elitesportsny.com/2015/11/22/rex-ryan-everything-in-new-orleans-is-being-blamed-on-me-including-katrina/” target=”blank” background=”#000080″ size=”10″ wide=”yes” radius=”0″]NEXT: Rob Ryan: ‘Even Katrina Is Blamed On Me'[/su_button]
