It appears the Patriots no longer need to worry about facing off against Darrelle Revis twice a year.
The Jets and Buccaneers have agreed to a trade involving the shutdown cornerback, according to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports. Cole also mentioned that Revis and Tampa Bay have agreed on a basic contract. The deal will be finalized by Sunday night or Monday morning.
The Jets cornerback was granted permission to meet with the Buccaneers and undergo a physical, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Schefter tweeted that permission for Revis to take a physical for Tampa Bay “never would have been granted” if the Jets and Bucs couldn’t work out a trade.
A trade between New York and Tampa Bay has been rumored for months now. Revis would have been a free agent after the 2013 season, and the Jets will be able to get more for him in a trade than they would have in a compensation draft pick.
The Buccaneers hold the No. 13 pick in the upcoming NFL draft. The deal between both teams will likely include that draft choice and more picks. The Jets already hold the No. 9 selection in the draft.
Revis is coming off ACL surgery. He was injured in a Sept. 23 game against the Dolphins and missed the remainder of the season. He is ahead of schedule and has resumed running, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
