Cimini: Revis Extension Unlikely

Rich Cimini explains why a Darrelle Revis contract extension seems like a long shot this year.

There is a little-known rule in the NFL's collective bargaining agreement that is having a big-time impact on the New York Jets' stalled negotiations with star cornerback Darrelle Revis -- and it likely will sabotage any chance of signing Revis to a contract extension before the start of the season.

It's called the "reallocation rule," and it explains, in part, why the Jets’ offer to Revis includes virtually no fully guaranteed money. By "fully" guaranteed, we mean it’s guaranteed against skill and injury, ensuring the player gets paid no matter what.

The rule states that, when doing a contract extension in an uncapped year, future guarantees against skill and injury must fit under the team’s 2009 salary cap. In the Jets’ case, that doesn’t leave much at all, as they had only about $300,000 in leftover cap space -- a relative drop in the bucket. They can offer more than that for skill or injury, but not both.

Hence, the recent D’Brickashaw Ferguson contract.
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No doubt, the Jets’ offer to Revis is based on a similar structure. It’s believed to be about $11 million-to-$13 million-per-year range, with guarantees against skill or injury -- but not both. Presumably, the offer includes little or no signing bonus. There’s no way Revis, due to make $1 million this season and threatening a training-camp holdout, will accept that kind of deal. He was insulted when it was first proposed. 

Cimini takes a lot of heat around these parts so let's give him some credit for some top notch research.

This is obviously not the news any of us really wants to hear, though. It would be best to see this drama come to a quick end.