After a contract impasse that sidelined him through the majority of the summer, Darrelle Revis took the field and lined up opposite CB Antonio Cromartie just in time for the 2010-11 season.
Revis Island was, once again, open for business -- and continued to lock down prisoners through the postseason, when he held the likes of Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker and Hines Ward to just 72 yards combined.
The writers and readers alike on GGN have stated for awhile now that they think Revis is the best cornerback on the planet. Well, the NFL players agreed.
Revis was voted No. 8 out of 100 by the players themselves, in a poll NFL Network conducted.
And there were certainly some interesting picks: Tony Romo (1 career playoff win) was ranked higher than Jets' Santonio Holmes and D'Brickashaw Ferguson; Devin Hester (32) ranked higher than Wes Welker, Holmes, Marques Colston and Greg Jennings; Julius Peppers ranked higher than Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers; and Adrian Peterson beating nearly everyone.
The top 10 as voted by players:
1) Tom Brady
2) Peyton Manning
3) Adrian Peterson
4) Ray Lewis
5) Ed Reed
6) Troy Polamalu
7) Andre Johnson
8) Darrelle Revis
9) Drew Brees
10) Julius Peppers
A couple of other quirky statistics from the poll:
Only one former Heisman Trophy winner in top 10 ... seven Packers selected to top 100 (most of any team) ... three rookies in top 100 ... 41 defensive players in top 100.
Revis, the prototypical shutdown cornerback, has the potential to surpass Deion Sanders and become the greatest CB of all time -- if he should stay healthy. Many forget 'Primetime' was a poor tackler in run support and rarely blitzed; Revis is the total package. The skill set, athleticism, instincts, focus and competitiveness are all there. Only time will tell.
It's hard to put a price on someone who literally shuts down an entire side of the field. The flexibility he gives DC Mike Pettine's unit is tremendous.
One thing is for sure: Quarterbacks definitely will continue to think twice when considering throwing in his direction.