Manish Mehta has a terrific insider's look at the way Darrelle Revis works out. It is worth a read. Here is a brief snippet.
Rex Ryan's defensive philosophy remains man-to-man, bump-and-run coverage, but Revis wants to polish every aspect of his game. So, the Jets' All-Pro studied players such as Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, who has thrived playing press and off coverages throughout his career.
"He wants to be a more complete player, one that is not limited to doing one thing all the time," defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman said. "He's probably the best press corner in the league, but he wants to be the most complete corner. Go back and look at Larry Bird and Magic and Jordan. They worked on something every offseason to get better. That's what the truly great ones do, because there's always someone coming after you. If you want to hold on to what you have, you got to continue to work and evolve as a player."
I think Revis is already excellent playing off coverage. I am not alone in that assessment either. I think this only shows the kind of special player Revis is. Greatness does not happen by accident. A lot we will never see goes into it. This report shows how hard he works off the field. He also does some other things like take Kyle Wilson under his wings, showing the young corner how he needs to prepare to be in top form. The results so far this season from Wilson have been top notch.
I know it is rare air, but Revis reminds me of something I once heard about Jordan. Some guys have elite physical ability. Some guys have an elite work ethic. Some guys have an elite desire to be the best. It is rare to find somebody with all three.
Revis' representation is reportedly nightmarish to deal with. One can only imagine his next contract will be a saga. It is good to see he is not slacking off once he has received a big payday. Manish produces some great stats, but numbers really do not tell the whole story with Revis. The most impressive one might be in games like against the
Colts in the Playoffs last season. The stat I am thinking about is one target for Reggie Wayne. Darrelle is so good that
Peyton Manning did not even bother looking his way.
This corner is worth every penny.
