Darrelle Revis Isn’t The Cornerback The Giants Need

Yes, the New York Giants could be in the market for veteran cornerback depth. No, Darrelle Revis is not the player they should turn to.

Whenever the cornerback depth subject comes up, and it has come back to the forefront with Valentino Blake leaving the team and Michael Hunter sidelined with a concussion, Revis’s name surfaces in the comments, on the @BigBlueView Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.

This is the classic “we know his name and we know he used to be really good, so let’s go get him” thing that some fans do.

Thing is, just because a player used to be really good and you know his name doesn’t mean he is still good. Remember the clamor for the Giants to bring back wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and offensive tackle Will Beatty? Well, the Giants did. And we found out that they were available because neither player had anything left to give. Shoot, for some inexplicable reason some people still believe that Beatty — who hasn’t played a meaningful NFL down since 2014 and doesn’t have a job — is a better option at left tackle than Ereck Flowers.

Let’s not get sidetracked, though. Let’s get back to Revis.

Reality is, Revis is a 32-year-old cornerback who has had a major knee injury, has lost some of his athleticism and is coming off the worst season of his career. His 2016 Pro Football Focus grades, including 67.5 overall score (66th out of 110 qualifying corners), 66.7 percent completions allowed and a 104.2 passer rating allowed when targeted were all the worst of his career. Thirty-two-year-old corners with fading athleticism don’t get better.

Maybe Revis Island still exists, but in 2016 it was a place receivers went to party instead of perish.

Does Revis want to play? Maybe, but he doesn’t need to. The New York Jets will pay him $6 million in 2017 not to play for them. That in itself should tell you a lot.

Even if he does want to play, it is highly unlikely that Revis’ ego would let him come into a situation where he would be, at best, the fourth cornerback. For the Giants, he might even be the fifth corner behind not only Janoris Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Eli Apple, but Hunter as well. No way Revis accepts that. Fifth corner? Have to play special teams? Nope.

Roster cuts are coming in a week. Maybe the Giants scour the waiver wire for a useful veteran let go by another team. Maybe they decide to go with whoever they like out of the group of Donte Deayon, DeShaun Amos and Nigel Tribune.

Revis? No, thanks.