The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemed to be the leading candidate to trade for Darrelle Revis, but that might have changed. A source who spoke with Revis told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport on Friday the cornerback is "not optimistic" a deal will get done.
Rapoport said Friday on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" that Revis isn't looking to leave the New York Jets, but the organization is unlikely to meet his contract demands. The consensus No. 1 cornerback in the league, Revis is looking to become one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL.
Revis is set to opt out of his current deal and become an unrestricted free agent after the 2013 season. The Jets have not been shy about entertaining trade offers.
But the Jetsdon't have a ton of leverage. They can hold onto an unhappy Revis for a final season, then lose him in free agency and receive nothing but a compensatory pick. If the Jets want to get this whole ordeal over and gather picks for the 2013 NFL Draft and their current retool, they have less than three weeks to find a trade partner. The Bucs, however, don't seem eager to give up their No. 13 pick.
The Revis drama continues ...
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.