Lovie Smith: Buccaneers felt they could get ‘three real good players’ for price of Darrelle Revis
Why not have three for the price of one? Tampa Bay Buccaneers Lovie Smith’s comments seemed to slight Darrelle Revis but, in a way, he’s only restating Revis’ value. The cornerback is so good that he is worth three players.
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“It was not an easy decision because Darrelle’s a great player. But he’s not the only great player in the league,” Lovie Smith said, according to Buccaneers.com. “We just felt like we needed, instead of having one great player we thought we could get three. Instead of having one real good player, we felt like we could get three real good players.”
He was a risky signing — a risk that Lovie Smith decided not to take. And as a result, Smith was able to sign three, maybe four, players that he wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford.
Debate will continue as to whether Revis was worth the money until he sees the field. The truth is that Revis is worth the money — when healthy. The problem is that you can’t rely on the health of one player in the NFL. So, Lovie Smith decided not to put all his eggs in one basket. He’s trying to build a team. So, he signed Alterraun Verner, Michael Johnson, Anthony Collins and Josh McCown in free agency. New England already has a well-rounded roster. They don’t need four good players. They needed one great cornerback. That’s what they got in Darrelle Revis.
The Patriots are sure glad Smith didn’t value Revis higher — the Bucs are glad to rebuild. Some may attempt to scorn the Bucs for letting Revis go, but Both franchises did what was best for their individual needs.