A clash of two emotions met among Kansas City Chiefs fans today. When the signing of veteran cornerback Darrelle Revis was announced, it was excitement versus hesitance. I found myself with some sort of mix of those emotions.
First, excitement! The Chiefs made an unexpected splash, signed a future Hall of Famer, addressed a position of need and did it with as much of a star as we’ve seen at cornerback in a generation. What’s not to like about the signing?
Then, hesitance. He’s 32. He hasn’t been on a team this season, and there has to be plenty of good reasons for that. He wasn’t great when we saw him last with the New York Jets. Maybe he’s washed up. Maybe this is a desperation move from a desperate team.
All of that is probably true to some extent. The Chiefs are a desperate team, but they didn’t bring Revis into the fold to save the defense. They brought him in to patch a small hole in the dam. He doesn’t need to be Darrelle Revis. He just needs to be a competent No. 2 cornerback, bringing some experience, leadership and, most importantly, on-field competence and field awareness to this defense.
Also, this wasn’t a move made in a panic. Apparently the Chiefs and Revis have been in touch all year:
Revis says he heard from the #Chiefs at the beginning of the season and had been talking with KC throughout the season.
— Joshua Brisco (@jbbrisco) November 22, 2017
...Huh!
Even if the Revis Island has become more of a Revis Life Raft, this is a move that can help the Chiefs.
Also on today’s podcast: some damning criticism of Alex Smith.
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