Patriots Aim to Keep Revis Away from Rivals

Almost all division rivalries are heated, but things in the AFC East are escalating to a whole new level.

It started with Rex Ryan, who picked a fight with the Patriots when he was first hired as the head coach of the Jets back in 2009. That dynamic became even more complex this offseason, when the Jets replaced Ryan with Todd Bowles and Ryan opted to stay in the division and take over the Bills.

That alone makes the relationship between the Patriots, Bills and Jets borderline incestuous. But instead of getting personal, this three-way rivalry is about getting personnel. All three teams are planning pursuits of CB Darrelle Revis, who will become a free agent when the market opens on March 10 if the Patriots are unable to work out a new deal with him before then..

Revis is under contract for next season, but his projected salary cap charge of $25 million necessitates a new deal.

Patriots president Jonathan Kraft went on sports radio WEEI’s “Dennis & Callahan” program with Kirk Minihane this week and said the Patriots are “trying to make [an extension] happen.”

Added Kraft: “[Revis has] been everything and more since he’s been here. Patriots fans knew what he was like on the field, but didn’t know what he was like off it. Having worn green all those years and the blind emotion we all have toward the Jets, you have one perception of the man. And the man is very different than that. He’s a great guy and he works hard. There is no over-ego to him and he’s a great teammate. He’s been a real pleasure to have him as part of the organization.”

The Jets had grown tired of Revis’ antics — namely, his constant pursuit of upgraded contracts — when they traded him to the Buccaneers back in 2013. But that appears to be water under the bridge now, as Jets owner Woody Johnson said earlier this offseason he would “love Darrelle to come back,” a comment that may ultimately result in a tampering charge against New York.

Ryan, wisely, has kept his mouth shut on the matter. But it is no secret Revis is one of his favorite former players and Ryan would love to reunite with him in Buffalo. The Bills, who led the league in sacks last season, have the kind of fierce pass rush that could make Revis even more dangerous.

No matter what happens in the coming weeks, it appears extremely likely Revis will remain in the AFC East. And when he does sign somewhere, it will only fan the flames in this heated divisional rivalry.

Raiders Tap Norton as Defensive Coordinator

New Oakland head coach Jack Del Rio has reached back into his past to help improve the Raiders’ future.

The Raiders announced on Friday that Del Rio has selected Ken Norton Jr. to be his team’s new defensive coordinator. Norton, who played linebacker alongside Del Rio for three seasons with the Cowboys, spent the last five seasons coaching linebackers in Seattle.

“I was really interested in just understanding what Coach Del Rio’s plan was, what his idea was, the things he wanted to get done here in Oakland,” Norton said. “I was very impressed with how he laid it out for me. I was very impressed with what he wanted to get done. He made it quite clear that I was someone that he needed to help him get this whole program to another level.”

Norton earned high praise for his work in Seattle, where he helped develop Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright into two of the best young linebackers in the game. He’ll have another elite linebacker prospect to work with in Oakland, as the Raiders figure to build their defense around 2014 first-round pick Khalil Mack.

The Raiders still have a lot of holes to fill on that side of the ball, however, as evidenced by the fact they ranked No. 21 in overall defense in 2014.

Norton is a passionate coach but lacks experience as a play caller. Del Rio will help in that capacity, as he is an experienced defensive coach who called plays in Denver the last three seasons, but Norton indicated he will be given the first shot at play-calling duties.

“My philosophy combined with [Del Rio’s] philosophy, we’re going to sit down in a room and just work it out and then make it the Raiders’ philosophy,” Norton said. “There hasn’t been a formal discussion, but just in my early meetings with him, his plan is to continue to groom me and I’ll be making the calls.”

NFL Doles Out Super Bowl Fines

The most hypocritical sports league in the world got it wrong again on Friday.

The NFL handed out fines for the skirmish that broke out at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, none bigger than the $10,000 fine slapped on Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin. Seattle’s Michael Bennett and New England’s Rob Gronkowski and Michael Hoomanawanui were fined $8,268 apiece for throwing punches.

There is no problem with those players getting fined; that was inevitable after their fight tarnished the ending of arguably the most exciting Super Bowl in history (although the Rams and Titans might have something to say about that).

The real travesty is that Seattle receiver Doug Baldwin was fined $11,025 for his Super Bowl touchdown celebration in which he pretended to defecate a football. While his celebration was classless, for sure, it is insane that a league that preaches player safety could assign a steeper fine for celebrating a touchdown than throwing a punch.

Baldwin’s fine was the minimum amount allowed for an inappropriate celebration, so the real problem is the tiny penalties given to those involved in the fight. Gronkowski, who went on to brag about “throwing haymakers” after New England’s win, was fined what amounts to a fraction of one percent of his 2015 salary.

The NFL has been in trouble all season long for having its priorities out of whack, giving out stiffer penalties to potheads than wife beaters. This is just the latest example of the league’s back-asswards priorities that have the NFL in hot water and Commissioner Roger Goodell squarely under the microscope.

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