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After losing Aqib Talib to the Broncos, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have responded with a bang by signing star cornerback Darrelle Revis to a one-year contract valued at $12 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
CB Darrelle Revis and the New England Patriots have reached agreement on a one-year, $12 million deal, league sources told ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2014
Revis was released earlier this evening after Tampa Bay failed to find a trading partner. Even though reports originally stated that he wouldn't take a pay cut, it turns out he did to sign with the Patriots. The fact Revis took less money is a sign that he wanted to be with New England all along. This one-year deal is also friendly to both parties, since Revis will be able to cash in again next offseason.
This is a huge win for New England despite losing Talib. After returning from a torn ACL, Darrelle Revis was still one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL this past season. With New England, he will play in a system similar to the one he did with the Jets, so his production should be at an even higher level.
In 16 games last season, Revis had 2 interceptions and 10 passes defended, but he was also rated as the top corner by Pro Football Focus.
There will be plenty of time this summer to assess how this improves the team's defense, but it's pretty clear that Darrelle Revis will be the best cornerback the New England Patriots have had since Ty Law.