Best I've Seen From Mehta in Years: NFL Investigates Jets re Revis

[AFJF]

The NFL’s fight for truth, justice and the American way ventured into the ridiculous two days before Darrelle Revis agreed to a blockbuster deal to return to the Jets.

The league sent an investigator to the Jets facility in Florham Park, N.J., on Sunday, March 8, during the three-day “legal tampering” window before the official start of free agency to interrogate general manager Mike Maccagnan and front office personnel about the pursuit of Revis, according to sources.

Owner Woody Johnson was not interviewed.

 

The NFL’s attempt to uncover any dirt was an exercise in futility, a witch hunt driven by nonsense from a hypocritical organization with no reason to feel threatened by its competitor.

 

The Patriots levied a tampering charge against their division foes shortly after Johnson’s public admission on Dec. 29 that he’d “love for Darrelle to come back,” prompting many to wonder how serious the NFL would consider the complaint.

 

The Patriots, of course, have been the model of fair play (SpyGate), rule-abiding negotiations (landing Revis in record time after the Buccaneers cut him) and trustworthy pre-game equipment management (DeflateGate), so they naturally had every right to be concerned about the integrity of this situation.

Johnson’s comments three months ago in response to a direct question about the perennial Pro Bowler violated the NFL Anti-Tampering policy as written, but the owner’s words had nothing to do with Revis’ ultimate decision to part ways with the Super Bowl champions.

 

The Jets had the financial resources ($39 million in fully guaranteed money) and the locale (Manhattan > middle of nowhere, Mass.) that appealed to Revis. The Patriots were out of the Revis sweepstakes a full day before the Jets agreed to terms on a 5-year, $70 million deal, according to sources.

It made sense for the cornerback-needy Jets to be so aggressive to land Revis, who will turn 30 this summer.

 

“Champ (Bailey) was able to play at a very high level well into his 30s,” Maccagnan said in a conference call on Thursday. “I kind of view Darrelle in the same (way). He’s playing at a very high level. We thought he could potentially be able to play at a high level for a number of years going forward, so we thought it was worth the financial investment.”

Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick, who didn’t have the cash to keep the cornerstone of the Super Bowl-winning defense, have accomplished too much to use a silly league rule to wage an even sillier war.

 

Sure, Johnson should have refrained from his public praise for Revis, but Kraft and Belichick have been far from choir boys when it comes to this player.

Think about how Revis arrived in Foxborough in the first place.

 

The Buccaneers officially released Revis at 3:53 p.m. EDT on March 12, 2014. Less than five hours later — 8:23 pm EDT — the Patriots amazingly agreed to terms on a contract with the star cornerback. Who knew that Kraft and Belichick could broker a deal for a player with so many options in warp speed?

 

Is it possible that they negotiated the parameters of a deal with Team Revis while the cornerback was still under contract with the Buccaneers? No chance! The Patriots would never engage in such questionable tactics (insert eye roll here).

The annual NFL Scouting Combine has become a haven for league-wide tampering in the run-up to free agency. The NFL has turned a blind eye, because it’s impossible to prove without a paper/email trail that no team is dumb enough to leave.

 

Kraft is too good of an owner to be so petty. Johnson called Kraft shortly after his comments about Revis to offer a good-faith apology. The matter should have died after that December conversation, but the Patriots ratcheted up the animus between the franchises by complaining to the league.

Meanwhile, Patriots fans, draped in Super Bowl gear for the fourth time in the Brady-Belichick era, are out for blood after Revis’ departure. Like a jilted lover, these people want to exact revenge on an organization that really seems to get under their skin.

 

The Lions were nabbed for tampering in 2011 after then-defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said he’d like to “catch” any Chiefs players who might shake loose. The NFL stripped Detroit of a seventh-round pick and swapped both team’s fifth-round picks.

 

In 2008, the 49ers were stripped of a fifth-rounder and swapped third-rounders with the Bears for tampering with linebacker Lance Briggs.

 

No matter how worked up the Patriots and their fans get, this won’t change: Revis is gone.

 

Please stop whining.

[Jetfan13]

Is it possible that they negotiated the parameters of a deal with Team Revis while the cornerback was still under contract with the Buccaneers? No chance! The Patriots would never engage in such questionable tactics (insert eye roll here).

 

Love this

[faba]

Yes the choir boys of the NFL- your NE Patriots.

[peekskill68]

Mehta has gone from total D Bag to trolling Kraft.  Love it....

[pointman]

Mehta has gone from total D Bag to trolling Kraft.  Love it....

 

He saw that the billboards to get Idzik worked, and now with people screaming for Mehta's job he is scared. That chicken legged troll. 

[patman]

Is it possible that they negotiated the parameters of a deal with Team Revis while the cornerback was still under contract with the Buccaneers? No chance! The Patriots would never engage in such questionable tactics (insert eye roll here).

 

Love this

How did this occur when revis said he wanted to go back to the jets once he was released.  He talked to the jets before he talked to the pats. Up to the day before Revis release, the pats were working on an extension for Talib who left for Denver the day before Revis was released. . 

 

Mehta is covering his own ass for reporting the details of the jets offer before Revis was a FA. He hit the contract on the head even to the amount of the guarantee even before the jets even could talk to revis. He published it and the jets got investigated for tampering by putting their offer out in public when the only team that could talk to Revis was the pats.

 

From the PFT article regarding the 2nd charge.

 

"In this specific case, the full body of evidence includes a March 3 report from Mehta that Johnson was leaning heavily on his front-office staff to bring Revis back.  Mehta’s source, undoubtedly a member of the team’s front office, committed a separate violation of the tampering rules by leaking the information to the media, since it had the clear impact of making it known to the football-following world that the Jets were indeed in play for Revis at a time when only the Patriots should have been talking to Revis.  While the NFL has no jurisdiction over Mehta, the questioning that occurred at team headquarters on March 8 surely extended to Mehta’s story from March 3."

 

So don't thank Mehta for blowing smoke over something that he wrote that caused the 2nd investigation.

[Jolot]

Good article , but this changes nothing for me, I'll despise Mehta til the day I die.

[ChuckkieB]

Mehta is and always will be a hack. 

[KRL]

Blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.  Whatever, he's still a tool.  He's

probably trying to butter up the new people in the organization so he can get

"new sources"

[T0mShane]

The Patriots, of course, have been the model of fair play (SpyGate), rule-abiding negotiations (landing Revis in record time after the Buccaneers cut him) and trustworthy pre-game equipment management (DeflateGate), so they naturally had every right to be concerned about the integrity of this situation.

Trillest quote.

[patman]

The idiot now realizes that he caused the jets an issue with his reporting on the Revis situation. First he publishes a story  on March 3rd saying that he has been told by people in the jets organization that woody is leaning on Mac to get Revis back. And publishes it and gets the pat's and Revis's ears up. then during the tampering period he publishes the jets offer right down to the guarantee, then finds out that there was no tampering window with revis as he was under contract and not a legal free agent in waiting. 

 

Now he tries to get back into the teams good graces by making light of the charges that the pats and the league brought by bashing the pats.

[Integrity28]

The idiot now realizes that he caused the jets an issue with his reporting on the Revis situation. First he publishes a story  on March 3rd saying that he has been told by people in the jets organization that woody is leaning on Mac to get Revis back. And publishes it and gets the pat's and Revis's ears up. then during the tampering period he publishes the jets offer right down to the guarantee, then finds out that there was no tampering window with revis as he was under contract and not a legal free agent in waiting. 

 

Now he tries to get back into the teams good graces by making light of the charges that the pats and the league brought by bashing the pats.

 

Good point.

 

Honestly, him feeling threatened in some way is the only rationale for him to write a piece defending the Jets like this. 

[Beerfish]

I'm still waiting for the Harvin tampering charges against both NE and Buffalo.  Where are they!?!?!

[patman]

Good point.

 

Honestly, him feeling threatened in some way is the only rationale for him to write a piece defending the Jets like this. 

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

[patman]

I'm still waiting for the Harvin tampering charges against both NE and Buffalo.  Where are they!?!?!

Are you serious? the jets pressed charges?

[JiFtheOracle]

Integrity, yo

[jgb]

I'm a broken record I know but Goodell will believe he is being Solomonesque when he issues a ruling where pats' deflategate punishment and "reward" for revis situation essentially cancel each other out. So basically Jets will be punished for deflategate.

[Integrity28]

Integrity, yo

 

What?

[Sperm Edwards]

I'm a broken record I know but Goodell will believe he is being Solomonesque when he issues a ruling where pats' deflategate punishment and "reward" for revis situation essentially cancel each other out. So basically Jets will be punished for deflategate.

 

Just be sure to remind us if it goes down this way.

 

Personally I think the Jets would have been in the clear, certainly in terms of not losing draft pick(s), had we not made an effort to re-sign Revis. Whether or not one feels Revis is worth it is separate; the Jets are just asking for it. Technically tampering with Revis, then signing Revis, and Woody already got a warning for a player we never even signed (nor made a move for after he got released). We would have been fine with anything with Revis if Woody had control of his own speech at a friggin' press conference. 

[maury77]

The NFL’s fight for truth, justice and the American way ventured into the ridiculous two days before Darrelle Revis agreed to a blockbuster deal to return to the Jets.

The league sent an investigator to the Jets facility in Florham Park, N.J., on Sunday, March 8, during the three-day “legal tampering” window before the official start of free agency to interrogate general manager Mike Maccagnan and front office personnel about the pursuit of Revis, according to sources.

Owner Woody Johnson was not interviewed.

 

The NFL’s attempt to uncover any dirt was an exercise in futility, a witch hunt driven by nonsense from a hypocritical organization with no reason to feel threatened by its competitor.

 

The Patriots levied a tampering charge against their division foes shortly after Johnson’s public admission on Dec. 29 that he’d “love for Darrelle to come back,” prompting many to wonder how serious the NFL would consider the complaint.

 

The Patriots, of course, have been the model of fair play (SpyGate), rule-abiding negotiations (landing Revis in record time after the Buccaneers cut him) and trustworthy pre-game equipment management (DeflateGate), so they naturally had every right to be concerned about the integrity of this situation.

Johnson’s comments three months ago in response to a direct question about the perennial Pro Bowler violated the NFL Anti-Tampering policy as written, but the owner’s words had nothing to do with Revis’ ultimate decision to part ways with the Super Bowl champions.

 

The Jets had the financial resources ($39 million in fully guaranteed money) and the locale (Manhattan > middle of nowhere, Mass.) that appealed to Revis. The Patriots were out of the Revis sweepstakes a full day before the Jets agreed to terms on a 5-year, $70 million deal, according to sources.

It made sense for the cornerback-needy Jets to be so aggressive to land Revis, who will turn 30 this summer.

 

“Champ (Bailey) was able to play at a very high level well into his 30s,” Maccagnan said in a conference call on Thursday. “I kind of view Darrelle in the same (way). He’s playing at a very high level. We thought he could potentially be able to play at a high level for a number of years going forward, so we thought it was worth the financial investment.”

Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick, who didn’t have the cash to keep the cornerstone of the Super Bowl-winning defense, have accomplished too much to use a silly league rule to wage an even sillier war.

 

Sure, Johnson should have refrained from his public praise for Revis, but Kraft and Belichick have been far from choir boys when it comes to this player.

Think about how Revis arrived in Foxborough in the first place.

 

The Buccaneers officially released Revis at 3:53 p.m. EDT on March 12, 2014. Less than five hours later — 8:23 pm EDT — the Patriots amazingly agreed to terms on a contract with the star cornerback. Who knew that Kraft and Belichick could broker a deal for a player with so many options in warp speed?

 

Is it possible that they negotiated the parameters of a deal with Team Revis while the cornerback was still under contract with the Buccaneers? No chance! The Patriots would never engage in such questionable tactics (insert eye roll here).

The annual NFL Scouting Combine has become a haven for league-wide tampering in the run-up to free agency. The NFL has turned a blind eye, because it’s impossible to prove without a paper/email trail that no team is dumb enough to leave.

 

Kraft is too good of an owner to be so petty. Johnson called Kraft shortly after his comments about Revis to offer a good-faith apology. The matter should have died after that December conversation, but the Patriots ratcheted up the animus between the franchises by complaining to the league.

Meanwhile, Patriots fans, draped in Super Bowl gear for the fourth time in the Brady-Belichick era, are out for blood after Revis’ departure. Like a jilted lover, these people want to exact revenge on an organization that really seems to get under their skin.

 

The Lions were nabbed for tampering in 2011 after then-defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said he’d like to “catch” any Chiefs players who might shake loose. The NFL stripped Detroit of a seventh-round pick and swapped both team’s fifth-round picks.

 

In 2008, the 49ers were stripped of a fifth-rounder and swapped third-rounders with the Bears for tampering with linebacker Lance Briggs.

 

No matter how worked up the Patriots and their fans get, this won’t change: Revis is gone.

 

Please stop whining.

*uck Bob Kraft and Roger Goodell. GQ had an article on Goodell last month. In the article, there was a mention of many owners (Woody was the only one actually named) who are disgruntled over Goodell's preferential treatment of people in his inner circle (i.e. Kraft). 

[Thor99]

The idiot now realizes that he caused the jets an issue with his reporting on the Revis situation. First he publishes a story  on March 3rd saying that he has been told by people in the jets organization that woody is leaning on Mac to get Revis back. And publishes it and gets the pat's and Revis's ears up. then during the tampering period he publishes the jets offer right down to the guarantee, then finds out that there was no tampering window with revis as he was under contract and not a legal free agent in waiting. 

 

Now he tries to get back into the teams good graces by making light of the charges that the pats and the league brought by bashing the pats.

 

Child please.

 

It is well within the rules for a team to talk about a player under contract.  Woody probably told Mac, "If Revis is a free agent, I want him back.  Make it happen."  This is not tampering. 

 

Child please.

[jgb]

Just be sure to remind us if it goes down this way.

 

Personally I think the Jets would have been in the clear, certainly in terms of not losing draft pick(s), had we not made an effort to re-sign Revis. Whether or not one feels Revis is worth it is separate; the Jets are just asking for it. Technically tampering with Revis, then signing Revis, and Woody already got a warning for a player we never even signed (nor made a move for after he got released). We would have been fine with anything with Revis if Woody had control of his own speech at a friggin' press conference. 

 

just making a comment man, don't get all nasty. what do i care if i get internet points if it goes down this way. it is an opinion board and i'm stating same. you're confusing me with others i believe.

[BroadwayJets]

Just be sure to remind us if it goes down this way.

 

Personally I think the Jets would have been in the clear, certainly in terms of not losing draft pick(s), had we not made an effort to re-sign Revis. Whether or not one feels Revis is worth it is separate; the Jets are just asking for it. Technically tampering with Revis, then signing Revis, and Woody already got a warning for a player we never even signed (nor made a move for after he got released). We would have been fine with anything with Revis if Woody had control of his own speech at a friggin' press conference. 

The Pats chose to decline on his option though, he wasn't due to become a FA. That's where I think this whole thing is shot.

[Jetfan13]

The idiot now realizes that he caused the jets an issue with his reporting on the Revis situation. First he publishes a story  on March 3rd saying that he has been told by people in the jets organization that woody is leaning on Mac to get Revis back. And publishes it and gets the pat's and Revis's ears up. then during the tampering period he publishes the jets offer right down to the guarantee, then finds out that there was no tampering window with revis as he was under contract and not a legal free agent in waiting. 

 

Now he tries to get back into the teams good graces by making light of the charges that the pats and the league brought by bashing the pats.

you are forgetting one thing: Mehta, far as I have heard,  has NO CONTACTS with the Jets anymore. He has been discarded like a fat DT(Wilfat) that has outlived his usefulness.. An there is no way he gets back into GOOD GRACES since he was never there to begin with.

[jack48]

Mehta sucks.  And when you suck you suck forever.  No mitigating circumstances.  The guy will deal trash on anyone just to have a story to write.

[Revis]

This article continues to spark the butt hurt delusional Pats fans.  Losing draft picks, giving them the 6th pick of the draft and having the Jets Revis contract voided are all "reasonable options".  

 

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/threads/screw-you-manish-mehta.1118120/

 

[Savage69]

Just be sure to remind us if it goes down this way.

 

Personally I think the Jets would have been in the clear, certainly in terms of not losing draft pick(s), had we not made an effort to re-sign Revis. Whether or not one feels Revis is worth it is separate; the Jets are just asking for it. Technically tampering with Revis, then signing Revis, and Woody already got a warning for a player we never even signed (nor made a move for after he got released). We would have been fine with anything with Revis if Woody had control of his own speech at a friggin' press conference. 

Revis likes money and NY those 2 things are what brought him back period..

[JetsFanInDenver]

I dunno if after DeflateGate Goddell thinks he has enough room to make another mistake and that too against a team in the biggest media market in the world. So i think JETS will be not suffer for their "crimes".

 

And Mehta needs to write 1000 more articles along these lines to be absolved of his past trolling.

[southparkcpa]

Revis likes money and NY those 2 things are what brought him back period..

and January-February off.

[Savage69]

and January-February off.

And a SOJF adds the 

[jetscrazey]

Manish's page clicks must be falling.   He figured he needed to send an olive branch to Jets fans and this is what he came up with. Meh, I still think he's a #$@%@

[patman]

you are forgetting one thing: Mehta, far as I have heard,  has NO CONTACTS with the Jets anymore. He has been discarded like a fat DT(Wilfat) that has outlived his usefulness.. An there is no way he gets back into GOOD GRACES since he was never there to begin with.

Well how did he know the jets offer of 3 years and 48 mill days before FA, someone in the organization told him he was off only by 1 mil on the guranntee part of it. .

[Savage69]

Well how did he know the jets offer of 3 years and 48 mill days before FA, someone in the organization told him he was off only by 1 mil on the guranntee part of it. .

Revis always uses 16 in calculating contracts.. Tampa was 16 per the Pats was 32 over 2 years(12 and 20) it's not rocket science..

[patman]

Revis always uses 16 in calculating contracts.. Tampa was 16 per the Pats was 32 over 2 years(12 and 20) it's not rocket science..

As good a reason as any other I heard, but it was 2 and 32.5 he must have charged the pats 500,000 for relocating or the interest he lost only getting 12.5 his first year and not 16.. .

[patman]

And a SOJF adds the 

Leave the guy alone, Revis never had to work so long. He probably shows up 3 weeks late to camp to make up for the 3 extra games the pats made him play.