Jets news for 8/16/07

[TaborJet]

HAPPY HE PASSED ON SCHOTT WITH DOLPHINS

By BRIAN COSTELLO

August 16, 2007 -- Jets assistant coaches were permitted to speak to the media for the only time during training camp yesterday.

For offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, it was his first chance to address the Dolphins' interest over the winter in hiring him to replace Nick Saban as their head coach.

Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga flew to Farmingdale in January and interviewed Schottenheimer. Ultimately, the 33-year-old assistant withdrew his name from consideration, opting to stay on Long Island with the Jets.

"As I look back on it, I was happy here, I am happy here," Schottenheimer said. "The opportunity that Mike (Tannenbaum) and Mr. (Woody) Johnson and Eric (Mangini) afforded me was something I was not comfortable leaving. We've got a lot of work here and I'm looking forward to attacking that work that we have to do here and improve on what we did last season."

This is Schottenheimer's second year as a coordinator. The move would have been similar to Mangini's own rise through the coaching ranks. The Jets hired their head coach after one year as a coordinator (defense with the Patriots).

"It was definitely flattering, but at the same time I've always been somebody that feels like when you start something and you haven't achieved truly what your goals are, you've got to roll up your sleeves and get back to work, and that's how I approach it," Schottenheimer said.

Mangini said jokingly yesterday that had Schottenheimer left, it would not be unfamiliar for him to coach against someone he's worked with. His relationship with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, his mentor, has famously been dissected since the day he took the Jets job.

*

RB Thomas Jones wore a heavy wrap on his right calf as he rode a hand bicycle and worked out with a medicine ball. Mangini ridiculously said Jones could play tomorrow night in the Jets' preseason game with the Vikings. Mangini has not commented on the severity of Jones' strained-calf injury and wants to maintain the illusion Jones somehow may take the field tomorrow. . . . DE Kimo von Oelhoffen suffered an undisclosed injury.

[TaborJet]

TURNING THE CORNER

By BRIAN COSTELLO

August 16, 2007 -- The Jets got their man. It may have taken a 20-day holdout, two days of marathon negotiations, and a 47-page contract, but first-round pick Darrelle Revis officially became a Jet last night.

Revis and the Jets reached an agreement in principle late Tuesday night and spent yesterday going over the finer points of the complicated contract and getting NFL and union approval.

The 22-year-old cornerback will be on the field today with the Jets for a walkthrough. It's unlikely he will play in tomorrow's preseason game with Minnesota, but Eric Mangini did not rule it out.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but NFL.com reported Revis signed for six years, $36 million.

"I'm excited just to be in the NFL," Revis said a little after 9 o'clock last night when the deal was announced. "It's a dream come true. I've been fighting for this my whole life. Now it's here. I've just got to take steps now and do what I can."

Revis' agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, were holed up at Jets headquarters in Hempstead for two days trying to reach a deal. When Schwartz addressed the media last night, he had on the same clothes as when he arrived at Hofstra at 8 o'clock Tuesday morning.

The agents called the contract unique, and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum labeled it "extraordinarily complicated."

A major sticking point between the cornerback and the team was the length of the contract. The Jets hoped for a six-year deal; Revis did not want to go past five. It's believed the two sides reached a creative compromise that gave the Jets the sixth year they sought and Revis compensation at the back end of the contract.

"Each side wanted different things," Schwartz said. "I think this contract addressed what both sides genuinely wanted."

Tannenbaum said the negotiations were the most difficult he ever participated in.

"I knew the landing spot on this deal was really small," Tannenbaum said, "but I was resolute in the fact that there was a landing spot that was good for Darrelle and good for the Jets. I'm just happy that we found that spot."

The Jets traded up in April's NFL Draft to select Revis with the 14th pick. He missed 22 practices and last Friday's preseason opener with Atlanta. Revis' holdout was the longest for the Jets since Keyshawn Johnson held out for 24 days in 1996 after being taken No. 1.

Revis was expected to challenge for a starting job before the holdout. He was the first cornerback selected in the draft and was a weapon on special teams in college. Revis finished his three-year career at Pittsburgh with 129 tackles, eight interceptions, and two punt returns for touchdowns.

The 5-foot-11, 204-pounder was expected to compete in training camp for the right cornerback spot. Last year, the Jets used four different players as a starter at the position. Revis now must try to catch up after missing so much time. He spent last night going over his playbook and meeting with coaches. He seemed relieved the contract was done.

"Being out for so long you just think it's never gonna end," Revis said.

brian.costello@nypost.com

[TaborJet]

Jets notebook

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Coach talks Fish

Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that the Dolphins' interest in him for their then-vacant head coaching position in January was "definitely flattering," but seemed to indicate he wasn't ever offered the job.

The Jets' offensive coordinator said there "definitely was some dialogue, but for the most part, that's all it was." He added that he "is happy here" and "we have a lot of work here."

Schottenheimer was made available to reporters for the first time since midway through the 2006 season.

The Jets finished 30th in the NFL in rushing yards per carry last season with a 3.5 average. When asked if they need to run the ball better, Schottenheimer replied: "Yes, we do. We need to do a lot of things better."

Veteran Thomas Jones was supposed to alleviate that problem, but is sidelined with a strained right calf and has missed the last three days of practice and won't play Friday.

Schottenheimer obviously hopes to see him back in action soon.

"Good players always fit in," he said, "and [Jones] definitely expands" the playbook.

More Tuiasosopo?

Coach Eric Mangini again was in regular-season mode Wednesday when asked about the quarterback rotation for Friday's preseason game against Minnesota.

"I haven't finalized that yet," Mangini said, adding that he and Schottenheimer "like to sit down later in the week, really as close as possible [to the game]. We'll talk through the reps [and] talk through how we want to see the different combinations of people."

Marques Tuiasosopo, who is trailing Kellen Clemens in the competition for No. 2 quarterback, didn't get to attempt a pass in the opener against Atlanta.

By the time he entered with 6:18 remaining, the Jets were comfortably ahead and all he did was hand off.

When asked if he felt a sense of urgency to see more from Tuiasosopo or Brad Smith, Mangini replied, "We've got a lot of looks at those guys."

Briefs

DE Kimo von Oelhoffen (undisclosed injury) was on the sideline Wednesday pedaling the stationary bike, but CB Justin Miller (hamstring) and DB Drew Coleman (leg) were both jogging, which suggests they could return soon.

-- J.P. Pelzman

[TaborJet]

Jets get their man as Revis signs on

Thursday, August 16, 2007

By J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.

The contract impasse had lasted nearly three weeks. So it was only fitting that it took two days of marathon negotiations before Darrelle Revis finally became a Jet officially Wednesday night.

Revis, a cornerback from Pittsburgh who was the 14th overall selection, signed a six-year contract, which could be worth as much as $36 million, according to the NFL Network. The contract is believed to be voidable after four years, although the Jets would have a buyback option for the last two years.

Revis' signing leaves overall No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell as the only unsigned first-rounder. The quarterback from LSU and the Raiders reportedly are not close to an agreement.

"I've still got a lot of work to do," said Revis, wearing a gray Jets' T-shirt and a pair of Air Jordan shorts.

Revis missed 20 days and 22 practices, plus the Jets' preseason-opening victory over Atlanta. Revis will participate in a walkthrough practice today that is closed to the media and public. Revis said Wednesday night that he had passed the Jets' conditioning test, but both he and general manager Mike Tannenbaum were noncommittal on whether he would play against Minnesota on Friday night.

He most likely won't, as the plan probably will be to try to get Revis up to speed as quickly as possible so that he can play against the Giants in the third preseason contest Aug. 25.

Revis' contract impasse was driven mostly by the fact that the Jets were seeking an ironclad six-year deal to prevent Revis from being a free agent until after the 2012 season, while Revis and his representatives wanted a five-year contract.

While four of the first five selections signed six-year contracts, 10th overall pick Amobi Okoye of the Texans was the only player below No. 5 who had signed a six-year deal. And Okoye's deal is easily voidable.

Tannenbaum and Revis' representatives, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, met Tuesday morning and continued talking throughout the day before wrapping up at midnight. At that point, Tannenbaum said, the sides had reached an agreement in principle.

Tannenbaum said that Wednesday "we worked through nuances and technicalities. That's why Darrelle wasn't able to practice. It just took a long time.

"We're glad it's over," he added.

As is everyone else in green and white. Revis is projected to be a lockdown cornerback, which is why the Jets traded up 11 spots to get him.

The negotiations continued Wednesday morning and again went throughout most of the day. Tannenbaum indicated that "a lot of that time" consisted of him speaking with the NFL Management Council while "Neil was doing his due diligence with the [players'] union."

Tannenbaum and Schwartz indicated that it was one of the most complicated contracts they've ever been involved with. Schwartz also seemed pleased with it.

"It's definitely a win-win," he said before leaving the Jets' media room and going back upstairs to go over some more pages of the contract, which is 47 pages long, according to Tannenbaum.

"It will be good to get him out there," coach Eric Mangini said earlier in the day. "He's got a lot of work to do. ... We're excited about having him."

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

[TaborJet]

Bright future in life of Brian

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Thursday, August 16th 2007, 4:00 AM

In his first interview in 10 months, Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer made it clear yesterday that he's committed to at least three things: the Jets, Chad Pennington and improving the running game.

Schottenheimer, 33, one of the NFL's bright young coaches, interviewed for the Dolphins' head-coaching vacancy last January, but later withdrew his name from consideration. Addressing the flirtation for the first time, he said he wasn't comfortable leaving the Jets after only one season.

"It was definitely flattering, but at the same time, I've always been somebody that feels like, when you start something and you haven't achieved your goals, you have to roll up your sleeves and get back to work," said Schottenheimer, who figures to be a hot candidate next offseason.

He addressed other issues, such as:

The running attack, which ranked 30th in yards per attempt: "It's definitely going to be a commitment for us. It's something we've been talking about since Day 1."

Pennington: "I have great confidence in Chad."

On hiring a QB coach, Brian Daboll, considered Schottenheimer's heir apparent: "When (the players) are mad at me, they have somebody else to go to. I'm not saying that to be funny; I mean that. They need a sounding board."

Eric Mangini allowed his assistants to speak with the media for the first time since last October. It's mandatory, according to a new league rule.

DOUBTING THOMAS: RB Thomas Jones (strained calf) spent his third day on the sideline. This time, he was back in the air cast as he worked the air bike on the sideline. He still was walking with a pronounced limp, although Mangini refused to rule out Jones for tomorrow night's game against the Vikings. Don't get your hopes up; Jones is expected to miss at least two weeks.

The Jets are exploring the running-back market. Asked about former Patriot Corey Dillon, who says he's retired, Mangini said, "Really, we're focusing on the guys that are here. But, like anything else, we're always open to possibilities."

Don't read too much into that. On Tuesday, Dillon's agent said he hadn't heard from the Jets.

UP & RUNNING: CB Drew Coleman (knee), who got hurt Sunday, started jogging on the side. ... CB/KR Justin Miller (hamstring), FB Stacy Tutt (foot) and S Eric Smith (leg) remained on the sideline. None of them is expected to play tomorrow night.... DE Kimo von Oelhoffen (knee) joined the injured players on the sideline. It doesn't appear serious. ...LG Adrien Clarke appeared to be shaken up on the final play of practice.

GUARDED ANSWER: Asked if it's weird that disgruntled LG Pete Kendall, an 11-year starter, is working as a backup, offensive line coach Tony Wise paused a few moments. Measuring his words, he replied, "Nah, it hasn't been that big a deal. It hasn't been an issue." Obviously, this is a delicate subject. Kendall is unhappy with his contract and wants out in the worst way, but it's beginning to look like he will stay. He continues to get time as a backup center, another source of consternation.

[TaborJet]

Revis, Jets finally get deal done

Darrelle Revis speaks to reporters in May. Below, Revis works out during the rookie mini-camp in May.

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Thursday, August 16th 2007, 4:00 AM

The official announcement wasn't made until 8:55 last night, but Eric Mangini delivered Darrelle Revis' welcome-to-the-Jets moment about nine hours earlier. For the first time since June, Mangini referred to the first-round pick by his first name in a public setting. With a deal imminent, it was time to drop the cold-shoulder treatment.

"I told (my wife) Julie to clear out the guest room," said Mangini, joking that he was going to ask Revis to move in with his family. "We'll have Jake, Luke and Darrelle's room."

After a 20-day contract dispute, they're all one big, happy family - or at least that's how both sides tried to present it last night at Hofstra.

The Jets were happy because they held their ground and signed the former Pitt cornerback to a six-year contract, the maximum allowed by league rules and the length they demanded from the outset of negotiations.

Revis and his representatives, initially seeking a five-year deal, were happy because the complex contract can void after four years if he appears in at least 35% of the plays this season or 45% in one of the next three seasons. In that case, the Jets have the option of buying back the last two years for a minimum of $14 million. The total value of the contract is $30 million-$36 million, with $16 million in the first four years ($11 million guaranteed), according to a source. "Being out for so long, you think it's never going to end," said Revis, admitting he was frustrated that he wasn't in camp and missed 22practices and one game.

It was the Jets' longest rookie contract dispute since Keyshawn Johnson's 24-day standoff in 1996. Revis (14th overall) became the next-to-last pick to sign, leaving Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell (No. 1) as the only unsigned draft choice.

Revis, who had been working out in Arizona with a professional trainer, arrived yesterday morning at Weeb Ewbank Hall and passed Mangini's conditioning run. He was hoping to practice in the afternoon, but that didn't happen because it took so long so fine-tune the language in the 47-page contract.

GM Mike Tannenbaum called it an "extraordinarily complicated" deal, one of the toughest he's ever negotiated. The two sides agreed in principle Tuesday night and spent yesterday working in concert with the NFL management council and the players' union, wading through the collective bargaining agreement.

"We're glad it's over," Tannenbaum said. "We're excited to put Darrelle on the field. We traded up for him. We think he's a talented player. He'll help us this year and many years to come, hopefully." He didn't second-guess his negotiating strategy, which could haunt him if Revis gets hurt or can't help the Jets immediately.

Revis received a playbook and was planning to spend the rest of the night with the coaches, trying to catch up. He will participate in today's walk-through. The Jets wouldn't say if he would play tomorrow night against the Vikings at Giants Stadium, although it's highly unlikely. "It was tough," said Revis, describing the emotions of the long dispute. "Being a competitor, being the type of player I am, I didn't want to see my teammates playing without me. I was frustrated."

The Jets traded up 11 spots for Revis, giving up first- and second-round picks for a player they believe will be a shutdown corner. If he's not an opening-day starter, he'll almost certainly be in the nickel package. They also expect Revis to return punts.

[TaborJet]

from Rich Cimini's Blog

August 15, 2007

Revis is now officially a member of the Jets

At 8:50 tonight, GM Mike Tannenbaum popped into the press room at Weeb Ewbank Hall and made the announcement that had been anticipated for 36 hours: Darrelle Revis. Contract. Done. Official member of the New York Jets.

Pardon me if I

[TaborJet]

Jets rookie cornerback Revis ends holdout

BY TOM ROCK

tom.rock@newsday.com

August 16, 2007

It took 20 days of training camp to make Darrelle Revis a Jet. Now there are 24 days to get him ready for the Patriots.

Revis ended his contract dispute yesterday, signing a deal that Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum called "extraordinarily complicated." The cornerback from Pitt was officially introduced by Tannenbaum at around 8:50 p.m. - even though he had several more pages of the dense document to sign. Terms were not immediately disclosed, but it is reportedly a six-year, $36-million contract voidable after four years, with an option for the Jets to buy back the remaining two years.

"I knew the landing spot on this deal was really small," Tannenbaum said. "In this deal it was obviously harder to find, but we knew that it was there."

Tannenbaum and Revis' agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, worked exhaustively to get the deal hammered out, meeting almost continuously since early Tuesday morning. Schwartz said he spent the past two days wearing the same clothes, unaware how lengthy negotiations would be when he arrived on Long Island Tuesday morning. The deal was reached in principle around midnight Tuesday, and yesterday was spent ironing out nuances and running the technicalities past the NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association.

But that was nothing compared to the work Revis will undertake to prepare for the Sept. 9 opener against New England.

"We're excited about having him here," Mangini said earlier in the day. "On the flip side, I didn't send Mike out for any party hats or noise makers. It will be good to get him out there. He's got a lot of work to do."

The signing leaves only No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell unsigned among first-rounders.

Revis is unlikely to play in tomorrow night's preseason game against the Vikings. His first appearance on the field probably will come at Sunday's practice. By then he'll have had nearly four days of meetings and tutoring in the Jets' complex defensive scheme, as well as today's pregame walk-through, which is closed to the public. Tannenbaum said Revis was attending team meetings and studying the playbook last night. He passed his conditioning test and physical yesterday morning.

As for Revis' physical preparedness, Mangini said it was hard to tell based on his brief recent encounters with the player. "You find out pretty quick once you go on the practice field how well you've been working out," Mangini said.

Revis, who spent the last few weeks training in Phoenix, knows he has some catching up to do. "As of right now I can only do so much," he said, "and it's to come in here and learn."

Notes & quotes: Mangini did not rule out having RB Thomas Jones (calf) play tomorrow, saying he wanted to simulate regular-season preparation right down to game-day decisions on injured players. Still, an appearance by Jones seems unlikely ... Asked if Chad Pennington would throw a pass against the Vikings - he did not in two series against the Falcons last week - Mangini said, "I don't know. I think it's a possibility."

[TaborJet]

Jets finally sign rookie Revis

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 16, 2007)

HEMPSTEAD - Darrelle Revis proudly wore a Jets T-shirt. His agent, Neil Schwartz of Suffern, wore the same clothes he had on when he first came to the team's complex early Tuesday morning to begin the marathon negotiating sessions that culminated last night with the team signing its first-round pick.

The Jets traded up 11 spots to select the Pittsburgh junior cornerback/punt returner 14th overall this April. But a contract dispute led Revis to miss 22 practices and one preseason game over the 20 days since training camp began July 27. It marked the Jets' longest holdout since Keyshawn Johnson missed 24 days in 1996.

Revis had sought a five-year deal, while the Jets wanted to lock him up for six seasons. Ultimately, he signed a reported six-year deal worth $36 million, with about $11.5 million in guaranteed money.

"It was tough," said Revis, who passed the Jets' conditioning test yesterday morning but did not sign his deal in time to participate in the afternoon practice at Hofstra. "Basically, being a competitor and being the type of football player I am, I didn't want to sit there and see my teammates playing. I was frustrated for a while, but I let my agents handle it."

The compromise in the 47-page contract likely was a clause that escalates his compensation greatly over the final year.

"I knew the landing spot on this deal was really small," Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "But we were resolute in the fact that there was a landing spot that was good for us and good for Darrelle.

"This was extraordinarily complicated. I'm not proud of that. Really, that's where the system is."

Much of yesterday was spent making sure the contract satisfied both the NFL's management council and the NFL Players Association.

"One of the parts in the negotiation we were dealing with an area of the (collective bargaining agreement), which kind of had conflicting language," said Schwartz, who was joined in the negotiations by his partner, Jonathan Feinsod. "We're all in agreement, yet the union and the management council had opposing views. It was kind of ironic."

Revis spent most of his holdout working out in Phoenix.

"Being out for so long, you just think it's never going to end," Revis said. "I'm happy. The Jets are happy. Right now it's one big family."

Tannenbaum said Revis would be available to participate in the Jets' walk-through today for their preseason game hosting the Vikings tomorrow night at 8. However, both Tannenbaum and Revis said it would be up to coach Eric Mangini as to whether Revis played in the game.

Most likely, Revis will be held out until the Jets play the Giants in their third preseason game Aug. 25. Revis did participate in both the Jets' mini-camp and rookie mini-camp as well as their offseason training activities.

"I don't know that there is an accelerated course," Jets defensive-backs coach Mike MacIntyre said. "Hopefully, he has retained some (information) from the OTAs and mini-camps and then we will just go from there. We'll have extra time with him but there is only so much playing time to take care of that. He was picking up everything great during the OTAs but we will see when he gets here. We'll just throw him in and let him work at it and see how it goes."

Which Revis is clearly anxious to begin doing.

"I'm excited just to be in the NFL. It's a dream come true and I've been fighting for this job my whole life," Revis said. "I can only do so much, achieve so much. Right now, it's to learn, learn from the coaches, learn from the veteran players. The veterans have been telling me it's going to be a long season."

Note: Veteran defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen missed practice and had his right knee wrapped. ... Mangini said he hadn't finalized his quarterback rotation for tomorrow's preseason game against the Vikings but sounded fairly confident Chad Pennington would be allowed to throw a pass after not having an attempt despite playing two series in a 31-16 win over the Falcons this past Friday.

Reach Andrew Gross at apgross@lohud.com and read his Jets' blog at www.jets.lohudblogs.com.

[TaborJet]

Jets have no intention of dumping Kendall

Thursday, August 16, 2007 BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Despite his best efforts to force his way out of town, the Jets plan on keeping disgruntled left guard Pete Kendall -- at his current base salary of $1.7 million, according to a team official.

Kendall, who wants a $1 million raise as he enters his 12th NFL season, has demanded to be traded or released. He is in the second year of a four-year deal that paid him $5.2 million last year in salary and bonuses, including $1.9 million owed him from his original contract with the Jets. Kendall has expressed his unhappiness at daily post-practice news conferences and leveled some stinging criticism at the organization.

His strategy, however, hasn't worked, and he appears to be going nowhere. Kendall is playing behind third-year pro Adrien Clarke and has been taking reps at center this week, though his poor play there in 2005 led to him taking a paycut. He'll likely play guard and center in tomorrow night's preseason game against the Vikings at Giants Stadium.

"He's going to be here," said the team official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to speak to the media. "He's a good player. I don't see why we would give him away to somebody else."

The Jets are pleased with Clarke. But if they were to get rid of Kendall, their third guard behind starters Brandon Moore and Clarke would be rookie free agent Dominic Moran.

"I'm really surprised to hear that," Kendall said after practice yesterday. "I'm very surprised, if your sources are correct, that they've made that decision."

Kendall was asked his thoughts on remaining with the club.

"Either the (contract) number will change or the situation (a return to the starting lineup), will change. I don't see them paying that kind of money ($1.7 million) for a backup.

"I've tried to separate as best I can the business from the emotions of it. I don't know what to say because I never considered that (remaining with the club) a strong possibility."

For all his heated rhetoric, Kendall has remained a professional. He played well in last Friday's preseason game and hasn't been a disruptive force on the team.

"Pete has been very good," said offensive line coach Tony Wise, who along with other assistant coaches was allowed to speak to the media yesterday for the first time. "He's sharp as heck. He knows theory and offensive line play. He's been fine, he really has. ... It (his unhappiness with his contract) really hasn't been an issue. It really hasn't."

Said Kendall: "I don't know that I've accepted the situation. Really, nothing has changed. Every day that goes by still leaves me with the same questions I had when we started."

[TaborJet]

Jets, Revis finally agree on complex contract to end holdout

Thursday, August 16, 2007 BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

Two marathon days of negotiations between the Jets and top draft pick Darrelle Revis finally put an end to a nearly three-week holdout for the cornerback.

The two sides reached a deal around midnight Tuesday and needed yesterday to iron out the details.

However, what those details are is still not clear. Neither the length of the contract nor the financial terms were disclosed by Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum or Revis' agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod. The only thing Tannenbaum acknowledged about the deal -- which includes a healthy array of clauses, incentives and escalators -- is that it is detailed in a 47-page document.

The team had been steadfast in insisting on a six-year deal, while Revis' camp preferred five years. An NFL Network report indicated the sides had agreed on a six-year term -- one that could be voided after four years and would give the team the option of buying back the final two years -- worth more than $30 million.

Revis, who the Jets traded up 11 spots to select at 14th overall, missed the first 20 days and 22 practices of training camp. His holdout was the longest for a Jet since Keyshawn Johnson sat out 24 days as the first pick overall in 1996.

"It was tough," Revis said last night. "Being a competitor, I didn't want to sit there and see my teammates playing. But I looked at the positive side and let my agents handle it. ... Being out so long, you think it's never going to end. I'm excited to be in the NFL, it's like a dream come true."

The two sides needed approval from the league and players union before the deal could be official. Given the complexity of the deal, that might not be an easy task.

Tannenbaum, who has spearheaded contract negotiations for the Jets since 1997, said it was perhaps the most complicated deal he has ever negotiated. Schwartz, a veteran agent, also said coming to an agreement was challenging, in part because of conflicting language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

"We're glad it's over and we look forward to seeing Darrelle on the field," Tannenbaum said. "I knew the landing spot on this deal was very small and I'm just happy we found it.

This was extraordinarily complicated. I'm not proud of it. It's just the system. I give a lot of credit to Neil. He was very prepared. I think it's a fair contract for both sides."

Schwartz wanted to get his client in camp so bad he missed his wife's birthday on Tuesday and said he has some making up to do.

"It's definitely a win-win," he said. "I think (the contract) was sophisticated, quite creative and unique. Each side wanted different things and this contract addressed that."

Revis, who spent his time working out in Phoenix, said he's simply going to work as hard as he can to get up to speed but he's not going to try to force anything. He passed his conditioning test yesterday morning and attended meetings.

The Jets said Revis, a physical 5-11, 196-pounder with good speed (4.38 in the 40), was a quick study in minicamp, where he worked a lot at nickel back. He won't play in tomorrow's preseason game against the Vikings at Giants Stadium.

Revis was considered one of the best overall cornerbacks in the draft, and had an outstanding college career at Pittsburgh, finishing with 129 tackles and eight interceptions.

Tannenbaum said talks had been ongoing throughout the process. He credited administrative staffers Ari Nissim and Jacqueline Davidson with helping him put together the complex contract.

"It took longer than we had hoped but we got there," Tannenbaum said. "This wasn't a one-issue deal."

By comparison, defensive end Adam Carriker, taken 13th overall by the Rams, signed a five-year, $12.8 million deal that included $9.4 million guaranteed. Linebacker Lawrence Timmons, taken 15th by the Steelers, signed a five-year, $15 million contract with $8 million guaranteed.

LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, taken first overall by the Raiders, remains the only unsigned first-round pick.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at

dhutchinson@starledger.com

[Sperm Edwards]

By comparison, defensive end Adam Carriker, taken 13th overall by the Rams, signed a five-year, $12.8 million deal that included $9.4 million guaranteed. Linebacker Lawrence Timmons, taken 15th by the Steelers, signed a five-year, $15 million contract with $8 million guaranteed.

I just don't see Tannenbaum's logic.

Should have been a 5-year deal in the ballpark of $15M with $9M guaranteed. Now we've got him for one more year for another $15-20M with $12M guaranteed?

Maybe it will become more apparent when the year-to-year payouts are released. I hope so. But as of now, this looks incredibly stupid. A standoff over nothing; overcompensating him to the tune of double what the guy picked a slot ahead of him received, AND he missed the first 20 practices.

***EDIT*** ok, I see it now. Nevermind. Still don't know if it ends up working better for us, but I get it now.