Jets' Revis seeking contract extension by the opener
Colts receiver Reggie Wayne tries to run past Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. (Dec. 27, 2009) Credit: AP
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Nick Mangold recently made it no secret that he covets a new deal before the 2010 season kicks off. Apparently, the Pro Bowl center has to get in line behind another All-Pro teammate, Darrelle Revis.
Revis said Thursday that his agent is in the early negotiation stages on a long-term extension with the Jets. The cornerback is set to make $1 million in base salary this season, the fourth year of his original six-year, $30-million contract.
He is looking to lock down a new deal the same way he put the clamps on some of the game's elite receivers last season. He'd like something to be done by the Sept. 13 opener.
"They're preliminary [talks]," Revis said. "It's in the process."
Revis earned roughly $15 million over the first three seasons of the contract. The final two years of the deal can be voided because he's reached certain playing incentives.
The two-time Pro Bowler is coming off his best season, leading the Jets with six interceptions and a team-best 31 passes defensed. He shut down the league's elite receivers and also totaled 54 combined tackles.
Other contract situations also are looming for the Jets. Linebacker David Harris and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson are looking for new long-term extensions. There's also the likes of Braylon Edwards, Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes. Their deals expire after next season.
Contracts and financial security could turn out to be a distraction for the Jets. But Mangold insists that won't be the case, just as he said it wasn't when Leon Washington was in the midst of angling for a new deal.
"I'm not too concerned," Mangold said. "You can take it, you can play it in the media, you can do whatever you've got to do. But at the same time, you go out there and play and it's still football. So I think last year with Leon, I don't think anyone in the locker room was distracted by it. We all knew what's going on, but it's part of the business."
Ellis in contract limbo. Shaun Ellis, who asked the Jets for a contract extension and was turned down, told The Associated Press he's unsure if he will be with the team next season. The 32-year-old defensive end, entering the final year of his contract, said the team cited its policy of having its older veterans play out their deals.
