San Francisco 49ers: What 49ers’ Offseason Moves Mean for the NFL Draft – Bleacher Report

One week after the 49ers announced they would be trading Alex Smith, San Francisco was again in the headlines.

This time, the 49ers were rumored to be in pursuit of Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Revis, a four-time Pro Bowl corner, is undoubtedly one of the best backs in the NFL.  Yet in 2012, he suffered an ACL injury in Week 3 that forced him to miss the remainder of the season.  For the lowly 6-10 Jets, Revis was the perfect piece to move in order for New York to start fixing their franchise.  Teams were showing interest.

It made sense that the 49ers were interested in Revis; San Francisco needed help in the backfield.  The passing defense was torched in the playoffs, most noticeably by Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense during Super Bowl XLVII.  The 49ers also were aware that they could lose the services of their best defensive back, safety Dashon Goldson, to free agency.  So why not bring “Revis Island” to San Francisco?

The answer is complicated, but it makes sense why the 49ers elected not to make the move.

First, there is the nature of Revis’ ACL injury.  Given the extent of the injury he suffered and the difficulties associated with its recovery, there is no guarantee that Revis will be 100 percent in 2013; it’s very possible that he may never return to the same caliber he played at before the injury.

Secondly, there are the contractual issues.  Revis is scheduled to make $6 million in 2013 (spotrac.com).  Yet considering what other cornerbacks are making around the league, Revis will undoubtedly want to get paid more, and soon. 

The 49ers could probably afford the $6 million owed to Revis in 2013 and then see what happens after the year is over, but there is a possibility that Revis would hold out and request contract renegotiations.  In addition to that potential headache, San Francisco may be best suited to keep that money for its current talent, including Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree and Aldon Smith, who are due big bucks over the next few years. 

Revis is probably going to ask for around $16 million per year—money that the 49ers have no interest in spending on a player coming off such a significant injury (espn.go.com).

Lastly, the Jets are in a position to command the market on Revis.  While there haven’t been any deals yet in place to move Revis, New York will certainly entertain the best option for his services.  The Jets would have liked to get their hands on some of the 14 picks, but the 49ers are not budging.

In fact, San Francisco stated through various reports that it had nearly zero interest in Revis, putting to bed any and all rumors that he would be seen in a 49ers uniform.

It is a solid decision.  The 49ers don’t have to worry about his contractual situation and all the baggage that could potentially accompany it.  They also will not be concerned about his ACL and recovery process.  They can look at all the money saved by not trading for him and know that cash can be invested in some of their own home-grown talent.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the 49ers keep a potential draft-pick package that otherwise would have been sent to New York.  Instead of trading away what would have likely been multiple high- and mid-round picks, San Francisco will use them elsewhere.

Those picks will be best served in the draft.