INDIANAPOLIS _ Cutting Darrelle Revis was difficult, but in the end, "dollars and cents" outweighed personal ties and big names.
Jets head coach Todd Bowles insisted he has no regrets about the team's decision to give the star cornerback $39 million guaranteed to return to the organization two years ago. But Revis' high salary and declining play made it easy for the Jets to release him this week.
"I think it was a good idea," Bowles told reporters Thursday morning at the NFL scouting combine. "I think it was a good call at the time. Obviously, he didn't play as well this year. Neither did anybody else. But he's a good football player. And that doesn't bother me at all."
The reunion with Revis, however, was short-lived.
A wrist injury affected his physical style of play in 2015, and his subsequent offseason surgery greatly diminished his on-field production last season. The decision to release him was a no-brainer, considering his $15.3 million salary cap charge and the $9.3 million the Jets will now save with his release.
Bowles also confirmed that Revis' arrest and legal troubles had no bearing on his release. Revis is facing four felony charges stemming from an alleged street fight in south Pittsburgh on Feb. 12.
The Jets could have asked the 31-year-old cornerback to take a pay cut or switch to safety this season _ an option Bowles acknowledged was discussed. Ultimately, the organization decided moving on from Revis was its best move.
"Obviously, if somebody hasn't played the position before, it's a discussion, and we don't know if he can or he can't," Bowles said of Revis playing safety. "But it came up in conversation. Trying to move a guy and project a guy from a corner to a safety with that kind of salary is kind of tough, too. It's just part of the business side of the organization."
