It took roughly 35 days for Darrelle Revis to settle his contract dispute with the Jets.

Thirty-five long days.

The details have been announced and the terms of the deal are that Revis will receive a four-year contract worth $46 million and he’ll also get $32 million guaranteed.

Here’s why it works for all parties:

Revis: He’s not going to make as much as Nnamdi Asomugha on a per-year basis, nor will he be able to call himself the highest paid cornerback in the NFL (two things that were apparently important to him when the process started). However, he’s going to walk away from this deal with $36 million in guaranteed money, so at the end of the day who gives a flying Rex Ryan about being the top paid corner? Thirty-six million guaranteed is $36 million guaranteed. Plus, he skipped all of training camp (which is the time of year players absolutely hate) and shows up just in time to play in the Jets’ opener next Monday night.

Jets: They were never going to pay Revis what he was asking for, but considering they were able to hang onto their best defender and sign him to a deal that allows them to sign other players is what the Jets wanted for themselves all along. Obviously if he continued to hold out then they wouldn’t be out anything financially, but it would have come at the price of losing their top defensive player. The Jets believe that they’re a Super Bowl contender and if they are going to accomplish their goals, then they need Revis locking down one side of the field.

Rex Ryan: Had Revis held out for even a fraction of a year, it would have compromised what Ryan has already started to build in New York. He led this team to the AFC title game last year and while I applaud him and the Jets for saying that they could have gotten by without Revis, the fact of the matter is that he’s their most vital piece defensively. Without him, it stands to reason that the Jets could have gotten by with rookie Kyle Wilson. But with him, they should return to the top of the league in all defensive categories and now Ryan can continue to work on what he started last year with the Jets. With him, they’re contenders (playoffs or otherwise) again.

Mike Tannenbaum: The dude can finally go back to sleeping at night.

Revis didn’t get what he ultimately wanted in the end, but nobody should be insinuatating that he “lost” this battle. He just skipped all of training camp, will play a full 16-week season and now has $36 million in his back pocket.

He didn’t lose anything.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting via his Twitter account that the Jets and cornerback Darrelle Revis have reached an agreement in principle to a new deal, although the specifics have yet to be announced.

Filed to ESPN: Jets and CB Darrelle Revis reach agreement in principle. Revis will fly to NY, sign contract and be on field next Monday nt.

Darrelle Revis is scheduled to be at the Jets training facility tomorrow to sign the deal. Numbers likely to be a team, but not NFL record.

This is what Revis tweeted roughly 10 minutes ago:

To my family, neil, & john I love u guys I’m comin home baby!!! Revis Island LET’S GO.

it not has only been hard on u guys but it has for me too. I just want to tell yall that I’m sorry for this process …

More to come in the morning.

The Newark Star-Ledger is reporting that Jets’ GM Mike Tannenbaum has said that the team will move forward without disgruntled cornerback Darrelle Revis now that final cuts have been made.

“Darrelle is not here, and we’ve planned accordingly,” general manager Mike Tannenbaum said on a conference call with reporters. “We feel good about our depth at corner. We have six guys that can help us, and that’s the group we’re going to be moving forward with.”

“We have to move forward,” Tannenbaum said. “We’re playing ball in a little over a week, and that’s what we’re prepared to do. We feel good about the roster we have; we feel good about our coaching staff. Over the course of a 16-game season, there are going to be a number of players that are unavailable. Traditionally it’s for injuries; one happens to be a contract issue.”

Good for the Jets. They drew a line in the sand and stuck to it. I don’t get what Revis expected to happen; the Jets told him that they would never pay him what he wanted and he still continues to hold out. It’s amazing how much money this guy is going to leave on the table just because he wants to carry the moniker of being the highest paid cornerback in the league.

I’ve got news for you Darrelle, with the way free agency works in the NFL, you would only have been the highest paid corner for the next couple of years and then somebody would have topped your figures. So just play some damn football already.

2010 NFL Division Previews & Predictions: AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West | NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West | 2010 Question Marks Series

The AFC East is arguably the most difficult division to predict because the Patriots, Jets and Dolphins all have enough talent to claim the top spot but all three also have huge question marks that could hold them back.

The Bills, on the other hand…not so hard to predict. (Sorry Buffalo fans.)

Here’s how I see things shaking out in the AFC East this season. Be sure to check out the link entitled “2010 Question Mark” under each team’s preview, which is a breakdown of one or two potential weaknesses that could derail that squad’s hopes in 2010.

1. Patriots

What to Like: Wes Welker is apparently healthy, which is a great sign for Tom Brady and the rest of the Pats’ offense. Although they failed to recapture the magic they had in 2007, the offense ranked third in the NFL in yards per game, sixth in total points and eighth in third down percentage. Along with Welker and Randy Moss, Brady will also have talented rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez to throw to in the passing game and Julian Edelman proved when filling in for Welker last season that he can be productive as well.
What Not to Like: It appears that the pass rush, or lack thereof, will be a massive concern all season. It was a concern heading into the offseason, it’s been a concern thus far in preseason and it’s going to remain a concern unless guys step up. Granted, Tully Banta-Cain is coming off a career year and rookie Jermaine Cunningham has potential, but Derrick Burgess needs to stay motivated and be productive. If he doesn’t and Banta-Cain can’t put up the numbers he did last year then Bill Belichick’s defense could suffer at every level. There’s also the very real concern that starting left guard Logan Mankins will skip the entire season because of a contract despite, meaning promising but inexperienced tackle Sebastian Vollmer will be inserted into the starting lineup.
Keep an Eye On: Darius Butler
In five starts last season, Butler had three inceptions and although he was inconsistent in coverage and needs to cut down on penalties, he could blossom into a star this season. He has already become a leader in the locker room.
The Final Word: Even though the offense stalled in the second half of some games last season, it will still be tough to stop this team a weekly basis. Plus, after struggling to a 2-6 record on the road last season, the Pats will face only two 2009 playoff teams away from Foxboro this year. In fact, six of the 2009 playoff teams they face this year will have to come to New England, which is obviously a major advantage. I think given the problems that the rest of the teams have in the division, the Pats will once again come out on top, although this is far from a Super Bowl team in my eyes.

New England Patriots 2010 Question Mark: Pass Rush

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Revis, Jets close to deal
Dan Graziano of AOL NFL Fanhouse is reporting that the Jets and Darrelle Revis are close to signing a new contract. Graziano claims that an agreement could be announced in the coming days, although it’s important to note that the two sides were reportedly $40 million apart on Monday.

Childress doesn’t rule out IR for Rice
Head coach Brad Childress said on Tuesday that the Vikings won’t rule out the possibility of Sidney Rice being placed on injured reserve following the receiver’s hip surgery on Monday. At the very least, Rice is heading for the PUP list, which means he’ll miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season. If the team places him on IR (which seems like a stretch at this point), his entire 2010 season would be over.

Daniels gets good news on MRI
FOX 26 in Houston is reporting that Owen Daniels’ surgically repaired knee is 100% after the Texans’ tight end had an MRI on Tuesday. Daniels will still have a checkup with Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday, but it appears that he’ll be medically cleared to play by the start of the season.

Bulluck moved back outside
Just one day after I question whether or not Keith Bulluck was a good fit at middle linebacker for Perry Fewell’s defensive scheme in my “NFL Question Marks Series,” the Giants have decided to move him back to the outside where he’s played his entire career. (Obviously Tom Coughlin is a fan of The Scores Report and there’s little to no doubt I’ll be an adviser for the Giants in the upcoming months…ah, sarcasm.) Jonathan Goff will start in the middle for the Giants this season, although fourth rounder Phillip Dillard could get a look if Goff struggles.

LJ, “Fast Willie” on the Skins’ roster bubble?
According to Jason Reid of the Washington Post, it wouldn’t be a shock if both Larry Johnson and Willie Parker were released before the start of the season. Neither back has impressed the new coaching staff in Washington and Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams could wind up backing up Clinton Portis this year.

Darrelle Revis is a damn fine corner – the best in the league maybe. He’s also vital to the Jets’ success this season and he’s arguably the most important piece of Rex Ryan’s defense.

He has also only played one season (that being one, as in – only one) of elite ball, which is why the $162 million over 10 years that he’s asking the Jets to give him is absolutely ridiculous on many levels. (The $162 million figure comes from Newsday’s Bob Glauber.)

The Jets can’t fiscally give into Revis’ contract demands without sacrificing other areas of their team. They have an entire roster to consider – not just one player, a cornerback no less. Not to undermine the importance of the cornerback position, but quarterback is the only spot where a team should break the bank in order to sign or re-sign a player.

Last time I checked, Revis doesn’t throw the football.

Granted, the $162 million figure that Glauber is reporting may be off. After all, the $162 million asking price hasn’t come out of Revis’ mouth; we’re just going off of what Glauber is reporting.

Then again, Revis isn’t in camp and we’re only two and a half weeks away from the start of the regular season. The Jets have reportedly already offered $122 million (in a down economy, mind you) over 10 seasons and Revis has yet to sign. If he’s insane enough to turn down $122 million, then chances are he’s insane enough to ask for $162 million.

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While they’re both highly convenient, text messages and e-mails are often aggravating. Too many times the message or intent gets lost in the translation and sometimes people can walk away offended.

That’s why Rex Ryan’s proposal today in regards to Darrelle Revis’ holdout makes a lot of sense.

From ESPN.com:

“This is what I would like to have happen,” said Ryan, whose proposed plan was scripted. “Everybody put their cards on the table. Have Darrelle come here with anybody he wants. We’ll have Mr. Johnson here … We’ll call off practice. We’ll have our whole team there to meet.

“That way, there’s no he-said, she-said. Let’s work it that way. Maybe that’s how we’ll get a solution. Everybody wants a solution. Let’s figure out a way to do it. Maybe this is the way.”

In other words: Let’s cut through the crap.

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This Darrelle Revis situation has become like a bad movie that I just can’t stop talking about. I want to stop, honestly I do. But I can’t. I just can’t. I’m sick with it. So now I’m just going to give into it.

God help us.

Earlier today, head coach Rex Ryan essentially told the media that the Jets would be just fine without Revis.

“Don’t feel sorry for us,” the Jets’ coach said. “We have everything we need here on defense.”

“We have a great collection of individual talent,” Ryan said. “These guys will play great as a team. That’s what we’ll do. Obviously, Revis is a tremendous player. Ray Lewis, a tremendous player. Ed Reed, tremendous player. Kris Jenkins, too. But it’s about the unit, and we’ve been selling that from the day we walked on here.

“We can get it done,” Ryan continued. “We’re not afraid of anybody.”

Good attitude. Maybe the Jets’ front office should share in Ryan’s sediment and give Revis an ultimatum: Either accept the latest offer or sit out the entire year.

I’ve gone back and forth on this topic over the last couple of weeks, but I keep coming back to the same mindset: Revis is wrong, the Jets are right. The Jets shouldn’t have to pay for Al Davis’ mistake (and it was a mistake) with the Nnamadi Asomugha contract. Revis has every right to feel entitled to make more than Asomugha, but the Jets have every right to tell him to take what they’re offering or shove off.

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Owner Woody Johnson said Monday that he doesn’t believe Darrelle Revis (holdout) will play in 2010.

From the New York Daily News:

Asked whether he believed that a new deal could be reached before the start of the season, Johnson simply said: “The answer is no.”

“My impression is no progress,” the owner said. “(They way) Mike characterized it with me, there’s no movement whatsoever…. Nothing new and different, as they say in marketing.”

Given how much time there is before the regular season starts, this seems like pasturing on the part of Johnson. Either way, it appears as though the Jets are digging in their heels and taking a more hard-line stance with Revis.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Jets’ GM Mike Tannenbaum and owner Woody Johnson saw the news that Broncos’ linebacker Elvis Dumervil suffered a torn pectoral muscle yesterday.

The conversation probably went something like this:

“We’re f*&%ed with Darrelle Revis, Woody!”

“Now, now – maybe he didn’t hear about this, Mike.”

“It’s all over the f*#&ing news, Woody! Get your head out of your a$$!”

Dumervil led the league in sacks last year while emerging as the Broncos’ best pass-rusher. He also had just signed a lucrative six-year, $61.5 million contract just three weeks before suffering the injury. Now he’s likely to miss the entire season and Denver is up a creek without a paddle in terms of his contract. (Even if the injury keeps him out of football this year, the Broncos still have to pay him.)

One could only imagine that the injury reinforced to Revis the need for him to continue to holdout. He already has former Jet Leon Washington in his ear about what could happen if he plays on a one-year contract, and now Dumervil’s injury serves as yet another reminder to 1) get paid and then 2) play.

The Jets want Revis to either play on a restructured one-year deal or sign a long-term agreement that will pay him slightly less annually than the Raiders are paying Nnamdi Asomugha. But Revis wants neither – especially not the former. Had Dumervil not signed the six-year agreement before suffering the injury, there’s no way the Broncos would have paid him after he tore the muscle. He would have probably had to produce another double-digit sack season just to justify a long-term deal because all of the leverage he got from his performance last year would have flown out the window.

If the Jets were hoping that Revis would blink first, they may be waiting a long time in light of Dumervil’s injury. It might be time for Johnson and Tannenbaum to pay Revis what he wants and call it a day.