revis.jpg

Darrelle Revis

(AP)

It would be a stretch to say Darrelle Revis has been a consistent thorn in Tom Brady's side, but that's mostly because the Patriots quarterback determined it wiser at some point to circumvent the rose bushes rather than fight through them.

Over seven meetings dating to 2009, Brady completed 20 of 39 passes for 257 yards, two touchdowns and one interception when throwing in the cornerback's direction. In three of those games against the New York Jets, Brady targeted Revis' receiver three or fewer times. So Sunday's trade that shipped Revis to Tampa Bay may be reason to dust off the duck boats.

Looking at that kind of success, in a league where passing rules the day, it's hard to understand why the Jets were so eager to make this move. Sure, it's better to get something now than be left empty-handed (a 2013 first-round pick and conditional 2014 pick is a decent haul), but all indications leading up to this deal suggested Revis wanted to play in New York and nowhere else.

Why not let him play out the year and figure out a way to keep him around? He's the type of player you build around, a franchise cornerstone. Just look at what the Patriots have been through on defense the last few years. Finding good cornerbacks – especially ones of Revis' caliber – is not an easy thing to do. It's almost impossible.

2. Florida State pass rusher Tank Carradine could be an intriguing option for the Patriots if he lasts until the 29th pick in Thursday's NFL draft. The defensive end is a little more than three months removed from a torn ACL and ran a 4.70 40-yard dash at a workout earlier this week.

While it once looked

like drafting him would be an investment in the future, it's possible he could provide immediate returns. And if those returns are anything close to

the 11 sacks and 13 tackles for loss he amassed in just 11 games last season,

he could end up being a steal for whichever team takes a leap of faith. With

Rob Ninkovich in the final year of his contract and New England in need of more pass-rushers, Carradine would be hard to pass on if he slips.

3. One name to keep an eye on during the draft is former LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu. New England has been all over him during the pre-draft process, and all indications suggest his interactions with the team have been positive. The Patriots have gambled on other players with drug concerns in the past – Aaron Hernandez and Ryan Mallett, among others – but it may be hard to justify such a risk having just five picks (first round, second, third, two sevenths).

4. Playing off that last point, we in the media make a big deal about which players are visiting which teams this time of year, but it's a dangerous game to take stock in such things.

The Jets recently

revealed they've evaluated 1,426 players and conducted more than 300 interviews.

A few of the names whispered in conjunction with your favorite team will likely

be selected this weekend. Most will not.

5. It's good to see so many New England players stepping up and doing whatever they can to get involved in the wake of the Boston Marathon tragedy. Several players have pledged money or used their charities to raise funds for those directly affected by bombings. Others, such as Julian Edelman, have taken time to visit victims in the hospital.

One of the overriding messages when speaking to players this week is that, while many are transplants from other parts of the country, when something like this happens, it pulls you into the fabric of the community.

As a Pennsylvania transplant, I can say it has had a similar impact on me. I've enjoyed my time here and realize I'm blessed to work in one the greatest sports cities in the country, but I never really felt a part of the region.

After witnessing the way everyone pulled together and rose above

tragedy, I'm proud to call it home.