Darrelle Revis unlikely to be traded

As the dominos continue to fall, the Patriots have emerged as a heavy contender for the services of Darrelle Revis.

Revis is expected to be released later today, but there's a strong argument for the Patriots to trade for him rather than wait to compete for him on the open market. (read: Why the Patriots should trade (not wait) for Darrelle Revis. Now.)

It's looking like that is unlikely to happen, and that means it should be less likely that the Pats can land him.

Our man @RapSheet tells @NFLNetwork that it's unlikely Darrelle Revis will be traded at this stage. Makes sense.

— Marc Sessler (@MarcSesslerNFL) March 12, 2014

Revis will still be looking for top dollar on the market, despite still earning money from Tampa Bay after being cut. The Pats simply do not have the cap space to afford to get into a bidding war with anyone, especially for a guy coming off a $16 million/year deal.

If the Pats trade for him, they could get him for only $8 million against the cap, leaving them with plenty of breathing room.