Why New York Jets Must Get Darrelle Revis Situation Taken Care Of - Bleacher Report

New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is as fickle as a cat, but if the Jets haven't figured it out by now, they should probably do everything in their power to help Revis make up his mind. Losing him for an extended period of time could completely derail the Jets' season.

The star cornerback with an island named after him created quite a stir when he hinted in April that he was unsure if he would hold out. So there was a sigh of relief when he told reporters a few weeks ago that he was "not unhappy about nothing," indicating he wouldn't hold out from training camp.

We've circled the wagons.

On behalf of Jets fans: uh oh.

Arguably no defensive player has as big of an impact on the game plan of his entire defense as Revis does with the Jets. His ability to isolate a team's best wide receiver allows Rex Ryan to run all the exotic fronts his mind can create.

One look at the numbers reveals his dominance. He has ranked either No. 1 or 2 in catch rate among all NFL cornerbacks over the past three years according to Pro Football Focus, and he ranked first in passer rating in '09 and '11.

When Ryan called him the best cornerback in the league, he wasn't lying.

Should the Jets give into Revis' contract demands?

Should the Jets give into Revis' contract demands?

• Yes

• No

• Total votes: 0

That excellence has allowed the Jets to remain one of the best defenses in the NFL despite an aging unit that's been losing pieces, and despite slowly but surely descending down the defensive rankings.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie would likely be the one asked to fill in as the No. 1 cornerback if Revis does elect to hold out. That's not a certainty, but there's not much question, without much depth at the position.

The Jets have a lot of guaranteed money tied up in their players and can't get rid of anyone to free up a substantial amount of money for Revis. There are a few names they could chop off their roster, but none of the salaries they'd unload would put them remarkably closer to where they need to be to meet Revis' demands.

While the Jets have to wonder if their purse can afford more money for Revis, they must also wonder if the defense as a whole can afford to be without Revis for any period of time. From my observations, the quick answer is "no."

Erik Frenz is the AFC East lead blogger for Bleacher Report. Be sure to follow Erik on Twitter and "like" the AFC East blog on Facebook to keep up with all the updates.