In N.Y., Steve Serby writes Jets Owner Woody Johnson "should take a bow for the renewed buzz around" the team. Johnson "easily could have kept his back turned forever" on CB Darrelle Revis and "let personal feelings about the difficult past negotiations get in the way of the best interests of his franchise." But he "did not," instead signing Revis to a deal making him the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history. Johnson "wants his long-suffering fan base back" and is "sick and tired of being sick and tired of losing, of being irrelevant, of being a tabloid punch line" (N.Y. POST, 3/12).
UPSTATE UPTICK: In Buffalo, Jerry Sullivan writes the Bills "were a franchise in chaos" a little over two months ago, but things "sure turned around in a couple of months." Co-Owners Terry and Kim Pegula will "spend whatever it takes to race to the top" in the NFL. When you combine the "big personality" of new Bills coach Rex Ryan with Terry Pegula's "big bankbook, you begin to command respect." The Bills for too long "were the joke of the NFL," but they are now "the talk of the league" (BUFFALO NEWS, 3/12). Bills President & CEO Russ Brandon said of the team's offseason moves, "We've been aggressive in a very structured manner" (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 3/12).
BLACK HOLE DOWN: CBSSPORTS.com's Jason La Canfora wrote the Raiders are "back in the same predicament this season, again unable to lure big fish free agents to town for myriad reasons." Team Owner Mark Davis' liquidity "is always under question, and he has a decrepit stadium with the lowest revenue streams in the league." He also "has difficulty funding contracts, considering whatever a team gives a player in 'fully guaranteed' money must be put in escrow, in full, after the signing." With the salary cap "jumping fairly exponentially on a yearly basis with the new television money flowing in, the time is now" for the Raiders to be "wheeling and dealing" (CBSSPORTS.com, 3/11). The S.F. Chronicle's Ann Killion said the main reason the Raiders have been unable to sign a top-tier free agent is "instability" ("Yahoo Sports Talk Live," CSN Bay Area, 3/11).
