New England Patriots: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time

• 7x Pro Bowl (2008-2011, 2013-2015)
• 4x First-Team All-Pro (2009-2011, 2014)
• 29 career interceptions
• 140 career passes defended

For six years, Darrelle Revis was a despised figure throughout much of the New England area. The lone bright spot on an otherwise mediocre New York Jets squad, Revis got so good at his job that he soon earned himself a nickname, “Revis Island,” for the way he often rendered an opponent’s No. 1 receiver isolated and ineffective for long stretches of games.

Though the Jets collectively never quite threatened the Patriots during the Revis era, Revis himself was a persistent thorn in the side for New England quarterback Tom Brady.

At the peak of his powers, Revis was widely considered the best cornerback in the league; Brady wisely threw the ball elsewhere during their frequent matchups, acknowledging he was tempting fate every time he tried to complete a pass in Revis’ direction.

The 2009 season may have been the high-water mark for Revis: he set career highs in interceptions (six), passes defended (31) and touchdowns scored (one). Were it not for Charles Woodson’s renaissance with the Green Bay Packers that year, Revis almost surely would have won NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Yet just three seasons later, Revis was in another uniform altogether. Through a combination of contract disputes, holdouts, veiled threats and injuries, the relationship between Revis and the Jets turned gradually sour, until eventually he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013.

Despite a stellar season with the Buccaneers, Revis grumbled about his place within a zone defense that seemingly de-prioritized his man-to-man coverage skills. After failing to find a trade partner, the Buccaneers released him… and on that very same day, the Patriots came flying in out of nowhere to sign Revis to a one-year deal worth $12 million.

The rest, as they say, is history. Both sides reaped ample rewards from the transaction: Revis finally got a chance to play for a contender and even won himself a ring in Super Bowl XLIX. The Patriots got their first premier shutdown cornerback on the outside since the days of Asante Samuel and Ty Law.

Even though Revis and the Patriots parted ways after just one season, the success of their unlikely partnership earns him a place on this list.

Besides, how much fun is it that one of the greatest Jets players ever left town and won a championship with the rival Patriots? That, in and of itself, makes Revis worthy of mention here.