New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has revealed that the club made a concerted effort to keep cornerback Darrelle Revis before he opted to join the New York Jets.
The 29-year-old was under contract with the Patriots for the 2015 season, but the club decided not to use the $20m (£13.3m) option on his deal, which made him available on the free-agent market.
The Patriots and the Jets both pursued the All-Pro, but Revis decided to return to New York - where he spent the first six years of his career - on a five-year deal worth up to $70m (£46.8m).
Kraft has conceded that his side had to consider the long-term effects of offering Revis a lucrative deal, with negotiations on the horizon on the contracts of Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins.
"We thought we made a very competitive offer," Kraft told reporters. "I speak as a fan of the New England Patriots, we wanted to keep him. We wanted him in our system, and we have certain disciplines.
"We had hoped it worked out. It didn't. We just don't think about short-term decisions. For example, next year we have three very good young defensive players coming up and we have to factor that."
The Patriots won their fourth Super Bowl title in 15 years when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in February.
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