As mentioned everywhere, Brett Favre asked the Packers for his release last night, and the Packers have responded by playing hardball with the man who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Packers GM Ted Thompson and Coach Mike McCarthy refused to release Favre, instead saying that should he want to come back to the team, he is more than welcome - as Aaron Rodgers' backup.
The move is clear posturing, as it is unlikely the team has any real desire to pay Favre $12.5m to sit on the bench, nor would they want the inevitable distraction of a healthy Favre pressuring to play at the expense of Rodgers. The team would most likely prefer to trade Favre and get some recompense for a Quarterback who would be in high demand around the league, but the fact that Favre has not indicated a desire to play more than one year could count against his trade value.
In any case, the Packers hold all the cards. If they keep Favre and he asks for a trade, they can send him somewhere away from their division, and preferably away from the NFC. That fact alone has to make the Jets and Ravens the favourites to land Favre after this act has played out.
Saturday 12 July 2008
Where will Favre go?
With the news that Brett Favre is seeking his release from the Green Bay Packers, the league will be buzzing with rumour and conjecture regarding Favre's final destination. For us the biggest question is whether Favre has the desire to play anywhere because he misses football, or if he wants to win another championship.
Here are our top 5 contenders for his signature:
New York Jets
The Jets have spent big money this off-season. They have invested in almost every position - except the one that matters. The QB battle between Kellen Clemens and Chad Pennington is likely to produce nothing concrete heading into this season - a season that will almost certainly decide the fate of coach Eric Mangini. The only question is whether they can afford Favre. If he still wants his $12.5m salary, the Jets will need to clear $3m of cap room, which they could only do by trading Pennington, realistically.
Minnesota Vikings
Obviously, there is one major sticking point in this situation, and that is the rivalry between the Vikes and the Packers. You could argue that if the Vikings are on this list, then why not Chicago? Well, the Vikings (like the Jets) have thrown money at their situation this spring, and again, their big question mark is at QB. The Bears have never thrown money at anything. Ever. It would be extremely unlikely that the Packers would ascede to Favre's demands to be released if they believed he would be playing against them twice next season. The other big question is how excited Favre could be to play with receivers Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice. It's certainly not the kind of receiving unit that delivers championships.
Tampa Bay Buccanneers
Bucs coach Jon Gruden is a well known advocate of veteran Quarterbacks, and currently has about 4,000 on his roster. Actually though, it would be interesting to see how this situation plays into the contract negotiations with Jeff Garcia. With a player of the same age - but greater talent available, Garcia should be aware that now is not the time to be playing hardball with your team. The Bucs have a mix of veterans and rookies at WR, but definately have considerable talent in Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard, and Dexter Jackson. They also have an enormous amount of cap room, and really this could hinge on whether Gruden believes that Favre can deliver what Garcia cannot.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are probably slightly better than their record last year suggests. If anywhere makes sense on paper, it's Baltimore. At Quarterback, the Ravens would prefer not to start rookie Joe Flacco, but it's something they have had to seriously consider in the last few weeks. The otehr alternatives are Kyle Boller and Troy Smith, neither of which seems to be the long term answer. Apart from that, there are veteran receivers such as Derrick Mason, a great rushing attack, and a solid line, despite the retirement of Jonathan Ogden. One other thing - the Ravens Defence can create the kind of opportunities that Favre would relish.
Detroit Lions
Much like the Vikings, this could be a non-starter because of the fact that Favre would be coming back to haunt the Packers twice next year. On the other hand, the team has many ingredients that could make them an attractive proposition to a veteran Quarterback. The team has one of the best Receiving corps in football, with Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Shaun Macdonald, and Mike Furrey all capable of big plays. Questions do surround the running game, however, and Favre may be unwilling to play for a team that has rarely looked like coming out of a slump it has been in for 20 years.
Other teams in the mix:
Carolina Panthers - If Delhomme is fit, it's not happening
Kansas City Chiefs - No weapons = No playoffs
Chicago Bears - Not enough to make him public enemy no.1 in Green Bay
Atlanta Falcons - Unlikely, but he has been there before, and the Falcons may want to avoid blooding Matt Ryan early.
Here are our top 5 contenders for his signature:
New York Jets
The Jets have spent big money this off-season. They have invested in almost every position - except the one that matters. The QB battle between Kellen Clemens and Chad Pennington is likely to produce nothing concrete heading into this season - a season that will almost certainly decide the fate of coach Eric Mangini. The only question is whether they can afford Favre. If he still wants his $12.5m salary, the Jets will need to clear $3m of cap room, which they could only do by trading Pennington, realistically.
Minnesota Vikings
Obviously, there is one major sticking point in this situation, and that is the rivalry between the Vikes and the Packers. You could argue that if the Vikings are on this list, then why not Chicago? Well, the Vikings (like the Jets) have thrown money at their situation this spring, and again, their big question mark is at QB. The Bears have never thrown money at anything. Ever. It would be extremely unlikely that the Packers would ascede to Favre's demands to be released if they believed he would be playing against them twice next season. The other big question is how excited Favre could be to play with receivers Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice. It's certainly not the kind of receiving unit that delivers championships.
Tampa Bay Buccanneers
Bucs coach Jon Gruden is a well known advocate of veteran Quarterbacks, and currently has about 4,000 on his roster. Actually though, it would be interesting to see how this situation plays into the contract negotiations with Jeff Garcia. With a player of the same age - but greater talent available, Garcia should be aware that now is not the time to be playing hardball with your team. The Bucs have a mix of veterans and rookies at WR, but definately have considerable talent in Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard, and Dexter Jackson. They also have an enormous amount of cap room, and really this could hinge on whether Gruden believes that Favre can deliver what Garcia cannot.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are probably slightly better than their record last year suggests. If anywhere makes sense on paper, it's Baltimore. At Quarterback, the Ravens would prefer not to start rookie Joe Flacco, but it's something they have had to seriously consider in the last few weeks. The otehr alternatives are Kyle Boller and Troy Smith, neither of which seems to be the long term answer. Apart from that, there are veteran receivers such as Derrick Mason, a great rushing attack, and a solid line, despite the retirement of Jonathan Ogden. One other thing - the Ravens Defence can create the kind of opportunities that Favre would relish.
Detroit Lions
Much like the Vikings, this could be a non-starter because of the fact that Favre would be coming back to haunt the Packers twice next year. On the other hand, the team has many ingredients that could make them an attractive proposition to a veteran Quarterback. The team has one of the best Receiving corps in football, with Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Shaun Macdonald, and Mike Furrey all capable of big plays. Questions do surround the running game, however, and Favre may be unwilling to play for a team that has rarely looked like coming out of a slump it has been in for 20 years.
Other teams in the mix:
Carolina Panthers - If Delhomme is fit, it's not happening
Kansas City Chiefs - No weapons = No playoffs
Chicago Bears - Not enough to make him public enemy no.1 in Green Bay
Atlanta Falcons - Unlikely, but he has been there before, and the Falcons may want to avoid blooding Matt Ryan early.
If you love someone, set them free.
Sorry for the Police reference, but according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com Brett Favre has officially handed in a request that the Green Bay Packers release him from their roster, paving the way for #4 to ply his trade elsewhere.
The move has been anticipated in media circles for a few days now, and it puts the Packers in an unenviable situation. If they play hardball, they put Favre at odds with the organisation which owes him so much. On the other hand, releasing him would clear his $12m salary, but mean that the Pack would receive nothing in return for a player who could still command at least a first day draft choice.
We'll go through the list of teams that Favre could play for in the next article.
The move has been anticipated in media circles for a few days now, and it puts the Packers in an unenviable situation. If they play hardball, they put Favre at odds with the organisation which owes him so much. On the other hand, releasing him would clear his $12m salary, but mean that the Pack would receive nothing in return for a player who could still command at least a first day draft choice.
We'll go through the list of teams that Favre could play for in the next article.
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