Packers Allegedly Gauge Interest in Favre Trade
The Brett Favre drama has officially moved to the next stage and the floor is open to anyone who would like to make a bid for the retired quarterback.
But there is reason to believe the Green Bay Packers aren’t 100 percent serious about trading Favre and are simply acquiescing to the desire of Favre and the National Football League to offer an avenue for him to play again.
According to ESPN.com, Commissioner Roger Goodell has been in contact with general manager Ted Thompson several times and has urged him to find out if there are teams interested in making a trade that would suit both sides’ desires.
An NFL spokesman refused to confirm that Goodell had spoken to Thompson, saying only that “the commissioner has conversations with teams on a regular basis.”
Thompson did not return a phone message seeking comment.
A well-connected NFL source said that he was told by one club that the Packers were basically told to contact “everybody” to see if there is interest. In other words, Goodell wants the Packers to either find a trading partner or exhaust all possibilities, thereby making it clear to Favre what to do.
The Packers, in turn, have contacted almost every team in the league with the exception of NFC North clubs and a few teams with established quarterbacks such as Indianapolis, New England and Dallas to gauge interest.
It is believed most teams want to see Favre apply for reinstatement before they begin serious trade talks so that they know whether he’s really committed to playing. The fact Favre won’t be able to play with the Minnesota Vikings _ the Packers’ NFC North rival _ might have lessened his desire to come back.
If it were the Packers’ choice, Favre would retire as a Packer. Thompson has talked about protecting the quarterback’s legacy and having him associated only with the Packers, but with Favre threatening to apply for reinstatement the Packers have to keep their options open.
There are some in the organization who think the club could receive considerable compensation for Favre and owe it to themselves to find out whether that’s true. Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy agree, but both prefer that Favre retire.
After watching him change his mind about retiring in April and then changing it again a few days later, they have concerns whether Favre wants to commit himself to another long, arduous season. If he was as burned out as much as he was after last season, there’s always the chance that at age 39 he’ll burn out worse this season.
Among the teams the Packers considered as a potential trade partners before Goodell stepped in were the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. According to a combination of league sources and published reports, Washington, the Jets, the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans have all informed the Packers they are not interested in Favre.
If the Packers get serious about trading Favre, their best bet is to look for a team that runs a West Coast system, which Favre has played in his entire career. The most logical spot would be Tampa Bay, where former Mike Holmgren assistant coach Jon Gruden currently runs the show.
According to the St. Petersburg Times, quarterback Chris Simms, who appears on his way out of Tampa Bay, was approached recently by general manager Bruce Allen and asked whether he thought Favre would be able to make a quick transition to the Buccaneers’ offense.
“(Allen) asked if I felt Brett would be able to come back and be good here if he didn’t have a lot of reps in training camp,” Simms told the paper. “I said I thought he would, but there would have to be some compromise with Coach Gruden. He’ll just want the play called and to drop back and throw it in there. But it’s something we talked about.”
The Buccaneers have five quarterbacks on their roster, including veterans Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Luke McCown and Simms, but it’s a poorly kept secret around the league that Gruden loves to stockpile quarterbacks. Presumably, Tampa Bay would be appealing to Favre because it’s reasonably close to his home in Hattiesburg, Miss., and it’s a warm weather site.
What’s more, the Buccaneers won the NFC South last year with a 9-7 record and would probably be serious playoff contenders with Favre at quarterback.
The Packers might be reluctant to deal Favre to Tampa Bay because they play the Buccaneers on Sept. 28 and could face them in the playoffs. The question is whether the offer would be too good to pass up or whether the Packers are even concerned about facing Favre given their belief that Aaron Rodgers is a better choice for their quarterback position.
If a deal were to be reached with Kansas City, Atlanta or Miami, it’s questionable whether Favre would be interested in coming back. His desire is to play for a team that has legitimate Super Bowl hopes and he’d probably rather retire than get knocked around playing behind a poor offensive line.
Favre could force the Packers’ hand by applying for reinstatement, but the way things have deteriorated between him and Thompson, the Packers could in turn make him report and serve as Rodgers’ backup. That scenario would create a circus atmosphere at training camp that neither Thompson nor McCarthy want.
According to multiple sources, there’s a strong sentiment in the locker room for Rodgers to be the quarterback, although without hearing from each player individually it’s difficult to know whether that’s the case.
Meanwhile, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that NFL security personnel were at Minnesota Vikings headquarters Tuesday to investigate claims head coach Brad Childress and quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell were in violation of anti-tampering rules by having cell phone conversations with Favre.
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