http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6805790
Favre asked to be traded. I can’t say I’m the least bit surprised by this development. In fact, I would probably do the same thing if I was in his shoes. The Packers really need to evaluate what they are doing these days, and if Ted Thompson has been hanging around Matt Millen too much. I would gladly have given up a third or even second round pick for Moss, a fourth round pick was a crime, like a little kid trading away his Jerry Rice rookie card for a football signed by Joe Montana that the older kid had actually autographed himself. There were many reasons cited for why they didn’t pull the trigger on this deal. Favre’s explanation was that Moss wanted more guaranteed money if he came to Green Bay and he apparently wanted a one-year contract. He got the single season deal from New England but less guaranteed money, another point that Favre stressed. Moss’ behavior issues have also come up as an explanation, but the Pack’s signing of Koren Robinson and his docket of legal proceedings and Charles Woodson and his notorious mouth makes this point moot.
Character had nothing to do with this decision. I think Thompson is trying to prove that he can be the next Ron Wolf- by drafting smart, and making select veteran signings. The irony is that this is exactly how New England built their team and now they are the ones who actually made this trade. He has Brett Favre coming back and I think he’s determined to single-handedly ruin his career, or maybe he doesn't actually watch the regular season games. The only time Favre was a true winner was when he had a dominant running game. While I like his decision to build a great defense, the fact remains that we have Vernand Morency as our number one tailback. We might as well choose one lucky Piggly Wiggly shopper each week and give them the starting nod.
When analyzed, Thompson’s draft wasn’t even that good to begin with. It’s not like he passed on this trade because he roped in a stellar class of young guns. Every pick in our draft was either considered a reach for an over valued player or a pick of a weak player who has a chance at being a steal. There was not one selection that the analysts said was a solid pick that filled a hole. Their big running back pick, Brandon Jackson, was described as a shifty back that hits the hole well but is undersized and slow. Meaning, he plays the right position but on the downside he sucks. I did like their pick of Aaron Rouse, the safety out of Virginia Tech, but for the majority of their guys are “project players” who are not expected to make an impact this year. Truth be told, the reports coming out of camp have been cautiously optimistic so I will reserve my harsh criticism until the pre-season.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2869896
Now Favre says he is here to stay. Fine. At least his head will hopefully be in the right place for the season and his teammates won’t be standing around waiting for him to bail. You could hear the state of Wisconsin breath a collective sigh of relief when this story was released. The lingering issue is that we have not added one new legit offensive weapon to a unit that was carried by our defense last year. Then I read this story:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6810106
Telling Packer fans that we would be better off getting rid of Favre is like telling a cripple that they should try getting around without the wheel chair. It sounds ludicrous. I was completely taken aback but after I got by my partisan ties the idea did seem to far fetched. We are in a division whose other three starting quarterbacks are Tarvaris Jackson, Rex Grossman and Jon Kitna; guys who wouldn't be able to run a consistant offense even if all three were allowed to confer before each on-field decision. Even though the only backups on our roster are Aaron Rodgers and Ingle Martin but what if we packaged Favre in a deal to a team that needed a quarterback in exchange for more offensive assets? The Chiefs come to mind. There has been talk of them parting ways with Larry Johnson and if we offered the right package, I think a deal for the two could be orchestrated. The ability to pick up a franchise running back would be a decisive move. Then, we sign Keyshawn Johnson for some added help at wideout. Sure we would enter the season with Rodgers directing the offense, a man whose moustache makes him look like he should be directing “Debbie Does Dallas V”, but I don’t see him as any worse than the other division contenders. We would have a solid defense, a dominant running back and if Rodge could keep the defense at bay with a couple well placed passes I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t be playing for an NFC North title.
Now I know I may have caused some irreparable family rifts with that last paragraph, and it felt like I was cutting myself in the bathroom, but I’m just trying to think of how our team could be the most competitive next year. I love watching Favre as much as the next Packer fan, and seeing him in different colors would be the equivilant of moving into a cave with Osama Bin Laden, but at this point we need to think of the best interests of team. Sure he says he’s committed to this team, but will his head really be in the right place? As soon as things begin to go the least bit sour I could see him just begin to throw up balls like a coach throwing pop-ups to his little league team. Maybe not. Maybe he has a renewed passion after this whole debacle, our draft choices will become integral parts of his arsenal and we will be poised to surpass the putrid clubs that made our division the worst in football last year. Either way, I just want to be competitive and if someone can tell me the name of club where Ted Thompson and Matt Millen discuss their business, I’ll promise not to give your name to the police.
One More Thought: Favre is stuck in a very tough position. On espn.com today Jemele Hill hill compared him to "dwindling diva" because of the drama that has surrounded his whole fiasco. While she's right about the characterization of the situation, she's missing the main point. Everyone keeps rehashing his stats from the past few seasons and explaining that he has lost it and is not an elite quarterback anymore. This is true. No longer can he carry a measly team like he could in his prime. In fact every expert is right, he might not even be one of the Top Ten quarterbacks in the league. But the fact remains that he still is a decent quarterback. He still has the skills to be better than half the other starters in the league and maybe on some days, better than 75% of the others. He without a doubt could not achieve the results that Tom Brady did last year with his receiving corps that consisted of bug-eyed washouts. But I think if he was in Brady's situation this year, with an arsenal of receivers and a solid running game, he could be successful. He still has the tools to lead a team to the playoffs, if not more. He's lost a step or too, his battery meter is depleted and his fastball only tops out in the low-nineties now, but he still could win football games.
This is why he is complaining.
The fans want their hero to return and lead them back to the promised land. He wants to come back and deliver on these wishes for the town he's become so attached to. But he also realizes that he will not win games unless he has help. He doesn't want to be seen as the hall of famer who wore out his welcome. So when the Packers go through an entire off season without giving him one upgrade on offense, while losing their starting running back, it only makes him panic. If he begins to lose, the critics will light up the barbecue. He knows that if given the right set of players he could be a force to be reckoned with. So he asks for a trade so that maybe he could go to team that has the right situation for him and he could prove that he can still produce at an exceptional level. He only wants to win, which is why comparing him to the recent slew of drama queen wide recievers is unfair. These players either wanted more money or more passes or attention. He just wants to deliver on the hopes and dreams of his fanbase. He's frustrated with Thompson's stubborness and, frankly, so am I.
No comments:
Post a Comment