Jmart
10-01-2005, 10:08 AM
http://www.coversexperts.com/includes/article_spot.asp?ur=4229
Thought this was an interesting article.
Time for Packers to trade Favre
By Stephen Nover
September 30, 2005
Can the Eagles win the Super Bowl without Donovan McNabb? Can the Ravens win the Super Bowl with the quarterbacks they have on their roster? Can the Jets still salvage their season?
The answer is a resounding NO to all three questions. But there is a solution for each of these teams: Make a trade for Brett Favre.
I think I just heard a scaffold being built in Green Bay. I know, those are hanging words for Packer fans. But at least think about it, before organizing a posse. Where are the Packers going at 0-3?
True, the NFC North Division remains wide open because it’s so bad. We could be looking at a 7-9 division winner. But the Packers are winless playing the easy portion of their schedule. Green Bay is a 7 ½-point underdog Monday at Carolina.
The Packers get one more easy game, although nothing is easy anymore for this team, when they host the Saints next week. Then comes a bye followed by road games against the Vikings and Bengals. The Packers then host the Steelers before going back on the road to play the Falcons. That’s followed by a home game against the Vikings and then a road game against the Eagles.
So going into Week 13, the Packers very well could be 2-9. It would be to their long-term benefit to deal Favre now, before he finally gets injured. Even Mr. Indestructible is in severe danger with Adrian Klemm and seventh-round rookie draft pick Will Whitticker as his starting guards. Politicians in Iraq face less danger than Favre.
So, why not deal Favre? The Packers would take a $10 million salary cap hit next year if they kept Favre. By dealing him, Green Bay would save $4.8 million on next year’s cap, because the team still is obligated to him for $5.2 million based on a pro-ratio of his signing bonus and money guaranteed to him through the years.
Trade deadline is Oct. 18. The Eagles should have a better idea by then if McNabb can gut out another three months. The Jets know now they are in a critical quarterback situation. They’ve called the Redskins about Patrick Ramsey. You can’t get more desperate than that. Why call about Ramsey? Wouldn’t you rather have Favre?
The price isn’t as high as you might think to acquire Favre. A No. 1 draft choice could do the trick. A No. 1 and a decent player or a No. 1 and No. 3 pick would definitely seal the deal. There’s precedent for this. The 49ers dealt 36-year-old Joe Montana to the Chiefs in 1993 and received a first-round pick.
Favre turns 36 shortly. But don’t believe the constant retirement talk. He loves football too much and he’s still too good. He’s thrown seven interceptions because he lost his best wide receiver and lone playmaker, Javon Walker, has a bad center and guards and needs to make up for a porous defense and mediocre special teams that rarely, if ever, get him the ball in good field position.
You mean to tell me the Ravens wouldn’t be a prime Super Bowl threat with their dominant defense, Jamal Lewis and upgraded receivers if they added Favre? The Ravens have around $3.55 million of cap space left. The Bills are a similar team with an excellent defense and outstanding running back to go with two solid wideouts. All that’s holding them back is good quarterback play.
The Eagles would be crazy not to deal for Favre if McNabb finally succumbs to his many aliments. Philly has more than $12 million in cap space. It’s scary to think how good the Eagles would be if they were up against the cap like most teams.
Sure Favre initially is going to resist a trade. He’s been a Packer practically his entire career. But it’s not like he won’t go into the Hall of Fame as a Packer if he is traded. Even Vince Lombardi left Green Bay. Remember his final year coaching was with the Redskins.
The Packers need help. They need to rebuild. It’s not easy acquiring a No. 1 pick these days. Teams were reluctant to part with a high pick when Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James were being dangled as trade bait. Alexander and James probably are the second and third-best running backs in the NFL. At least that’s the way I rank them, with LaDainian Tomlinson No. 1.
Favre has been adamant about not wanting to be traded. One of the reasons is learning a new offense. But I think he would change his tune if he had a legitimate chance to get back into the Super Bowl. The Ravens have sharp offensive minds with head coach Brian Billick, offensive coordinator Jim Fassel and quarterback coach Rick Neuheisel.
The Eagles operate a quarterback-friendly offense and also have an excellent offensive brain trust with head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Brad Childress, who could be the next highly sought after assistant coach.
It would be a win-win situation. The Packers get a jump-start on what’s going to be a massive rebuilding job, something new general manager Ted Thompson knew when he took over the position in January although won’t admit.
The team that trades for Favre gets a huge lift and shows a serious all-out commitment to win this season before the window of opportunity vanishes, like it does sooner or later for all NFL teams in the salary cap era.
Thought this was an interesting article.
Time for Packers to trade Favre
By Stephen Nover
September 30, 2005
Can the Eagles win the Super Bowl without Donovan McNabb? Can the Ravens win the Super Bowl with the quarterbacks they have on their roster? Can the Jets still salvage their season?
The answer is a resounding NO to all three questions. But there is a solution for each of these teams: Make a trade for Brett Favre.
I think I just heard a scaffold being built in Green Bay. I know, those are hanging words for Packer fans. But at least think about it, before organizing a posse. Where are the Packers going at 0-3?
True, the NFC North Division remains wide open because it’s so bad. We could be looking at a 7-9 division winner. But the Packers are winless playing the easy portion of their schedule. Green Bay is a 7 ½-point underdog Monday at Carolina.
The Packers get one more easy game, although nothing is easy anymore for this team, when they host the Saints next week. Then comes a bye followed by road games against the Vikings and Bengals. The Packers then host the Steelers before going back on the road to play the Falcons. That’s followed by a home game against the Vikings and then a road game against the Eagles.
So going into Week 13, the Packers very well could be 2-9. It would be to their long-term benefit to deal Favre now, before he finally gets injured. Even Mr. Indestructible is in severe danger with Adrian Klemm and seventh-round rookie draft pick Will Whitticker as his starting guards. Politicians in Iraq face less danger than Favre.
So, why not deal Favre? The Packers would take a $10 million salary cap hit next year if they kept Favre. By dealing him, Green Bay would save $4.8 million on next year’s cap, because the team still is obligated to him for $5.2 million based on a pro-ratio of his signing bonus and money guaranteed to him through the years.
Trade deadline is Oct. 18. The Eagles should have a better idea by then if McNabb can gut out another three months. The Jets know now they are in a critical quarterback situation. They’ve called the Redskins about Patrick Ramsey. You can’t get more desperate than that. Why call about Ramsey? Wouldn’t you rather have Favre?
The price isn’t as high as you might think to acquire Favre. A No. 1 draft choice could do the trick. A No. 1 and a decent player or a No. 1 and No. 3 pick would definitely seal the deal. There’s precedent for this. The 49ers dealt 36-year-old Joe Montana to the Chiefs in 1993 and received a first-round pick.
Favre turns 36 shortly. But don’t believe the constant retirement talk. He loves football too much and he’s still too good. He’s thrown seven interceptions because he lost his best wide receiver and lone playmaker, Javon Walker, has a bad center and guards and needs to make up for a porous defense and mediocre special teams that rarely, if ever, get him the ball in good field position.
You mean to tell me the Ravens wouldn’t be a prime Super Bowl threat with their dominant defense, Jamal Lewis and upgraded receivers if they added Favre? The Ravens have around $3.55 million of cap space left. The Bills are a similar team with an excellent defense and outstanding running back to go with two solid wideouts. All that’s holding them back is good quarterback play.
The Eagles would be crazy not to deal for Favre if McNabb finally succumbs to his many aliments. Philly has more than $12 million in cap space. It’s scary to think how good the Eagles would be if they were up against the cap like most teams.
Sure Favre initially is going to resist a trade. He’s been a Packer practically his entire career. But it’s not like he won’t go into the Hall of Fame as a Packer if he is traded. Even Vince Lombardi left Green Bay. Remember his final year coaching was with the Redskins.
The Packers need help. They need to rebuild. It’s not easy acquiring a No. 1 pick these days. Teams were reluctant to part with a high pick when Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James were being dangled as trade bait. Alexander and James probably are the second and third-best running backs in the NFL. At least that’s the way I rank them, with LaDainian Tomlinson No. 1.
Favre has been adamant about not wanting to be traded. One of the reasons is learning a new offense. But I think he would change his tune if he had a legitimate chance to get back into the Super Bowl. The Ravens have sharp offensive minds with head coach Brian Billick, offensive coordinator Jim Fassel and quarterback coach Rick Neuheisel.
The Eagles operate a quarterback-friendly offense and also have an excellent offensive brain trust with head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Brad Childress, who could be the next highly sought after assistant coach.
It would be a win-win situation. The Packers get a jump-start on what’s going to be a massive rebuilding job, something new general manager Ted Thompson knew when he took over the position in January although won’t admit.
The team that trades for Favre gets a huge lift and shows a serious all-out commitment to win this season before the window of opportunity vanishes, like it does sooner or later for all NFL teams in the salary cap era.