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Packers: Favre demanded a trade after draft

Brett Favre was so upset with the Green Bay Packers in the aftermath of the club's failure to acquire wide receiver Randy Moss the quarterback demanded a trade. Citing Packers and NFL sources, FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer reported shortly after the April 28-29 NFL draft, Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, called Packers general manager Ted Thompson and told him Favre was fed up with the organization and wanted out. Two NFL sources confirmed to the State Journal Sunday Favre indeed had Cook ask for a trade, although both sources said they believed Favre was simply reacting emotionally to the team not getting Moss, whom Favre had recruited himself during the offseason. Favre also had lobbied the team to add Moss.
But because Thompson was only willing to give up a fifth-round pick for Moss - according to an NFL source with direct knowledge of the trade talks - the Oakland Raiders instead sent the controversial receiver to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round selection April 29. Thompson did not make himself available for interviews Sunday, but he did not deny Favre demanded a trade in a story posted on the club's Web site Sunday afternoon. Attempts to reach Favre were unsuccessful Sunday. The Packers will hold their full-squad, mandatory minicamp this weekend, and while Favre was expected to attend, it's possible he might skip the three-day session because he is still recovering from Feb. 26 surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle and will be unable to take part in the on-field workouts. If he does attend, it's unclear whether he'll speak with reporters.
According to Glazer's report, when Cook called and made the demand, Thompson told Cook no such trade would happen, then relayed Favre's trade request to coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy, in turn, immediately called Favre, only to have his calls ignored for a week. Finally, midway through last week, Favre and McCarthy spoke. Glazer appeared on Madison-area radio station WTLX (100.5 FM) Sunday and said Favre has since backed off his trade request. "He had asked to be traded, but before Packers fans panic and go nuts here, I think he has come off of that (stance) since," Glazer said during the show "Vick & Wood" with Ken LaVicka and Aaron Goldhammer. "He was clearly upset. ... When (McCarthy and Favre) finally spoke this past week, Brett told Mike that yes, he had asked for a trade, but then within the conversation, (Favre) said, 'Look, I don't want to go anywhere. You know I don't want to go anywhere. But I'm just fed up with what's going on.' "I don't know how intent (Favre) is (on a trade) now, but two weeks ago, he asked to be traded."
Through a team spokesman, Thompson declined all interview requests Sunday, referring reporters to an interview he did with Packers.com. The story was titled, "Thompson optimistic about 2007." In that interview, Thompson was asked specifically about any recent dialogue with Favre and whether or not the quarterback had asked the team for a trade. Thompson replied, "We never comment on the talks we have with our players or with their agents, in line with the long-standing policy of our organization. We try to encourage open and honest dialogue with players and their agents. But if those talks later are shared with third parties, the willingness of players to be open in future conversations may be compromised."
Glazer's story broke early Sunday afternoon, one day after Favre criticized the team in two separate interviews with two media friends - Jarvis Greer, the sports director at WMC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Memphis, Tenn.; and Al Jones, a writer for the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald - at Favre's annual charity golf tournament in Tunica, Miss. "We could have signed Randy Moss, (and) I know what we could have signed him for. We could have gotten him for less money than New England did. He wanted to play in Green Bay for the amount of money we could have paid him," Favre told Greer. "It was well worth the risk. The last thing I want to do is start anything. But, I think he would have been a great addition (along) with Greg Jennings and Donald Driver ... and a run game that right now is in question because we lost (starting halfback) Ahman Green (in free agency) and we have to replace him with one of our young guys. "You throw Randy Moss, you throw Donald Driver and you throw Greg Jennings on the field at the same time, and go (with a) three-wide receiver set, I think it's pretty intimidating. We lost out on that, and it's a shame because I know we could have had him."
Meanwhile, Favre told Jones the team's failure to land Moss was "disappointing," called reports Moss wouldn't restructure his contract with the Packers "untrue" and suggested that after 15 seasons in Green Bay, the team might not want him as its quarterback anymore. "I just want to win; maybe I see things the wrong way," said Favre, who also told Jones that he offered to give up part of his $11 million salary in 2007 to get the Moss deal done. "I don't want to ruffle any feathers and I want people to respect me. Sometimes I think it's hard for them to let Brett go. They might think that, 'We pay him a lot of money, but he still gives us the best chance to win.' I've never been told that, but there are times when I wonder if I'm the odd man out here and they just don't know how to tell me.
Later, Favre added, "Our offense struggled last season. If it were not for our defense, we would not have won eight games. Right now, it's hard to be optimistic. I'm not getting any younger and I think everyone knows that. I don't have five years to rebuild. No one in Green Bay is saying rebuild but it's hard to look at where we are going and say, 'How can they not be rebuilding?' "I don't know if I've lost faith, and I think everyone in the organization wants to win. I just don't know if it includes me. If it's going to be five years from now, I'm not going to be here. This is 17 years for me and I want to win (now)."
Asked in the Packers.com interview about Favre's comments, Thompson said, "I think it's natural for a player to be frustrated from time to time - that's simply being human," said Thompson. "Everyone knows that Brett Favre is all about winning. As an organization, we share that commitment. And we want to win now."