motife
04-17-2006, 05:36 PM
Dealing Favre might be Packers' best bet
Posted: April 17, 2006
Cliff Christl
E-MAIL
Green Bay - Has anyone considered that maybe Brett Favre's indecision has been a good thing for the Green Bay Packers?
That it has given Ted Thompson time to get a better read on his personnel and how it'll fit coach Mike McCarthy's plans; on how free agents perceive Green Bay; a chance to study the top quarterbacks in this year's draft; and whether he'll likely get what he wants out of the upcoming draft or simply the fifth best player when he'd prefer one of the top four.
Maybe it also has brought Thompson to a crossroads, not only for this off-season, but in this job, although he hasn't even started his second season as general manager.
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What's all come into focus in just the past week or two is that Thompson has three options as the draft approaches and which one he chooses might determine his fate in Green Bay.
1) Stay the course. Focus on the draft. Continue to judiciously pursue free agents. Take the approach that if Favre returns, fine; but make no decisions based on Favre's wishes or plans. Keep thinking long-term, not short-term.
2) Do whatever it takes to sign LaVar Arrington and Charles Woodson if Favre promises to play. Target offense in the draft, starting with tight end Vernon Davis with the fifth pick, and including a running back and a wide receiver as soon as one jumps off the board, preferably sooner than later. In effect, take one last run at winning another Super Bowl with Favre, if not this coming season maybe in 2007.
3) Trade Favre. Trade Javon Walker. Cease negotiations with Arrington and Woodson. Stockpile as many draft picks as possible in order to expedite the rebuilding process.
Option No. 1 wouldn't be all that bad. That seems to have been Thompson's plan all along and it's one that has been time tested. But it's also a process that can take years.
With option No. 2, who knows? Get some mileage out of Arrington and Woodson, hit the jackpot with the No. 1 pick, find a running back later in the draft with Terrell Davis type ability and maybe Favre could duplicate what John Elway accomplished after the age of 35. Then again, Thompson might simply be chasing fool's gold.
That's why option No. 3 might be the best bet.
Maybe it's time for Thompson to approach Favre, if he hasn't already, and try to convince him that he should go play for a team that has a shot at winning a Super Bowl. Tell him that the Packers appreciate that he wants to play for a contender, but just think they're better off building through the draft rather than trying to patch holes to accommodate him. Tell him no hard feelings and offer to take most of the heat for the trade.
Have team president Bob Harlan give Favre his word that the organization won't hold it against him and will retire his number the year after he leaves the game.
Emphasize to Favre that if both sides look bad, so what? Remind him that he should have learned over the past several weeks that fans will turn on you no matter what, so why care what they think?
If Favre agrees, the next step would be for Thompson and Favre to compile a list of teams that would have a shot at winning the Super Bowl if they only had a quarterback. And try to get Favre to agree to play for as many as possible. After all, cap issues are going to eliminate any number of teams from the list.
The easy sells would be Tampa Bay with Jon Gruden, the league's best defense and one of the league's best young running backs in Cadillac Williams; Dallas with Bill Parcells, the league's 10th-ranked defense and Terrell Owens; and Washington with Joe Gibbs, Clinton Portis, Santana Moss and just a solid core everywhere else.
But also try to sell Favre on playing for Chicago and Minnesota. Yes, even the hated Bears and Vikings.
What difference does it make?
The Packers aren't going to be a contender while Favre is still playing. And they'll never get the windfall for him that Dallas received from Minnesota for Herschel Walker, but the purpose here is to acquire the best draft pick possible.
Two other teams that Thompson should try to sell Favre on are Baltimore and Oakland, which are coming off 6-10 and 4-12 finishes, respectively, but have some talent and better draft picks to deal.
Once the list is finalized, Thompson should shoot for the stars. Go for a No. 1 pick. Maybe Dallas at 18 or Tampa Bay at 23 or Chicago at 26 would bite.
If not, start on the second round. Maybe Oakland and Baltimore at 38 and 44, respectively, would be interested. Or Minnesota at 48, Washington at 53, Chicago at 57 or Tampa Bay at 59.
Maybe at that point, if Thompson can't get at least a No. 2 pick, he should abandon the plan. But if he receives a minimum offer of a second-round choice, send Favre packing. There's no room here for sentiment.
Thompson's future in Green Bay is on the line. So is McCarthy's. The future of the franchise might be at stake.
Dawdle and it might be another 20-year wait before the Packers are winners again.
Once the Favre deal is done, then ship Walker to the highest bidder. Maybe he'd bring an extra fourth-round choice.
With those extra picks in hand, the Packers figure to be in significantly better shape long-term than they would be if they continued to pursue option No. 1. And it might serve as a springboard to a Super Bowl run three, four years down the road and another long period of sustained success. Choosing option No. 2 might put the Packers in position to compete for the Super Bowl next season or the season after, but it probably would be a one- or two-time shot.
Former general manager Ron Wolf resurrected the franchise by trading for Favre. From here, it appears that Thompson's best chance of resurrecting it would be if he could trade away Favre.
Posted: April 17, 2006
Cliff Christl
Green Bay - Has anyone considered that maybe Brett Favre's indecision has been a good thing for the Green Bay Packers?
That it has given Ted Thompson time to get a better read on his personnel and how it'll fit coach Mike McCarthy's plans; on how free agents perceive Green Bay; a chance to study the top quarterbacks in this year's draft; and whether he'll likely get what he wants out of the upcoming draft or simply the fifth best player when he'd prefer one of the top four.
Maybe it also has brought Thompson to a crossroads, not only for this off-season, but in this job, although he hasn't even started his second season as general manager.
Advertisement
What's all come into focus in just the past week or two is that Thompson has three options as the draft approaches and which one he chooses might determine his fate in Green Bay.
1) Stay the course. Focus on the draft. Continue to judiciously pursue free agents. Take the approach that if Favre returns, fine; but make no decisions based on Favre's wishes or plans. Keep thinking long-term, not short-term.
2) Do whatever it takes to sign LaVar Arrington and Charles Woodson if Favre promises to play. Target offense in the draft, starting with tight end Vernon Davis with the fifth pick, and including a running back and a wide receiver as soon as one jumps off the board, preferably sooner than later. In effect, take one last run at winning another Super Bowl with Favre, if not this coming season maybe in 2007.
3) Trade Favre. Trade Javon Walker. Cease negotiations with Arrington and Woodson. Stockpile as many draft picks as possible in order to expedite the rebuilding process.
Option No. 1 wouldn't be all that bad. That seems to have been Thompson's plan all along and it's one that has been time tested. But it's also a process that can take years.
With option No. 2, who knows? Get some mileage out of Arrington and Woodson, hit the jackpot with the No. 1 pick, find a running back later in the draft with Terrell Davis type ability and maybe Favre could duplicate what John Elway accomplished after the age of 35. Then again, Thompson might simply be chasing fool's gold.
That's why option No. 3 might be the best bet.
Maybe it's time for Thompson to approach Favre, if he hasn't already, and try to convince him that he should go play for a team that has a shot at winning a Super Bowl. Tell him that the Packers appreciate that he wants to play for a contender, but just think they're better off building through the draft rather than trying to patch holes to accommodate him. Tell him no hard feelings and offer to take most of the heat for the trade.
Have team president Bob Harlan give Favre his word that the organization won't hold it against him and will retire his number the year after he leaves the game.
Emphasize to Favre that if both sides look bad, so what? Remind him that he should have learned over the past several weeks that fans will turn on you no matter what, so why care what they think?
If Favre agrees, the next step would be for Thompson and Favre to compile a list of teams that would have a shot at winning the Super Bowl if they only had a quarterback. And try to get Favre to agree to play for as many as possible. After all, cap issues are going to eliminate any number of teams from the list.
The easy sells would be Tampa Bay with Jon Gruden, the league's best defense and one of the league's best young running backs in Cadillac Williams; Dallas with Bill Parcells, the league's 10th-ranked defense and Terrell Owens; and Washington with Joe Gibbs, Clinton Portis, Santana Moss and just a solid core everywhere else.
But also try to sell Favre on playing for Chicago and Minnesota. Yes, even the hated Bears and Vikings.
What difference does it make?
The Packers aren't going to be a contender while Favre is still playing. And they'll never get the windfall for him that Dallas received from Minnesota for Herschel Walker, but the purpose here is to acquire the best draft pick possible.
Two other teams that Thompson should try to sell Favre on are Baltimore and Oakland, which are coming off 6-10 and 4-12 finishes, respectively, but have some talent and better draft picks to deal.
Once the list is finalized, Thompson should shoot for the stars. Go for a No. 1 pick. Maybe Dallas at 18 or Tampa Bay at 23 or Chicago at 26 would bite.
If not, start on the second round. Maybe Oakland and Baltimore at 38 and 44, respectively, would be interested. Or Minnesota at 48, Washington at 53, Chicago at 57 or Tampa Bay at 59.
Maybe at that point, if Thompson can't get at least a No. 2 pick, he should abandon the plan. But if he receives a minimum offer of a second-round choice, send Favre packing. There's no room here for sentiment.
Thompson's future in Green Bay is on the line. So is McCarthy's. The future of the franchise might be at stake.
Dawdle and it might be another 20-year wait before the Packers are winners again.
Once the Favre deal is done, then ship Walker to the highest bidder. Maybe he'd bring an extra fourth-round choice.
With those extra picks in hand, the Packers figure to be in significantly better shape long-term than they would be if they continued to pursue option No. 1. And it might serve as a springboard to a Super Bowl run three, four years down the road and another long period of sustained success. Choosing option No. 2 might put the Packers in position to compete for the Super Bowl next season or the season after, but it probably would be a one- or two-time shot.
Former general manager Ron Wolf resurrected the franchise by trading for Favre. From here, it appears that Thompson's best chance of resurrecting it would be if he could trade away Favre.