Favre Can Compete For Starting Job

[Merlin]

Well there is Favre's ego to consider to. He may think he is above that kind of competition. There have been rumblings in the past about Favre being somewhat stubborn. He has earned the right to some things to some extent but in my eyes, he retired, he needs to compete. If he had unretired before OTA's or something like that, then fine no but he is doing what I thought he would do if he were to unretire, doing it prior to training camp. And I have been clear from the beginning that if that was the case he needs to compete.

[Merlin]

Hard to split hairs when the quote is out there. We don't know if Favre can't handle it or not, no statement is out from Favre. I think Thompson made a mistake in using the verbiage that he did. He made the situation worse, not better. You simply don't make remarks like that in a situation this fragile. We need Favre to come out with a statement to clear up his side. Thompson's is already out there (for now).

What quote? The one where he said that Rodgers was he starting QB because he was on the active roster? Or the one where he talked about Favre being welcome back, but that there were no guarantees? Be sure you aren't confusing writers stories with quotes.

"Favre's welcome back, but the scenery has changed. There may be a different role," Thompson said.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/PKR01/807130683/1058/PKR01

The quote is out there as I said...

[Merlin]

He's not going to compete for a job. McCarthy already has 16 years of scouting tape on him.


If Favre is brought to camp, it is either because McCarthy wants to start him, or TT couldn't make a trade.

I can agree with that but will Thompson really try to trade him? Hard position to be in.

[The Leaper]

He's not going to compete for a job. McCarthy already has 16 years of scouting tape on him.

I would agree with that. I can't imagine the Packers forcing either Favre or Rodgers to have to go through a competition. It is stupid and pointless...Favre is the better QB at this point, and no one would argue that point.

The Packers simply do not want to make a guarantee that Favre will be the starter if he returns, as it forces Favre to make a commitment to come to Green Bay for camp without knowing he would be the starter. That gives the Packers the confidence in Brett's commitment if in fact he does come to camp.

[sharpe1027]

"Favre's welcome back, but the scenery has changed. There may be a different role," Thompson said.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/PKR01/807130683/1058/PKR01

The quote is out there as I said...

Aside from saying that Favre wasn't guaranteed a starting position just by showing up (even though it is almost certain that he would start if he can still play like he did last year) thereby giving support to the best QB on their active roster, I guess I don't see the significance of that quote.

[Carolina_Packer]

I agree that Favre needs to compete for the starting job to be fair to the Packers as a team. That being said, what I think doesn't matter, what Ted Thompson does is all that matters. Although I will give my opinion, again it really doesn't matter.

I look at it two ways:

1) Favre wanted to unretire sometime ago and Ted & Mike were ready to get that going but Brett backed out. Now Favre wants to play but hasn't followed the proper procedures to play. Rightfully so, the Packers have to question his intentions. I agree with that, does he really want to play and will he give it 100%? It he waffling? There are a lot of ways to read this stuff but Favre has yet to speak on the matter and that would clear up a lot of things. I think in this case, there is a lot of speculation without any clear answers. yes, Favre asked for his unconditional release, no, the intentions of that are not really clear because the answer came from his agent. Supposedly this was to free the Packers of having to deal with the whole issue which I don't buy. I think it was done to force the Packers into a decision that they clearly do not have to make until Favre is reinstated, if even then.

2) It is no secret that Thompson is not a great speaker and he says things that are just mind baffling. To tell arguably the greatest QB of all time that "we have moved on" and "may be a different role" is absurd. I don't expect Thompson to baby Favre but you just don't make comments like that if you are "trying to protect the Favre's legacy in Green Bay". He could have gotten the same point across using different language and down played the whole thing by stating first that the Packers will do what is best for the team and that it would be great to have Brett Favre rejoin the team. By saying that the things he has only adds fuel to the fire that he wanted Favre out and lends creditability to the Favre camp. Thompson put direct quotes out there that are fairly straight forward and not open to many interpretations whereas the Favre camp has been purely speculative and only put out bits and peices. I think Thompson has shown his complete hand whereas Favre has yet to show his at all.

In the NFL, teams change their entire strategy from one week to the next, sometimes with a new free agent pickup or a trade, and yes even at QB. So I don't buy the whole play book thing at all. I see Ted Thompson stuck between a rock and a hard place. This only if Favre asks for reinstatement. If Favre chooses to do so, Thompson has the worst case scenario on his hands. If he continues his stance to do what is in the best interests of the Packers, then starting Rodgers over Favre is not one of them. If Favre were to struggle, then yes, McCarthy should give Rodgers a shot, it's only fair. If Rodgers were the starter and were to struggle, I doubt they would pull the plug and put Favre in. They would be more tolerant with Rodgers and to some extent that is the right thing to do. Although not to the detriment of the entire season and possibly getting to the playoffs. Thompson also has a contract to deal with in Rodgers coming due. If he holds a clipboard again, chances are he won't be a Packer in 2009. That isn't necessarily a bad thing because we do have a couple of prospects in Brohm and Flynn. We didn't pick them up because we had overwhelming confidence in Rodgers, that is for sure. Thompson also has to worry about bruising Rodgers ego which we all know he has plenty of after his unfriendly remarks in SI. Lastly, Thompson has to think about his job. He drafted Rodgers #1 and should he go with Rodgers with Favre on the roster and he performs horribly, then what does that say about Thompson? I don't think at this point it matters, too many people are already high on the guy for that mistake to tarnish anything. But that will not play well with the fans, the ones who spend the money on the Packers and the bottom line is what really matters.

Bottom line:
If Favre is reinstated and he is not good enough to be the starter then releasing him or trading him should not be a concern to Ted Thompson or the Packers. My suspicion is that Favre is good enough to start on any NFL team and Ted Thompson knows this. I personally wouldn't want to be in his shoes and I personally don't want him being the only one making any decision like this. He has proven a time or two not to be smarter then everyone else, regardless of your like or dislike of him.

Who are you, and what have you done with Merlin? Just kidding. I have to say I agree with you. The only think I see a different way is drafting 2 QB's. If you look what they had behind Rodgers (when they had to move on from Brett retiring, maybe unretiring and then deciding to stay retired), they didn't have any depth at QB. Granted, you worry about having your depth be two rookies at the most important position on the team, but TT has proven that he likes young players and is willing to give them a chance.

You often take TT to task, and why not, you're just not into giving him a free pass, but when I see a person who has been slower to come around on TT, see the situation so well from his point of view, then that's very telling. I'm not sure TT could have avoided this predicament. He can't order Favre to keep playing, and he was probably weary of another off-season of indecision. If Brett would have just taken more time (which it sounds like the Packers were willing to give him), then this whole mess might have been avoided. Then again, his decision and the situation has been so fluid, who knows where he would have come down, even in April before the draft.

If we were willing to go after Culpepper as a veteran backup, just solve your own problem internally and patch things up with Brett (assuming he applies for reinstatement) and let him know that you'd love nothing better than for him to be the player you still think he is, but that because of the offseason situation and in fairness to A-Rod (who did nothing wrong, and many things right), he willl have to compete against him for a starters job. If it looks as if Rodgers is the front runner by camp's end, then they will reconsider what to do, either have him has an insurance policy (which is expensive and something Brett probably wouldn't care for) or trade him to a team that Brett and the Pack can agree on. I'd rather see Brett have the chance to get his job back, as much as he's pump faked the Packers on this one, and as annoying as it's been, I keep coming back to what gives the team the best chance to win now, and I think it's Brett. It would sure suck to alienate Rodgers and have him walk after next year, but they could still trade him and get something for him, and still have Brian Brohm in the wings. Not ideal, but if you really are going with the win now, durability of the QB position, then I don't see how you hitch your wagon completely to Rodgers, even though he did nothing wrong (besides telling the fans to shut up).

[Carolina_Packer]

He's not going to compete for a job. McCarthy already has 16 years of scouting tape on him.

I would agree with that. I can't imagine the Packers forcing either Favre or Rodgers to have to go through a competition. It is stupid and pointless...Favre is the better QB at this point, and no one would argue that point.

The Packers simply do not want to make a guarantee that Favre will be the starter if he returns, as it forces Favre to make a commitment to come to Green Bay for camp without knowing he would be the starter. That gives the Packers the confidence in Brett's commitment if in fact he does come to camp.

It may indeed be a charade if it comes to pass (no pun intended), but it's what's fair for the situation. It may look like a cave-in to Brett and a slap to Rodgers, but hey, let's field the best guy, even if that guy put the team through some crap to get there. If we have a good season like last, who cares? If Rodgers can't take the competition, perhaps football is not for him.

[texaspackerbacker]

It kinda depends what they mean by compete.

Somebody always starts out as the incumbent--the guy who has the job unless or until he loses that. Thompson has stated pretty clearly, that is Rodgers.

Never mind the 16 years of tape. The question regarding Favre is "what can he still do?". And even if he is exactly like he was last season, I'm not so sure Rodgers wouldn't be the better man for the job. Why? How can I say such a heretical thing? Well, as I have stated before, many aspects of the Packer offense were limited last season by the need to be over-protective of Favre and for him to get rid of the ball quicker than most QBs.

Would that be cancelled out by Rodgers's inexperience? I don't think so. He has been groomed and brought along for three years now. The most relevant question is whether Rodgers is ready. If the answer to that is yes, then even Favre at last year's level of readiness falls short.

And, of course, Favre has been quoted as saying he only intends to prepare at 80-85% of what he did last year.

Thus, I'm betting on Rodgers even if there is true competition.

[pbmax]

I get where you are coming from Merlin, but I don't think its a poor choice of words from Thompson. I don't think its an unintentional slight from someone uncomfortable with public speaking.

I think there are real questions about whether Favre has, at any time this off-season, asked to be put back on the Packers. His first request was to be released. Prior to the request for his release, he backed out of a scenario which would have had him coming back as the starter.

I think he wants out. It isn't anything Thompson or McCarthy have done since the season ended, it isn't Rodgers being first on the current depth chart. He wants out.

Silverstein was on to something; he hasn't asked to come back because he doesn't want to come back. He wants to be elsewhere. I think for the first time since the rumors broke about Cook looking for a place to land, I believe that Favre does not want to play in Green Bay anymore.

Hard to split hairs when the quote is out there. We don't know if Favre can't handle it or not, no statement is out from Favre. I think Thompson made a mistake in using the verbiage that he did. He made the situation worse, not better. You simply don't make remarks like that in a situation this fragile. We need Favre to come out with a statement to clear up his side. Thompson's is already out there (for now).

What quote? The one where he said that Rodgers was he starting QB because he was on the active roster? Or the one where he talked about Favre being welcome back, but that there were no guarantees? Be sure you aren't confusing writers stories with quotes.

"Favre's welcome back, but the scenery has changed. There may be a different role," Thompson said.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/PKR01/807130683/1058/PKR01

The quote is out there as I said...

[pbmax]

This would also explain why he hasn't requested reinstatement. If he did, he would need to attend training camp with the Packers if Thompson hasn't moved/released him.

He doesn't want to, it would be a lot harder to be asked to be moved if he succeeded in taking back the No. 1 job. Easier if he is in Mississippi. I think SkinBasket is right, even if the motivation is different that he speculates it is.

[The Leaper]

Well, as I have stated before, many aspects of the Packer offense were limited last season by the need to be over-protective of Favre and for him to get rid of the ball quicker than most QBs.

What is the hell are you talking about Tex?

The Packer offense took more shots downfield last year than it had in some time. The only reason our offense was limited was because our OL played like crap in the first half of the season, and everything we did offensively was done through the air.

Are you saying the Packers should roll the QB out of the pocket every play? That is absurd. Even when Favre was mobile he didn't roll out that often...maybe 10% of the time, a little higher in the red zone.

Claiming the Packer offense was "limited" by Favre is pretty damn ridiculous.

[The Leaper]

This would also explain why he hasn't requested reinstatement. If he did, he would need to attend training camp with the Packers if Thompson hasn't moved/released him.

However, I can't see Thompson moving Favre if he doesn't request reinstatement. Thompson doesn't want to be labeled as the guy that traded Favre unless he has to...unless another team gives up an offer that he can't refuse.

[The Leaper]

I think he wants out. It isn't anything Thompson or McCarthy have done since the season ended, it isn't Rodgers being first on the current depth chart. He wants out.

He wants out because he wants to be the starter...period. He isn't interested in a competition during camp...and the Packers certainly aren't giving him a guarantee that he would be the starter if he returned.

Thompson knows that, which is why he's taking the tack he is. Ultimately, I think Favre just remains retired when he realizes that he is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[Gunakor]

By saying he will do what is best for the Packers (only), he avoids any conflict with anyone. That was the smartest thing to do. Instead, it appears he is worried about Rodgers' ego and to some extent, his own. Rodgers is an adult and if he can't handle Thompson saying he will do what is best for the Packers then do you really want him as your QB?

Do not give Favre a pass for HIS ego. Suppose Rodgers really IS what's best for the Packers, as Thompson has been saying since this story began to unfold. Who do you think is better informed as to which QB is best for the Packers right now, Favre or Thompson? Favre hasn't even been with the team since late January, all while Thompson has been working diligently to put together a competitive team. 2 factors that I'm sure weighed heavily on TT's decision:

1) Favre has been throwing a ball around to high schoolers for a couple weeks. Rodgers has been throwing to the Packers #1 offense since late April.

2) Favre spent the OTA's and MC riding a tractor. Rodgers spent that time on a practice field.

Do not forget those two factors when judging the decision that TT made. I think he made the right one based on the circumstances. I think Favre is the one with an ego problem right now.

[pbmax]

Then why bail on unretiring in March? Then why still claim to be less than 100% sure in June?

Why not file the reinstatement papers and show up for camp? Everyone thinks you would beat out Rodgers and the last set of leaks seem to indicate Favre can claim the job before pre-season ends.

Why is he still stalling? Do you think he believes he can't beat out Rodgers? I have my doubts about his preparation, but I doubt he shares them.

With Favre on the bench, no coach GM combo could keep him there if he is playing better than Rodgers.

He wants out.

I think he wants out. It isn't anything Thompson or McCarthy have done since the season ended, it isn't Rodgers being first on the current depth chart. He wants out.

He wants out because he wants to be the starter...period. He isn't interested in a competition during camp...and the Packers certainly aren't giving him a guarantee that he would be the starter if he returned.

Thompson knows that, which is why he's taking the tack he is. Ultimately, I think Favre just remains retired when he realizes that he is stuck between a rock and a hard place.