Was Brett Favre Right to Ask for a Trade?

Over the past three days, there have been many reports on whether or Brett Favre had his agent, Bus Cook, ask the Green Bay Packers for a trade because of the Packers' failure to obtain Randy Moss. While Favre has denied the reports of a trade demand, he has publicly expressed frustration towards Packers' management for not making a move for Moss, a potentially game-breaking wide receiver. Whether or not he did ask for a trade, is it possible that Brett Favre had good reason to ask for the Packers to move him?

First off, even if Favre asked for a trade, it would seem to be hard to find a taker and approriate compensation. Favre has a $12 million dollar cap number for 2007 (according to jsonline.com) and, therefore would be hard to move, particulary because most teams seem to be set at the quarterback position. Second, Favre will be 38 in October, so it's hard to imagine any NFL team possibly morgating its future by giving up a package of draft picks for a short-term solution. So, all in all, it's kind of a silly gesture for Favre to issue a trade demand due to the extreme complexity of a trade involving Favre.

As mentioned before, Brett Favre will be 38 in October. He has been talking about retirement for the past five years, and 2007 will very likely be Favre's last year. Yes, he has slipped, but Favre could still quarterback a team to the playoffs provided he had enough talent around him. In fact, the Packers (and about five other teams) missed the playoffs last year by a tiebreaker, and they ended the season with a four game winning streak, so the Packers could be very close, especially considering the weakness of the NFC. So, with all those factors, Favre decided to come back for the 2007 season, believing the Packers could be a contender.

So, what have the Packers done this offseason. Well, general manager Ted Thompson and company decided to stay pat, declining to sign any veteran free agent despite being comfortably under the cap. Sure, they resigned defensive end Aaron Kampman and linebacker Nick Barnett, both key defensive players, but, other than that, they did nothing. Curiously, they let running back Ahman Green, who, while aging, was productive last year, and decided to replace him with the unproven duo of Vernand Morency and second-round draft pick Brandon Jackson, passing on free agents such as Jamal Lewis, Dominic Rhodes, and Travis Henry. While Morency was impressive in short bursts last year, it remains to see if either back can provide enough of a running game behind a young offensive line or otherwise, Favre is going to spend much of 2007 on his back. It also remains to be seen if either back can prove to be a solid receiving option out of the backfield, because Favre throws a lot of passes to his running backs.

What is most curious, however, is that Packers management did not add another target for Favre to throw to. Last year, they got less than nothing out of Bubba Franks, but the Packers decided to bring him back for this year. Donald Driver has been a solid receiver for many years now, but he is 32 and has taken a pounding, so he could slow down rather rapidly. Greg Jennings showed promise in his rookie year, but it remains to be seen if he is durable enough to be a starting wide receiver. With all that in mind the Packers used the 16th pick in the draft to pick defensive tackle Justin Harrell, even though receivers such as Robert Meacham, Dwayne Bowe, Craig Davis, and Anthony Gonzalez.

While the Packers picking a defensive tackle, a position of need for the team, seems to make sense, what mystifies Favre and others is that they did not get Randy Moss when he was readily available at 50 cents on the dollar. After all, the Packers had the cap room to get Moss in, and all it would cost were one or two low-round draft picks. But Thompson and Packers management did not pull the trigger, instead letting Moss go to the Patriots. According to reports from the Green Bay Press Gazette, the most Thompson would give up for was a fifth-round pick. For all his problems, Moss is more valueable than any player picked in the fourth-round. He's a top-five receiver when he's motivated, and it seemed as if he would be motivated if he played with Brett Favre. Favre lobbied management for months to trade for Moss, only to watch him go to New England. He's seen his team make no improvements to the offense, and very little, if any improvement to the team overall, when just a little improvement could make the Packers a contender in the NFC. He's running out of time to win another championship, and it seems as if the Packers are not making the neccesary moves to make that possible.

The bottom line is this, it seems as if Brett Favre and Ted Thompson have different views on how the Packers should be run and what transactions should be made. Maybe Favre had a point in his frustration over Moss, as Moss is the type of player that can change a team (for better or worse). What seems to be a bigger problem than the lack of Moss is the lack of a proven running game. Next year could be Brett Favre's last year, he isn't the quarterback he once was but he is still a capable quarterback. Without providing a running game or more weapons for Favre, he could try to do too much, and it could very well be a repeat of his horrendus 2005 season. Unless the Packers make a move (Keyshawn Johnson is still available), Favre could be playing with a short deck next year, and it may turn into an ugly farewell. Perhaps Favre went a little too far in asking for a trade demand, but he has a right to be frustrated considering the lack of help that Green Bay has provided Favre for the 2007 season.