The NFL 2008 Offseason Thread

Bono

I don't blame Green Bay one bit. I respect Favre but these athletes who retire and then unretire months later or a season later are a joke. Like you said James Favre has been pondering retirement for the last few seasons and every year it's the same old waiting game with him. This year he decided to retire and now he wants to come back and be released for nothing and blah blah blah. I think Favre's action have annoyed more fans than anything Green Bay is doing. I know his actions have annoyed the hell outta me. So he wants to go toa team that's ready to win now? Hmmm... maybe if he didn't toss up a gift wrapped INT to the Giants in OT last year he could've won the Super Bowl.

Sky Dog

I've lost a little bit of respect for Brett. He is completely jerking EVERYONE around. I was a huge Michael Jordan fan and could not stand the fact that he did not end his career with the Bulls. His Wizards tenure was a complete joke and slightly tainted his legacy in my opinion. If you can't end your career with a game winning shot in the NBA Finals (the famous shot against UTAH that prompted his second retirement!:laugh:), then you have some serious ego issues. This Favre thing is the same-pure ego.:mad:

PaSnow

^^ Yeah, Marino & Jim Kelly didn't pull this stuff. Montana was a different story because the 49ers had a likely budding superstar on the bench & wanted to give Young the start. As for Jordan, I didn't mind him retiring & coming back the first time, although he must have been very young, like 31 or something. But he had things going on with what happened to his father that summer. The Wizards though was pretty bad.

Neemo

MILWAUKEE - Brett Favre finally is speaking for himself: He wants to play but doesn't feel welcome in Green Bay, so he's asking to be released.

The quarterback's first substantial comments on his latest retirement decision reversal come in an interview with Fox News on "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."

"I am guilty of retiring early and there is a reason for that," Favre said, according to an excerpt provided to The Associated Press before the Monday night broadcast. "And the major issue is 'Why did he retire?,' and 'He asked for a release because he doesn't want to play in Green Bay.' That's not true. And I hope people are hearing this and saying 'OK, that clears it up."'

According to Van Susteren, who spoke to the AP by telephone Monday afternoon, Favre said he was "never fully committed" to retiring and felt pressured by the Packers to make a decision, a notion Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy tried to dispel in an interview with the AP on Saturday.

"Ted always wanted Brett back," McCarthy said. "We always wanted Brett back."

Favre told Fox he understands that the Packers want to move on - but if they're doing so, they should let him go.

"Them moving on does not bother me," Favre said. "It doesn't. I totally understand that. By me retiring March 3rd, I knew that could possibly happen. All I was saying is, you know, I'm thinking about playing again."

Van Susteren - who is from Appleton, Wis., is a Packers shareholder and previously had interviewed Favre and his wife, Deanna - said Favre made it clear he would not return to the Packers if he wasn't the starter. And while Favre said the Packers asked him for a list of teams to which he would accept a trade, he wants to be released to make sure he ends up on a competitive club.

Thompson said the team wasn't going to release Favre, but he could come back in a "different role than he was" because the team is committed to going forward with Aaron Rodgers.

Thompson and McCarthy wouldn't discuss the possibility of trading Favre and said they hadn't received any trade inquiries as of Saturday.

Thompson and McCarthy gave AP a detailed description of their dealings with Favre throughout the off-season, including an episode a few weeks after Favre's retirement where the two were prepared to fly to Mississippi to seal the deal on a Favre comeback - only to have the quarterback change his mind again.

In the interview, Favre said the Packers were being dishonest, although the excerpt provided to AP did not offer specific instances Favre was challenging.

"If you move on, you tell me one thing, don't come back and tell the public .. just say it, 'You know, we've moved on and we'll work with Brett on whatever it is,"' Favre said. "Don't make up a lot of stuff or give half of the truth."

McCarthy and Thompson also expressed concern Saturday that Favre spent most of the off-season questioning whether he still had the commitment to play football. But Favre told Fox News it wasn't going to be an issue.

"If I'm going to play it's going to be 100 per cent commitment," Favre said.

Favre's interview - which was receiving top billing over an interview with presidential candidate John McCain in promos for Van Susteren's show that aired during the day Monday - is the latest development in what is looking more and more like an irreparable schism between one of the NFL's most storied franchises and perhaps its most beloved quarterback.

Thompson called the situation "gut-wrenching" Saturday.

"I mean, it hurts," he said. "I'm not talking about physically hurting, but the sensitivity. We understand where the fans are coming from. This is a hot-button issue that surpasses anything I've ever gone through."

James

Was watching the NFL Network earlier, and one of those "insiders" said that IF a trade happens, it would most likely be with Tampa.Didn't hear everything he said, but I'm assuming its because of cap room and all that shit. He also mentioned Baltimore, so with different sources mentioning them, they must be really interested.

Favre has no reason to go to Tampa.

Neemo

James Lofton wrote:

Was watching the NFL Network earlier, and one of those "insiders" said that IF a trade happens, it would most likely be with Tampa.Didn't hear everything he said, but I'm assuming its because of cap room and all that shit. He also mentioned Baltimore, so with different sources mentioning them, they must be really interested.
Favre has no reason to go to Tampa.

and tampa has no reaso to get him...Garcia is pretty good

Neemo

Greenbay should but i gag order on rodgers

STATELINE, Nev. - Unlike most NFL players, Aaron Rodgers can't wait for training camp to begin. Even as he lives it up this weekend at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament, the Green Bay Packers' new starting quarterback is itching to embrace the dorm life, two-a-days and monotonous meetings that men in his profession typically dread.
Most of all, as he closes his eyes at night, Rodgers flashes ahead to the games he'll get to play come September, when he expects to become the first Packers player other than Brett Favre to start at quarterback since 1992. As Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy made clear Saturday - just as they had last month privately to Rodgers, before the news broke that Favre had decided to end his four-month-long retirement - a new era has begun in Titletown.
The Packers now are Rodgers' team, and the fourth-year passer literally can't wait until the July 27 reporting date for the team's training camp at St. Norbert College.
'I'm going out there a week early, if that tells you anything,' Rodgers told Yahoo! Sports on Saturday in his first extended interview since Favre requested his formal release in a letter the Packers received Friday. 'I'm just excited about that first night's sleep in the dorms, going out and practicing the next day and all the things that will follow. I knew at some point my time would come, and it looks like we're getting close to that.'
As for Favre's change of heart, and the Packers' decision to deny the legendary passer's request to be released so that he could play for the team of his choosing, Rodgers insisted he is not getting caught up in the melodrama.
'I'm only worried about things I can control,' he said. 'I can't control any decisions that he might make, so I'm not worried about it. Brett and I haven't talked, so I can't tell you where he's coming from. And really, I'm not even thinking about it, and it doesn't (add any additional pressure). There's pressure on every quarterback in the NFL. Every team expects Super Bowl or bust. I know I need to get myself ready to play, and that's pretty much all that matters to me.'
Few first-round draft picks have spent as much time waiting for their chance as Rodgers, who is the 21st century sports world's poster child for enforced patience. He launched his pro career by squirming nervously in front of millions, enduring an infamous 4Â½-hour stint in the green room on draft day in 2005. Projected as the possible No. 1 overall selection, the former Cal star was passed over by the San Francisco 49ers, who instead chose Alex Smith, and an uncomfortable and incomprehensible free-fall commenced.
When the Packers finally took Rodgers with the 24th overall selection, then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue offered private words of encouragement on the dais that have stuck with Rodgers to this day.
'He called my name and we shook hands and I held up the Packers jersey, and then he told me, '˜Good things happen to people who are patient,' ' Rodgers recalled Saturday. 'I believe it, now more than ever.'
Rodgers' success never has seemed to come easily. He played one season at Butte College, a junior college near his hometown of Chico, Calif., and wasn't attracting interest from Division I schools until Cal coach Jeff Tedford came to scout teammate Garrett Cross. Enlisted to throw to the tight end, Rodgers impressed Tedford during the workout and earned a scholarship offer. He didn't become the Golden Bears' starter until several games into his sophomore season. Rodgers' record-setting junior campaign ended with then-No. 4 Cal losing out on its first Rose Bowl berth since 1959 because of a controversial Bowl Championship Series outcome affected by a late shift in the polls, followed by a disappointing defeat to Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl.
After that, Rodgers declared for the draft. He mostly has watched during his first three seasons as Favre extended his record streak to 275 consecutive starts. But Rodgers impressed McCarthy and Thompson with his progress heading into 2007, and when Favre suffered an elbow injury after performing poorly in the Packers' pivotal showdown with the Dallas Cowboys last November, Rodgers played brilliantly (18 of 26, 201 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions) in relief and nearly pulled out a comeback victory.
Though Favre had a terrific season in '˜07, he struggled in the Packers' defeat to the New York Giants in the NFC championship game at Lambeau Field. After Favre's emotional retirement news conference last March, Thompson and McCarthy began preparing Rodgers to take over as the starter. Later that month, according to a report in Friday's Wisconsin State Journal, Favre told the GM and coach he was ready to end his retirement and return but later reneged on the deal. At that point, the decision was made to move forward with Rodgers as the starter, and in April the team drafted two quarterbacks, second-rounder Brian Brohm and seventh-rounder Matt Flynn, as backups.
On Saturday, Thompson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that 'Aaron Rodgers is our starting quarterback' and conceded he wasn't sure how the Favre situation would play out. Earlier, Thompson and McCarthy told The Associated Press that they wouldn't grant Favre's request to be released and that the veteran quarterback was welcome to rejoin the team as a backup. A more plausible scenario is that the Packers will attempt to trade Favre over the next two weeks, thus allowing him to continue his career while avoiding the prospect of him playing for NFC North rivals Chicago or Minnesota.
Even if Favre were to return to the Packers, creating what surely would be an uncomfortable situation, Rodgers insists he won't be fazed.
'We've got a first-class organization,' Rodgers said. 'Ted has done a great job building our team through the draft, and coach McCarthy has done a great job with the day-to-day stuff. We've got a great group of players. I've been there the whole offseason and have been hanging out with guys away from the stadium and building a great rapport with my teammates. It's a great situation.'
Rodgers said he has received supportive calls and text messages from numerous teammates over the past couple of days, including offensive linemen Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton and wideout Greg Jennings. He also has shown his leadership skills by actively mentoring Brohm and Flynn, a stark contrast to the chilly reception he got from Favre after joining the team.
'I've been trying to be as open as I can possibly be,' Rodgers said. 'I told both Brian and Matt from the start that if they have any questions, they should come to me and I'll help them in any way I can. Because making them better is making our team better.'
Though Rodgers wishes his golf game was in better shape, he thoroughly enjoyed his experience in Lake Tahoe. On Friday night he cracked up while watching comedian Frank Caliendo, a Milwaukee native, do his deadpan impression of announcer John Madden gushing over Favre during a private show at Harrah's Casino. After the show Rodgers spoke privately to Caliendo, then joined Baltimore Ravens quarterback and Cal predecessor Kyle Boller at a blackjack table.
'This is a great week up here,' Rodgers said. 'But I'm eager to get back to Green Bay and get things going.'
He is especially eager to help the Packers, who had the league's youngest roster in '˜07, erase the memories of the disappointing defeat to the Giants in subzero temperatures last January. Standing on the sideline, Rodgers recalled, 'I was freezing. It was ridiculous. Miserable is pretty much the best word. I was miserable, and just about everybody in the stands was, too - especially after we lost.'
Rodgers knows the only way he can win over the fans in Green Bay is to win games, regardless of how Favre's situation plays out. Replacing a legend won't be easy but he has been preparing for this moment for a long time, and he swears he has no regrets about the patience it required.
'My road to where I am now has been very fulfilling,' Rodgers said shortly before entering the clubhouse at Edgewood-Tahoe, where he'd just completed Saturday's second round. 'I put in a lot of hard work in high school just to get noticed, and when I got to Cal I waited in the wings behind a really good quarterback (Reggie Robertson) before I got my turn. Obviously, I knew when I was drafted I was going to have to wait a while because I was behind a Hall of Fame quarterback who is one of the greatest guys ever to lace '˜em up.
'I knew at some point I'd get a chance to play. I always hoped it would be in Green Bay. I'm so ready.'

James

Yeah, Tampa just isn't likely. Not sure why they are in the running.If I can remember, I'll watch a replay of that show tonight.

They won their division, went to the playoffs, are in a real spotty division, will be playoff contenders this year, so why risk everything on Favre?

James

While it would be best for him to stay quiet, the Packers organization(and Rodgers) have to get the fans ready for the post Favre era. There's no other way around it. This story is ugly no matter what happens, and the quicker this team moves on, the less sour the taste will be in everyones mouth.

Tommie

Favre: Packers should let me play elsewhere
QB says in interview he wants to play, but not welcome in Green Bay
The Associated Press
updated 11:18 p.m. ET, Mon., July. 14, 2008

MILWAUKEE - Brett Favre finally is speaking for himself: He wants to play but doesn't feel welcome in Green Bay, so he's asking to be released.

The quarterback's first substantial comments on his latest retirement decision reversal come in an interview with Fox News on 'On the Record with Greta Van Susteren.'

'OK, you guys have a different path, fine,' Favre said, recalling a June 20 conversation with Packers coach Mike McCarthy. 'What does that mean for me? So that means either you give me my helmet, welcome back, or release me, or attempt to trade me. We all know that's a possibility, but way-out-there possibility.

'And he says, 'Well, playing here is not an option, but we can't envision you playing with another team, you know, either.' And I thought, so basically, I'm not playing for anyone if I choose to come back.'

According to Van Susteren, who spoke to the AP by telephone Monday afternoon, Favre said he was 'never fully committed' to retiring and felt pressured by the Packers to make a decision, a notion Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy tried to dispel in an interview with the AP on Saturday.

'Ted always wanted Brett back,' McCarthy said. 'We always wanted Brett back.'

The team had no immediate reaction to Favre's interview Monday.

'We currently have nothing to add on this matter,' a team spokesman said.

Favre told Fox he understands that the Packers want to move on '” but if they're doing so, they should let him go.

'Them moving on does not bother me,' Favre said. 'It doesn't. I totally understand that. By me retiring March 3, I knew that could possibly happen. All I was saying is, you know, I'm thinking about playing again.'

Favre said he has thought about the ramifications of playing for another team, moving to another city, and angering some Packers fans.

'You know, the bottom line is, I may not play anywhere,' Favre said. 'But we have thought of all those things. We have thought about it.'

Van Susteren '” who is from Appleton, Wis., is a Packers shareholder and previously had interviewed Favre and his wife, Deanna '” said Favre made it clear he would not return to the Packers if he wasn't the starter. And while Favre said the Packers asked him for a list of teams to which he would accept a trade, he wants to be released to make sure he ends up on a competitive club.

Thompson said the team wasn't going to release Favre, but he could come back in a 'different role than he was' because the team is committed to going forward with Aaron Rodgers.

'You're telling me playing there is not an option, but playing elsewhere, we just can't '” we're trying to protect your legacy,' Favre said. 'Well, thank you. I appreciate that. But apparently now, they're trying to protect my legacy by bringing me back and having me be a backup. Boy, that is really good.'

Thompson and McCarthy wouldn't discuss the possibility of trading Favre and said they hadn't received any trade inquiries as of Saturday.

Thompson and McCarthy gave AP a detailed description of their dealings with Favre throughout the offseason, including an episode a few weeks after Favre's retirement where the two were prepared to fly to Mississippi to seal the deal on a Favre comeback '” only to have the quarterback change his mind again.

In the interview, Favre said the Packers were being dishonest, although he did not point out specific examples in the portion of the interview aired Monday. A second segment is scheduled to air Tuesday.

'If you move on, you tell me one thing, don't come back and tell the public ... just say it, 'You know, we've moved on and we'll work with Brett on whatever it is,'' Favre said. 'Don't make up a lot of stuff or give half of the truth.'

McCarthy and Thompson also expressed concern Saturday that Favre spent most of the offseason questioning whether he still had the commitment to play football. But Favre told Fox News it wasn't going to be an issue.

'If I'm going to play it's going to be 100 percent commitment,' Favre said.

Favre's interview '” which was receiving top billing over an interview with presidential candidate John McCain in promos for Van Susteren's show that aired during the day Monday '” is the latest development in what is looking more and more like an irreparable schism between one of the NFL's most storied franchises and perhaps its most beloved quarterback.

Thompson called the situation 'gut-wrenching' Saturday.

'I mean, it hurts,' he said. 'I'm not talking about physically hurting, but the sensitivity. We understand where the fans are coming from. This is a hot-button issue that surpasses anything I've ever gone through.'

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