Brett Favre Traded to Jets
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James Joyner | Thursday, August 7, 2008 |
Our long national nightmare is over: Brett Favre is a New York Jet.
The Brett Favre era in Green Bay officially came to an end late Wednesday night as the legendary longtime Packers quarterback was traded to the New York Jets, the Packers announced.
The exact compensation wasn’t immediately available, but it is believed to be a fourth-round draft pick that increases in value depending on how the Jets perform in the 2008 season.
According to the NFL Network, if Favre takes 50 percent of total snaps with the Jets in 2008, the fourth-rounder becomes a third-round pick. If he gets 70 percent of the snaps and the Jets make the playoffs, it becomes a second-round pick; and if he gets 80 percent of snaps and the Jets make the Super Bowl, it becomes a first-round pick.
That strikes me as a fair deal. A high draft pick is a lot to pay for a player, even a future first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, on his last legs. Then again, it only becomes a first day pick if the Jets, who were 4-12 last season, make it to the playoffs. Like ESPN’s John Clayton, I’m skeptical that Favre can do that much by himself.
Favre alone isn’t going to cut the gap between the Jets and the New England Patriots. The Patriots have Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Bill Belichick, a great team and the easiest schedule in the league. Favre has only the satisfaction that he’s out of Green Bay.
Still, the Jets have upgraded themselves, for a season at least, at the most important position in team sports. Matt Williamson of Scouts, Inc. thinks they “should make a very strong push for a wild-card spot with Favre at the helm.” And they’ll sell more season tickets and a bunch of merchandise. (You can order your Brett Favre Jets replica jersey here. Demand is apparently rather high, or the Jets’ server is really poor, as the page isn’t loading even though it’s just 7:30 in the morning.)
And, no, the Jets can’t trade Favre to the Vikings.
The NFL Network also is reporting that the Packers took great pains to ensure that Favre would not be traded to the Vikings by inserting a “poison pill” in the deal. If Favre were to be traded to Minnesota, New York would have to surrender three first-round picks to Green Bay.
No player, let alone an old one, is worth three first rounders.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
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....the ONE place I could go without Brett talk...and now you've ruined it. GAAAHH.
The Redskins coaching staff must have kidnapped Dan Snyder to keep him from going after Favre.
I was perfectly willing to let Brett go to the Vikings.... for Adrian Peterson
That strikes me as a fair deal. A high draft pick is a lot to pay for a player, even a future first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, on his last legs.
Too bad the Packers weren't as smart when they traded for John Hadl
....the ONE place I could go without Brett talk...and now you've ruined it. GAAAHH.
Heh. It's big crossover news.
The Redskins coaching staff must have kidnapped Dan Snyder to keep him from going after Favre.
I think Colt Brennan's performance in the Hall of Fame game gave Snyder confidence that he has at least one good QB on the roster.
Too bad the Packers weren't as smart when they traded for John Hadl
Yeah, and those were the days when a draft pick meant an indentured servant for life. The Cowboys infamously gave two firsts for Joey Galloway because they mistakenly believed they were one player away from a Super Bowl rather than a team starting a rebuilding process.
I'll bet Mike Greeberg is wetting his pants right about now.
A good QB can make up for a lot of ills. But I suspect the Jets have rather more in the way of ills than even Favre will be able to cure. If that's true, the deal as cut will keep the Jets out of things for a couple seasons at least.
Seeing this guy debark from his private jet this morning should make every football fan at the ticket counter feel like a chump.
and who but the jock-strap-sniffers would even care???? this washed up jock being traded affects my life/finances/future....how????
When is McCain going to have a commercial attacking Farve as "The One" and attempting to link him with Paris Hilton?
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