It's anticlimactic, but the Packers traded QB Brett Favre to the NY Jets. GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy have wanted this for at least the last month. They wanted to control Favre's next location and keep him off the Packers. Whether he remains in retirement, or is traded to a non-NFC North team, they wanted him gone to give their guy, QB Aaron Rodgers, his chance. In the end, the Packers are the big winner by trading him to the AFC and gaining a future draft choice, at least a 4th rounder, maybe it can improve up to a 1st rounder, for a player they wanted to go away.
The only holdup was that Favre had been refusing to speak with any team, even after the Packers had granted permission because he still wanted to start for the Packers. And it wasn't that he was trying to stick it to the Packers either. Instead of going quietly to New York, he could still be sulking on the sidelines, sucking $12 million out of the Packers this season, and whining every chance he gets about his situation.
This isn't a big deal for the Packers at this point. The draft choice is in the future, and the quarterback situation remains the same as it has been for the past few months.
How will Favre like playing for the Jets? Buffalo Rumblings thinks this is a really bad trade for the Jets because this helps now, but hurts their long term future. Since Favre's future isn't long term, that won't be his problem. The current Jet team has been constructed to win now. They paid big big bucks in free agency for Pro Bowl G Alan Faneca, veteran DE/LB Calvin Pace, and traded for the incredible bulk of DT Kris Jenkins. The addition of Faneca is the one who really helps Favre because the Jets offensive line was a complete disaster last season. Football Outsiders says the Jets offensive line was almost the worst pass blocking team last season, but they were middle of the road in 2006 when they had a quality veteran playing left guard, the position Faneca will be playing.
While his offensive line is good, his running back is a step down from RB Ryan Grant. RB Thomas Jones is 30 and only average at this point according to the 2008 Pro Football Prospectus. The upside is that WR Jerricho Cotchery is very good. The 2008 PFP says "He's a true number-one receiver whose number are held back by his supporting cast." With a solid offensive line and a true number one receiver at his disposal, the 2008 NY Jets won't remind Favre of the 2008 Packers, but it should remind him of the 1992-1993 Packers that provided him with WR Sterling Sharpe and little else, and he played very well for that team too.