The Favre-to-Minnesota boosters probably thought it was all over a couple hours ago…but now comes this report from the Tampa Tribune indicating the Buccaneers are not exactly falling all over themselves trying to get Favre in:
The Brett Favre-to-Tampa rumors are heating up again. There’s just one problem, the Bucs remain rather cool towards Favre.
It may not seem that way, what with the Bucs still refusing to say they have no interest in Favre. The truth, though, is that the Bucs won’t involve themselves in serious trade talks for Favre until they have a real good reason to. In other words, the Bucs currently see Favre as a luxury, not a necessity. Until he becomes a necessity the Bucs will stay on the sidelines in this saga.
What would make Favre a necessity? Well, Jeff Garcia suffering a long-term injury would constitute a necessity. But then you have the issue of Favre’s $12 million contract. Quite simply, the Bucs don’t want to pay it. That’s why little has changed from the Bucs perspective on this.
So, they’ll continue to field calls from the Packers and they’ll continue to discuss a trade for Favre internally. But they won’t make a move on this front until they absolutely have to. And even then they will probably seek other alternatives to the problem before striking a deal for Favre.
What do you do with a player you don’t want on your team and can’t trade? Offer him even more money to go away? What’s the upper-limit? $30 million? $40 million? How much are the Packers willing to cough up to avoid the embarrassment of Favre playing for a division rival?
Here’s another possible solution, already sort of proposed: The Packers keep Favre on the roster but don’t let him practice with his teammates or appear in any preseason games. Just before the season they cut him and let him go to the Vikings. Favre, under those circumstances, would not be ready to play in the opener in Lambeau. So the Packers at least save themselves the humiliation of Favre beating them on the night they were originally scheduled to retire his number. Favre is ready by the time the Packers and Vikings play again, but that one’s in the Dome and therefore not as horrible. Obviously, this plan depends on Favre only playing one more year. If he comes back in ‘09…well, I don’t know. Maybe you hire a sniper to take out his knee or something. The cut him right before the season plan at least buys you time.
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What if the Bucs where to give the pack a 2nd or 3rd round pick for farve and turn around and trade farve to the vikes for a 1st rounder. What do you think the chaces of something like that happening?
The Vikes would be fools to give up a #1 for a 38 yr old QB-I don’t care what his name is. I doubt the Bucs would even part with a 2nd. My take (if I were a GM) would be OK, I need a great QB now, we need to focus on winning now. I get on the horn and offer a #4 and pick up his contract. Thats the best we’ll offer and set a deadline on the offer, then let it sit. The Pack will find out that is about as good as it will get.
But Sheldon, you did hit an old thought I had “will Bucs and Vikes pull a swithcheroo and send BF to Minn via Tampa?” How that will roll in a 3-way trade could be the trick. Also, would GB brass put a no trade clause to NFC central teams if they are so dead set against Farve going to Minnesota?
I just wish the season would start. I got a little fix watching the HOF game. I liked Brennon and Harts play.
I don’t see the Bucs turning around and trading Favre to the Vikes. It would be such a betrayal of the unwritten rules of things that the Bucs would probably wind up being shunned. Other teams would never be able to trust them again. It wouldn’t be worth it for them.
Farve could show back up at Green Bay if they do not do something early in the preseason and start the whole saga over again.
So far the Fudgies are winning their game of chicken with “greatest competitor ever” and it is now pretty clear that he doesn’t have a no-trade clause or is willing to waive it. However, if he does have a no-trade clause, he will be able force his release or cause a lot of problems at camp.