Following an exciting first round, we break down the favorite picks, most pleasant and biggest surprises, most under-appreciated pick, worst move and more.
Peyton Manning, Mario Williams, Mike Wallace and Carl Nicks headline an intriguing free agent class that can shift the balance of power this offseason.
The Eagles seemingly came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha as they eye a trip to the Super Bowl.
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Wednesday night I went to bed with Brett Favre overload. Over the past week I have appeared on several radio programs across the country, and from Richmond VA to Las Vegas, nearly every second of every interview was all things Favre.
Turn on ESPN or Sirius NFL Radio to Favremania; his picture has been in the sports section of papers every day for a month. I?m fortunate to live close enough to listen to local Milwaukee radio stations, and even with the Brewers in a heated pennant race and some legit severe weather activity, it?s all Favre all the time.
So when I woke up this morning, fired up my laptop and saw that the Packers dealt Brett Favre to the Jets (told you so Papa Joe!), a preternatural feeling of relief and sanity gently blanketed me. After the trade buzz wears off in a couple of days, NFL fans can finally focus on something besides the messy divorce between Favre and the Packers. If you?re like me, by now you are so freaking sick of the entire saga that you welcome the end of the madness, even if Favre did wind up in the biggest media market with the biggest media bias in the world. No, the Favre Story is far from over, but at least the scab is forming on the gaping flesh wound in Green Bay and for Favre himself.
What does the trade to the Jets (for a conditional 4th rounder) mean for the involved parties? For Favre it means he moves to the AFC for the first time, and it?s a real tough time to make the switch. Even with the acquisition of the reigning MVP runner-up and all the other products of their drunken-sailor spending spree, the Jets are no better than 2nd in the AFC East and will be lucky to sneak into the last Wild Card spot. Does he make them better? Absolutely. Chad Pennington is outstanding at every facet of being a starting QB with the notable exception of being able to actually throw the football more than 12 yards while Kellen Clemens has the great arm and, apparently, little else. Favre immediately makes their offense more balanced and the passing game more dynamic, which is a sorely needed addition.
But the Jets have significant questions at WR beyond the two starters, one of whom (Laveraneus Coles) hasn?t run a pattern deeper than 15 yards in 3 years and has come off an ankle injury that might limit his trademark shiftiness. The tight end defines the word ?disgruntled?, an odd state for an average talent like Chris Baker, although they do have former Favre favorite Bubba Franks in the fold. Jets' fans have spent the last 10 months whining about the offensive state of their offensive line, but I bet you hear nothing but their cumulative greatness from Jets' sycophants now that their QB issue is temporarily resolved. Favre likely equals a much higher floor for the Jets this season, but he?ll have to replicate his 2007 magic for the Jets to have any chance at 10 wins and a 1st round playoff loss to the Colts or Chargers. He has to overcome unprecedented chaos, the intense Big Apple pressure, a foreign offense with very different personnel than in Cheeseland, a tight schedule, and a chance for a playoff spot over the Browns, Jaguars, Steelers, Titans, and Bills without the luxury of fattening up on the Lions twice a year.
For the Packers, the focus finally shifts to the field. Nobody is happier than Aaron Rodgers, who handled the fiasco about as well as anyone could reasonably be expected. The local media can now focus on the other issues with the Packers that have gone largely unnoticed, like the significant injury and depth issues along the defensive line. It means both rookie QBs, Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn, will make the team, which is a disappointment to the waiver-wire trolls looking for a developmental #3 QB. There is relief that they don?t have to face Favre on the field, though I bet some Packers secretly wanted to get their licks in on him. The offense will probably get a little more conservative, less apt for the heroic but more likely to grind out drives and avoid the trademark drive-killing mistakes that are an unfortunate and underreported accoutrement of having Favre under center. Think the hyper-critical Noo Yawk boobirds will deal with that like the positive-to-a-fault Packer faithful handled all those INTs and overthrows of wide open receivers?
It means the end of the Jets line for Chad Pennington, who should immediately board the next plane to Dallas to become Tony Romo?s backup. His arm is essentially shot, but you name the intangible and Pennington has it in droves. It also means Kellen Clemens will sit yet another season, which puts him and the Jets in the same situation that Favre created for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. He?s a high draft pick stuck behind a beloved veteran starter, who has shown glimpses of being real good but has never sustained it, and his contract will run out before the team really gets to fully evaluate him because Favre is the starter.
For ESPN, they get their wettest dream--Favre 30 miles away and a story with enough legs left to get them through the start of the Olympics. Ed Werder, Chris Mortensen, Sal Paolantonio, and the 250 other Favre embeds from the network will have to find something else to do. The network might just realize that the PGA Championship is this weekend or that two Hall of Fame baseball players were dealt in the last week. It might, but I wouldn?t count on it. John Madden immediately lobbies for NBC to carry every Jets' game and has ordered a size XXXXL #4 Jets' jersey. Sirius NFL radio can go from Channel 12Favre back to 124, much to Adam Schein?s chagrin. I love the poetic justice that Jay Glazer of Fox is the guy who wound up breaking the trade story.
For me, I can finally write my season previews for the Packers, Jets, Bucs, and Vikings. I can talk about actual football on radio shows, answering questions about the other 31 teams. I can enjoy the preseason without the cloud of ?What is Favre doing this very moment? raining from every media lip. My 3-year old son might actually learn another player name besides Favre, whom he believes is of equal status with Jesus, Britney, and Obama as the only names ever talked about on TV or at the grocery store. My nagging headache is gone, and I can look at a piece of cheese without doing mental gymnastics about Favre minutae. I?m off to enjoy some gouda on my trip to the Lions-Giants' preseason battle. Nice!
