ProFootballCentral.com

By PFC Ravens Writer Martin Steger

 Brett Favre has done it again. Just as the NFL news cycle entered the doldrums between minicamps and training camp, Favre rocketed in like a last-second touchdown pass to give everyone something to debate and write about. Favre’s desire to return puts the Packers in quite a pickle, as they must decide what to do with the legendary quarterback.

 One angle to this never-ending story is the possibility of a Favre trade, presumably to a quarterback-needy, veteran-laden team. Two teams in the Packers’ division (Minnesota and Chicago) fit that description, but the whole division thing probably excludes them.
Then there’s Tampa Bay, where Jon Gruden collects quarterbacks like Favre collects passing records. But Tampa is a playoff-caliber team in Green Bay’s conference, which opens the unsavory possibility of Favre playing against the Packers sometime in the postseason (not to mention in Week Four, when the Packers travel to Tampa for a Bay vs. Bay showdown).

So, provided the Packers decide to trade Favre, it makes sense for them to send him to an AFC team. Fitting that bill, the Baltimore Ravens have been bandied about as a possible destination for Favre. There are many negatives to a hypothetical Favre-to-Baltimore trade, but first, the positives which serve as fuel behind the rumor:

Favre would unquestionably be the best quarterback on Baltimore’s depth chart, not to mention in team history. He could be the missing piece to a team that went 13-3 behind good quarterbacking in 2006, but suffered from injuries and shaky quarterback play in 2007. Favre is extremely durable, so age-induced injury should not be a factor like it was with Steve McNair in 2007.

Furthermore, Favre could serve as a mentor to Troy Smith, Joe Flacco, and Kyle Boller. Just about every quarterback in the league could learn something from Favre, and Baltimore’s signal-callers are no exception.

On the other hand, Favre comes with issues of his own, especially his gunslinging nature. During the Ravens’ 2006 13-3 season, Steve McNair threw only 12 interceptions. That careful ball control helped keep Rex Ryan’s blitzing, aggressive defense fresh and ready to attack. Interceptions achieve the opposite effect, keeping the defense on the field. The defense is still the strength of this team, and its energy is key to any Baltimore win.

Though Favre himself threw only 15 interceptions in 2007, he threw 18 in 2006 and a whopping 29 in 2005. Despite his relatively low INT total in 2007, he’s still the ultimate gunslinger, either blowing the other team off the field or shooting his own team in the foot with an ill-timed pick (see: the “final” game of his career). The Ravens aren’t built to recover from the latter—and in a tough division, facing an even tougher schedule, one interception could end the team’s playoff hopes.

On top of that, Favre isn’t cheap. His huge cap number (over $12,000,000) could restrict negotiations with Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, and Terrell Suggs, the trio of star linebackers who will be free agents following 2008. It will not be easy to keep even two of them, and Favre’s cap number could only complicate matters.

 Finally, there’s the saga currently unfolding (again): Favre’s retirement. If he plays 2008 in Baltimore, does he immediately retire following the season? Does he hang around for half an offseason, then retire? Does he retire, then come back halfway through the offseason?
None of that is important, except when considering Baltimore’s struggles at developing a long-term QB. If the answer is currently (and finally) on Baltimore’s depth chart, how long would Favre’s retirement jig delay his development? Aaron Rodgers is currently dealing with the same problem, and has been for years. It could happen in Baltimore as well.

At this point, it’s impossible to know how the 2008 Baltimore Ravens featuring Brett Favre would do. They could flop completely, go to the playoffs, or anywhere in between. Ultimately, though, the risk outweighs the reward: Favre’s cap number, tendency toward interceptions and retirement drama probably knock Baltimore out of the running.