Think hard before coveting Favre

When Brett Favre was at home riding tractors in Hattiesburg, Miss., most people were more than willing to conveniently forget that his final pass in the NFL was an interception that essentially ended the Packers' dream season.

We wanted to focus on the 38-year-old finding the fountain of youth, and carrying -- sometime literally -- his teammates around Lambeau Field and to an improbable NFC Championship Game appearance.

Now that he has the "itch" to return, we're forced to debate whether it's a good idea.
And the debate shouldn't be a long one.

It won't be in Green Bay, so Favre will have to learn a new offense and get comfortable with new personnel in training camp.

We know he' not going to Chicago, Detroit or Minnesota. Carolina and Washington would be getting a bigger distraction than the possible upside is worth, considering Favre can't be considered a major upgrade over Jake Delhomme or Jason Campbell.
Kansas City, Miami and the Jets won't be contenders, so there's little point in shipping Favre off to any of those three.

It essentially boils down to Tampa Bay, where coach Jon Gruden has always had an affinity for older players and acquiring as many arms as possible. Favre fits both descriptions, and Gruden's version of the West Coast Offense should be among the easiest for Favre to pick up in a matter of weeks.

But that doesn't make it a good idea for the Bucs, who reached the playoffs last year with Jeff Garcia. Would Favre be much of an upgrade, if any?

Consider that Favre has thrown 100 interceptions over the past five years alone. Garcia threw just four all last season and has a 23-six TD-to-INT ratio the past two years.

For every highlight-reel touchdown, there are still far too many negative plays. The Bucs have a perfectly serviceable aging quarterback who doubles as a team leader. No need to bring the circus to town when the Bucs have an excellent chance to win one of the league's weakest divisions.