5 burning questions about Favre's return

[Jakest3r]

with Brett Favre announcing his return, it's time to go to our experts to get answers on Favre and the Green Bay Packers in a special edition of Burning Questions.

1. Should Favre have retired?

Sean Salisbury: No, he's still one of the best quarterbacks in the business and I'm extremely glad he made the decision to return. He would've regretted going out with so much still left in the tank and that wouldn't have been fair to himself or his legions of fans.

Eric Allen: No, it's extremely hard for a great athlete to walk away while he's still able to make plays and Favre can still make plays. Kudos to him on returning and I hope he has a great final season.

Ron Jaworski: No, he still has the ability to contribute as a very good starter. I love his energy and enthusiasm and approach to the game and it's going to be great seeing him out there again next season. The Packers have to get a succession system in place though because they can't count on having him for the long haul.

2. Are the Packers a contender next season?

Sean Salisbury: Yes, the Packers have the ability to contend and possibility win the division next season. This year they had a very young team and a rookie head coach and still finished respectably. Next season the Bears could be without defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and Lance Briggs if they move on to other teams. That alone could crack the division wide open.

Eric Allen: I'm sure seeing the Bears in the Super Bowl and feeling his Packers aren't that far off was an impetus to [Favre] making the decision to return and I have to agree they can contend for the playoffs next season. This was a very young team that was finding itself last season and they are going to continue to get better. The talent is there and the opportunity to be a very good team is also there.

Ron Jaworski: No, they aren't. But if you're the quarterback you have to think that way. They have to get back to a more balanced attack and defensively they have to get more experienced. They have good, young players on defense, but they are very young and they absolutely must get better in the secondary. Because last season they were terrible.

3. How difficult is it for a player to leave the game?

Sean Salisbury: I wasn't a great player, but I can speak for other players in that it's very difficult to hang it up and normally you see great players hang on for too long and decimate a little bit of their legend. Luckily, I don't think we'll see that from Favre. I believe he still is one of the top quarterbacks in the league and while he might not be as good as he was in his prime, he's still a great player. I'm sure that played a tremendous factor in his decision.

Eric Allen: It's extremely difficult to walk away from the game. Because you're not just walking away from a job, but from something you've wanted to do your entire life. Most football players have been playing some form of football since they were 5 or 6 years old and have put in unbelievable amounts of time and effort into making it into the NFL and then staying there. It's hard to just walk way no matter what.

Ron Jaworski: My approach is very simple: Play the game until they drag you off the field. Leave no regrets on the field.

link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2752082

 

[Cliff]

On the subject of the Packers being a contender in 2007 I would have to agree with Ron Jaworski right now.

It all depends on how Ted Thompson handles the personnel in the off season. This is a definate crossroad year for TT.

 

[Heatherthepackgirl]

I love this read thanks!! I love the part where Ron Jaworski says: My approach is very simple: Play the game until they drag you off the field. Leave no regrets on the field...I hope that is what Brett is going to do..

 

[nathaniel]

As far as being contenders next year, I agree with what all three of them said. I don't think winning the division is that far off, but as far as making a difference in the playoffs I'm not so sure. With such a young team, not having that experience can hinder a great playoff run, but I'd love to be wrong. Hopefully we'll make some good off season moves and pick up some proven players. The secondary is definitely a problem. So is TE. I love Bubba, but we need some improvement at TE.

 

[bozz_2006]

i think an improvement in the offensive line will result in better stats for the TE. i know we had lots of drops and screwed up routes from the TE's this season, but i think alot of that had to do with how much help the TE had to give the O line. With a full year under their belts, hopefully the offensive line is capable of protecting Favre well enough that the TE can once again get out there and run some routes, cause some problems for the defense.

 

[Greg C.]

It's good to hear some national football writers talk about the Packers as an up-and-coming team. I'm more in agreement with Jaworski, that they won't actually be a contender next year, but they should have a good chance to make the playoffs and hopefully beat some good teams along the way. But who knows? Sometimes things come together more quickly than expected. They could get on a roll and take the league by storm, like the Saints and Ravens did this past season.

 

[PackFanInSC]

Finally, Sean Salisbury says something right!!

"I wasn't a great player"

 

[packedhouse01]

The Packers weren't contenders this year, but they got better. For the Pack to contend next year, they need to fill the following holes:
Wide Receiver -- you have to have more than one wide receiver who can get open and catch the ball
Tight End -- not many teams win without a tight being able to catch the ball
Offensive Line -- this line grew by leaps and bounds, but they still have a long way to go. I still think we need to pick up some players in the line
Running Back -- Ahman had a great season, the depth behind looks ok, but only ok.
Defense
Line -- they need a dominant defensive lineman that can continuously put pressure on the QB and still stop the run
Linebackers -- these guys can be great.
Corners -- I love the starting corners, but there is absolutely nothing behind them
Safeties -- I think this is a weak spot on this team
Special Teams -- great special teams come from having great back up talent. The better the depth the better the special teams will be.

It is possible to fill those holes this year. We've got the cash so we can afford to get some free agents and we have to finish it off with a strong draft and locking up our younger talent to good contracts.

 

[Cdnfavrefan]

Can analyze all people want but with the knew modern NFL who can't be a contender next year (other then the Lions) Especially in the NFC it's not a far reach to get to the top. Afetr that it's a one game shot that you never know what happens. So even though I'd say we got a way to go New Orleans proved that anyone has a chance (other then the Lions)

 

[PackFanInSC]

Weren't the Bears the youngest team in the NFL in 2004? They went 5-11 then won the division in 2005 and are now in the SuperBowl.

This year, the Packers were the youngest team and the Titans were secod youngest. Both finished the season strong and ended up at 8-8. I would rather have a young team that can learn and adapt than have a team that is old and broken down.