Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre spoke directly with Bucs coach Jon Gruden Tuesday night about a possible trade to Tampa Bay.
As of midnight (EDT), Favre did not believe a trade was imminent because the Packers had been insisting on receiving a first-round pick from the Bucs, an NFC team, while asking for lower compensation from the New York Jets of the AFC.
Favre told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the Packers had lowered their demands of the Bucs to include a conditional pick and possibly a player.
Griese Bucs backup quarterback Brian Griese, who was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bears in March, could be part of a trade with the Packers. Green Bay is committed to Aaron Rodgers and does not have a quarterback who has ever started an NFL game. The Bucs have five quarterbacks on their roster, including Jeff Garcia. But Garcia has only a $2-million base salary and would have the most value to the Bucs as a backup to Favre.
Favre also spoke with the New York Jets on Tuesday.
If Favre is traded to the Bucs, there would have to be some compromise between the three-time MVP and Gruden.
Even though the Bucs play a version of the West Coast offense, Gruden's system is heavy in verbiage.
Any deal involving Favre would likely have to be completed within the next 24 hours.
""Brett has said he has to get into a training camp, he has to get ready for a football season,'' Mortensen reported Wednesday morning. 'Talking to other teams, Aug. 7 would probably be the deadline for him to have time to get ready for the season.'
One of the things that irritated Favre is that the Packers were still trying to control his future by asking for more compensation from the Bucs.
Packers officials spoke to both the Bucs and Jets Tuesday night but decided to suspend talks until Wednesday morning, according to a report on FOXsports.com.
