QB Brett Favre Traded To The Jets

The Green Bay Packers have traded QB Brett Favre to the New York Jets, and they will receive a conditional draft choice. It starts off as a 4th rounder, escalates to a 3rd rounder if Favre plays 50% of the snaps, escalates to a 2nd rounder if Favre plays 75% of the snaps and the Jets make the playoffs, and finally, it will escalate to a 1st rounder if the Jets make the Super Bowl.

Thank God this is finally over with. I'm certain that most of you are with me in that you're tired of reading the daily and sometimes hourly Favre updates. I don't pay too much attention to ESPN, but double goes for those who do.

My thoughts on the situation are that more of the blame falls with Favre than with the Packers. Favre put this team into a tough situation on a yearly basis by delaying his decision on retirement until late in the offseason, and almost always until after the draft. I have a feeling that this season the Packers finally had enough, and they told Favre that he needed to make a decision sooner this year. Favre retired, and then regreted his decision, prompting this comeback. At that point, once Favre forced his hand by filing his re-instatement papers, the Packers took a hard line stance of doing what was best for the team. They had already committed to Aaron Rodgers, and considering he's viewed as their QB of the future, they weren't going to throw him back on the bench. The Packers also weren't going to trade him within the division, possibly affecting their ability to win the division. I think everyone knows that the Vikings are a good QB away from being a very dangerous team, and they had the most interest in Favre. That left Tampa Bay and New York. Favre preferred Tampa Bay, but trading him to Tampa Bay might affect their ability to get into the Super Bowl, despite that being a longshot, and Tampa Bay wasn't offering as much as New York was. Trading him to the Jets was the best move for the Green Bay franchise, and I'm glad they took a hard stance regarding the matter, and did what was best for the team. Rodgers isn't an upgrade over Favre for 2008, but he's as ready as he'll ever be this year, and the Packers want to see what they have in him as they prepare for the future of the offense. Talented rookie Brian Brohm moves to 2nd string.

Fantasy Impact: The New York Jets was my preferred landing spot for Brett Favre. He's a very solid QB2 selection, although I'd be very hesitant to make him my QB1. He will be plenty motivated to turn in a great season, however, and has similar talent around him compared to Green Bay. Thomas Jones should see more TD opportunities with a better QB, so his value rises. Laveranous Coles and Jerricho Cotchery both have a better QB with a much bigger arm throwing the ball to them, so their value rises. I was already bullish on Cotchery this season, but I like Coles more with the trade. I'll update both WRs below. Dustin Keller will see lots of time in the slot this season, and he becomes a slightly stronger TE2 pick. It's good news for the entire Jets offense.

I already ranked Aaron Rodgers assuming Brett Favre wasn't going to return to the Packers, but obviously this secures him as a very intriguing QB2 selection.

Broncos RB Ryan Torain Suffers Broken Elbow

Denver Broncos rookie RB Ryan Torain suffered a broken elbow in practice yesterday, and he is expected to miss at least 6-8 weeks.

Fantasy Impact: Well, there goes my favorite RB sleeper. Torain was a 1st round talent who was drafted in the 5th round due to a Lisfranc foot fracture that he suffered in his senior season. He has the ideal frame and skill set for Denver's zone-blocking scheme, but this injury stunts his learning curve, and potentially eliminates his ability to start this season. Torain is not worth drafting in re-draft leagues.

Selvin Young becomes a much safer fantasy pick to begin the year. Torain was quickly gaining ground on Young, and he was on pace to potentially split time with Young, possibly as early as week 1. I will update Young's value analysis down below. Andre Hall is the favorite to back him up, and he looked impressive last season in spot start duty. Hall is definitely worth consideration towards the end of the draft, but he's not the threat to Young's job that Torain was as Young and Hall are similar players.

Broncos WR Brandon Marshall Suspended For 2-3 Games

The NFL suspended Broncos WR Brandon Marshall for 2-3 games. The 3rd game of the suspension will not have to be served as long as Marshall attends counseling for his various off-the-field issues.

Fantasy Impact: The most complicating factor of Marshall's suspension is the fact he has a DUI trial on September 24th. No details have been released regarding what could happen to Marshall's 2008 availability pending the outcome of the trial. Several outcomes could take place from here. One, Marshall's current suspension could already include the fact he's due in court, and the outcome of the trial won't impact his availability for the 2008 season. Two, Marshall could face an additional suspension, pending on the results of the trial. Three, the trial could get postponed until after the 2008 season.

Marshall has the talent to be a WR1 when on the field. If he only misses 2 games on the season, he'll likely be a steal. His current ADP is now 57.2, near the end of the 5th round. I personally find it hard to believe that he'll be suspended again for a trial that was known about prior to the original suspension. That being said, he represents excellent WR2 value in the 5th round, and I'm recommending selecting him there.

Jay Cutler is a fantasy property whose value is closely tied to Marshall. With Marshall on the field, he has the talent and the passing game weapons necessary to make a leap into the 2nd tier of QBs behind Brady and Manning. With Marshall not on the field, he's without a proven commodity at the WR position, which would make it hard for him to take that next step in career progression. I'm also recommending Cutler as a strong break-through candidate and a good value where he's being drafted. Draft a safe QB2 behind Cutler that you wouldn't mind using the first couple weeks, and one who could start for you should Marshall miss additional time.

I will update both players in my value analysis below.