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Gruden thought Favre was headed to Bucs in '08
If things had worked out the way ESPN football analyst Jon Gruden wanted a year ago, he and Vikings quarterback Brett Favre might have been on the field together as members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
By JUDD ZULGAD and CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune staff writers
Last update: September 30, 2009 - 11:18 PM
Jon Gruden will be in the broadcast booth Monday night at the Metrodome to provide analysis of Brett Favre's performance against the Packers. But if things had worked out the way Gruden wanted a year ago, he and Favre might be on the field together as members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fired as Bucs coach after last season, Gruden thought his team was going to acquire Favre before the quarterback was traded to the New York Jets in August 2008.
"I talked to Brett on the telephone, and I think if you talk to Brett yourself, both of us thought he was coming to Tampa," Gruden, now working for ESPN, said Wednesday during a conference call to preview Monday's game.
"I went to bed at about 20 minutes after 12, 12:30 thinking we had Brett Favre. I was sure we had Brett Favre. When I woke up the next day, Santa Claus didn't arrive. It was a sad day for me."
Gruden was an offensive assistant with the Packers when Favre arrived from Atlanta in 1992 and the two had a familiarity that might have helped in Favre's transition to a new team. Gruden also ran the West Coast offense, a system Favre operated for 16 years in Green Bay. Those factors made Favre and the Bucs seem like a good option, considering the Packers weren't going to allow Favre to go to Minnesota.
"My understanding was we had it done," Gruden said. "[Then-Tampa Bay General Manager] Bruce Allen was working with [Packers GM] Ted Thompson in terms of the compensation, and I really don't think that any of us knew there was another partner that was willing to get involved at that stage of the game. So I think we were both thrown a curveball.
"I think both of us thought -- Brett and I -- that we were going to get the deal done. But there was another partner that developed later that evening somewhere across the next seven or eight hours."
The Bucs fired Gruden and Allen after the team lost its final four games and missed the playoffs. So would Gruden still be in Tampa if the trade had worked?
"Brett Favre's a winner," Gruden said. "He's one of the great quarterbacks of all time. He would have made a difference, I can promise you that."
Room to improve
At 3-0 for the first time since 2003, the Vikings are one of seven unbeaten NFL teams, but they are not completely satisfied with how they are playing.
"I think we all need to collectively come together and clean up so you don't have to worry about one throw coming down at the end of the game," veteran tight end Jim Kleinsasser said, referring to Favre's last-second touchdown pass Sunday against San Francisco. "That's a big deal. In the same breath, we feel that, yeah, we are happy."
Vikings coach Brad Childress said there are a "ton of things that we need to clean up offensively, defensively, and special teams-wise."
Etc.
• The Vikings signed Central Florida tackle Patrick Brown to their practice squad Tuesday after working out four offensive linemen.
• Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will be featured on "E:60" at 6 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN.
If things had worked out the way ESPN football analyst Jon Gruden wanted a year ago, he and Vikings quarterback Brett Favre might have been on the field together as members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
By JUDD ZULGAD and CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune staff writers
Last update: September 30, 2009 - 11:18 PM
Jon Gruden will be in the broadcast booth Monday night at the Metrodome to provide analysis of Brett Favre's performance against the Packers. But if things had worked out the way Gruden wanted a year ago, he and Favre might be on the field together as members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fired as Bucs coach after last season, Gruden thought his team was going to acquire Favre before the quarterback was traded to the New York Jets in August 2008.
"I talked to Brett on the telephone, and I think if you talk to Brett yourself, both of us thought he was coming to Tampa," Gruden, now working for ESPN, said Wednesday during a conference call to preview Monday's game.
"I went to bed at about 20 minutes after 12, 12:30 thinking we had Brett Favre. I was sure we had Brett Favre. When I woke up the next day, Santa Claus didn't arrive. It was a sad day for me."
Gruden was an offensive assistant with the Packers when Favre arrived from Atlanta in 1992 and the two had a familiarity that might have helped in Favre's transition to a new team. Gruden also ran the West Coast offense, a system Favre operated for 16 years in Green Bay. Those factors made Favre and the Bucs seem like a good option, considering the Packers weren't going to allow Favre to go to Minnesota.
"My understanding was we had it done," Gruden said. "[Then-Tampa Bay General Manager] Bruce Allen was working with [Packers GM] Ted Thompson in terms of the compensation, and I really don't think that any of us knew there was another partner that was willing to get involved at that stage of the game. So I think we were both thrown a curveball.
"I think both of us thought -- Brett and I -- that we were going to get the deal done. But there was another partner that developed later that evening somewhere across the next seven or eight hours."
The Bucs fired Gruden and Allen after the team lost its final four games and missed the playoffs. So would Gruden still be in Tampa if the trade had worked?
"Brett Favre's a winner," Gruden said. "He's one of the great quarterbacks of all time. He would have made a difference, I can promise you that."
Room to improve
At 3-0 for the first time since 2003, the Vikings are one of seven unbeaten NFL teams, but they are not completely satisfied with how they are playing.
"I think we all need to collectively come together and clean up so you don't have to worry about one throw coming down at the end of the game," veteran tight end Jim Kleinsasser said, referring to Favre's last-second touchdown pass Sunday against San Francisco. "That's a big deal. In the same breath, we feel that, yeah, we are happy."
Vikings coach Brad Childress said there are a "ton of things that we need to clean up offensively, defensively, and special teams-wise."
Etc.
• The Vikings signed Central Florida tackle Patrick Brown to their practice squad Tuesday after working out four offensive linemen.
• Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will be featured on "E:60" at 6 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN.
