Where Brett Favre Should Have Landed

Brett Favre was traded to the New York Jets two days ago after weeks of speculation and controversy. The Jets beat out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offer to become the owner of the future Hall of Famer.

However, there is one other team who should have stepped up to gain the rights to Favre's services.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' divisional rival, the Atlanta Falcons, should have stepped up with a decent offer to let Favre play out the final year(s) of his contract.

Now why the heck would a team with over $50 million invested in a rookie quarterback, Matt Ryan, want to add another $12 million per year to their payroll?

The answer? Mentorship, and more wins.

The success of QBs who start during their rookie year have varied. Some, like Peyton Manning, have gone on to become future Hall of Famers. Others, like Joey Harrington, have turned out for the worse.

And, it just so happens to be that Joey Harrington will be Matt Ryan's backup. What a treat to have a mentor who was out of a starting QB job just four years after he was touted as a future star for the Detroit Lions.

An upgrade at the QB position is needed if the Falcons want to start out Matt Ryan as a backup. Favre would have been a great mentor to Ryan, teaching him the decision-making skills so important in NFL QBs today. As well, the Falcons would be able to win more games under Favre. He would be a good fit in Atlanta for one year, but if he wanted to stay for a year afterwards, there could be trouble because Matt Ryan would probably be ready to start by then.

The best case scenario—Favre would do decently as the starting quarterback as Michael Turner expands on the success he enjoyed as the backup to LT in San Diego. The Falcons compete for a wild card spot against all odds and Matt Ryan receives some much-needed mentorship to become a starting quarterback the year afterward.

But, the Falcons didn't pitch in with an offer, and Favre has now become a New York Jet. Matt Ryan is still the undisputed top QB in Atlanta, and who knows how his career will end up. After all, the success that QBs who start in their first year has been spotty and unpredictable.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?