THINGS I LEARNED TODAY

1. I love Warren Sapp as a player and as a person who has great respect for and knowledge of the game. See the link below for his take on the whole Brett Favre trade (the link will take you off this site). And congratulations to Warren for being the next member of the NFL Network team. He will do an amazing job providing clean and HONEST opinion. He will be prepared. Sapp is very knowledgeable about many topics other than sports. I recall one instance in particular. It was right before the Raiders were slated to play the Washington Redskins. I had invited ABC political columnist and writer, George Will and his son to Oakland's practice. His son Jonathan is a die-hard Redskins fan. When practice was over, Warren was the only player who went up to Mr. Will and engaged in a full conversation. His knowledge of world events is quite impressive.

Video: Sapp Interview on Favre Trade

2. I had a very long conversation today with someone who has played in the NFL and knows both the Packer and Jet offensive systems. He thinks that unless Favre really prepares, he will face a huge challenge. I expressed my opinions earlier today in an SI article and in this blog. The Jets have to approach this situation like it is going to work. They have to pour all their time and energy into making this offense work with Favre. They are going to have to be very adaptive.

3. Watch Chad Pennington's agent Tom Condon create a bidding war for the services of his client. I think the Chiefs, the Fins, and maybe even the Raiders should talk to Chad, assuming the price is right. Pennington wants to be a starter and clearly believes he has the ability. Whichever team can prove to him and assure him that he will start is the one that will have the upper hand in winning the deal. I am betting on Miami.

4. Here is Tampa's GM Bruce Allen on the Favre talks:

Interviewer: Did you get that feeling in your negotiations with Green Bay that perhaps this was going to be a brutal effort trying to get Favre to Tampa Bay?

Allen: "There were no negotiations. There was never any substance or talk about what it would take for [the Packers] to trade him. All of that was speculation. In the beginning, I think it was clear that it was a bad situation in Green Bay and they had to deal with it in any way they could.

Interviewer: So you had absolutely no negotiations whatsoever and there was never any conversation about compensation or an opportunity?

Allen: "No. None at all."

Allen is trying to protect his team and Jeff Garcia. He said there were no negotiations, which would be accurate except for the fact the Bucs made an offer and thought that, at the end of the day, they would acquire Favre. Allen needs to do some damage control internally to make sure that "certain" players feel comfortable. I really get the feeling (and people that know are confirming this) that the Bucs thought Favre would never agree to go to NY.

5. There are five preseason games tonight and I'm very interested to see how New Orleans running back Pierre Thomas performs. They need him to play well and it's always good in these types of games to load up young backs with plenty of carries. It is important to learn how the backs will perform after they have been hit and get tired. Stamina in backs is crucial.

6. The Ravens start the John Harbaugh era off in NE and that is not the kind of defensive team you want a weak offensive line to face. I can't wait to see how many tackles Ray Rice breaks. And remember, the key to the Ravens is their kicking game, so pay close attention to those playing on Baltimore's kicking teams.

7. D.J. Hackett is a very capable wide receiver and I thought he would have gotten more offers this past off-season. He is the perfect complement to Steve Smith, playing on the opposite side. But he will struggle to be the number one wide out. Has anyone seen Dwayne Jarrett make a play since he left USC? Big wide outs with no burst and explosion struggle in the NFL.

8. The Bears have some very talented defensive lineman, which may make it difficult for the Chiefs to get anything going on offense. Defensive tackle Marcus Harrison, the Bears third-round draft pick, has great skills.

9. Forgetting all the Brett Favre talk for a moment, the interesting aspect of the Browns-Jets game tonight will be the new-look Jet offensive line against the new-look Browns defensive line.

10. Dwayne Robertson of the Broncos better start to perform in camp and get on the field for practice. Otherwise, the Jets may not get that conditional pick from the Broncos. If that turns out to be the case, NY will have some holes in their 2009 draft.