Favre reportedly asked for trade

The Green Bay Packers left Brett Favre fuming when they didn't pull off a trade for wide receiver Randy Moss during the NFL draft.

But was the three-time MVP angry enough to ask his way out of Green Bay?

Amid public grousing from Favre about the state of his team over the weekend, a report on the Fox Sports Web site, citing anonymous sources, said Favre's agent called general manager Ted Thompson to request a trade a few days after last month's draft.

According to the report, Packers coach Mike McCarthy later called the quarterback and was able to calm his anger, getting Favre to admit that he didn't really want to play elsewhere.

In a statement posted on the Packers' Web site, Thompson said he would not address the specifics of the report but understood the frustration Favre vented in interviews over the weekend.

"I think it's natural for a player to be frustrated from time to time - that's simply being human," Thompson said. "Everyone knows that Brett Favre is all about winning. As an organization, we share that commitment. And we want to win now."

Other Packers officials and Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, did not return telephone messages yesterday from the Associated Press.

The Packers' mandatory minicamp begins Friday, and it was not clear whether Favre, who had surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle in late February, would attend. McCarthy said during the team's rookie orientation last weekend that he expected Favre to be present, even if he wasn't able to practice while he continues to recover from the surgery.

Favre didn't mention anything about wanting a trade in interviews he conducted during his annual charity golf tournament in Tunica, Miss. on Saturday. But Favre did make it clear that he believed the Packers passed on a chance to make "a steal" of a deal for Moss, who instead was traded from Oakland to New England on April 29.

"He was going to wipe his contract clean and sign for $3 million guaranteed, plus a fourth-round draft pick. That would have been a steal," Favre told the Sun-Herald, of Biloxi, Miss. "But we were not willing to guarantee part of that $3 million. I even had [Cook] call up there and tell them I would give up part of my salary to guarantee that part of the money. Apparently that wasn't enough either."

Green Bay improved from 4-12 in 2005 to 8-8 last season, but hasn't made any major additions through free agency.

* Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson was released from jail after spending 2 months behind bars for violating parole in a 2005 weapons case.

* Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson was released from jail after spending 2 months behind bars for violating parole in a 2005 weapons case.

Wearing a red baseball cap and white T-shirt, Johnson, 25, walked out of Cook County (Ill.) Jail smiling broadly. He did not speak to reporters before getting into a sports utility vehicle and leaving. He was released on good behavior after serving half his 4-month sentence.

Johnson is to have a hearing with commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday in New York and could face a multigame suspension by the league.

Johnson's jailing in March stemmed from a Dec. 14 police raid on his Gurnee home, where authorities found six unregistered firearms.

* Julius Jones felt he was running "like a robot" at times last season, controlled by what coach Bill Parcells told him to do and how the Cowboys used him.

Even though he became the first Cowboys running back since Emmitt Smith in 2001 to have a 1,000-yard season, Jones became unsure of his role. *