FAVRE-WATCH The Brett Favre era will continue in New York. The Jets agreed to acquire Favre from the Packers on Wednesday. News: Packers trade Favre to Jets Analysis: Love Guru on Favre-Packers divorce Kriegel: Favre will regret returning Whitlock: Favre got jobbed by Pack Marvez: Favre is only loser in deal Czar: How Bucs will move on More on Favre: Photos: Brett Favre, meet Broadway Photos: Best Brett Favre moments Photos: Favre through the years Fantasy: Where should you draft him?

There is no question that the Bucs had an interest in Favre. Reportedly, a group of Bucs coaches even prematurely celebrated Wednesday night near the team's training facility at Disney World, assuming they were adding the Hall of Fame quarterback. Then they saw the news pop up on TV around 1 a.m. that he was headed to the Jets. Ouch.

But Tampa's interest was based on the premise that no other team would pursue Favre once he realized Packers GM Ted Thompson wouldn't allow him to play for the Vikings or Bears. The Bucs, who made the playoffs last season, had no interest in giving a second-round pick to the Packers, the price the Jets may have to pay if they become a wild-card team.

Contrary to reports, the Bucs never offered Brian Griese and a third-round pick to the Packers. Heck, the Packers had no interest in Griese. They like Matt Flynn, their seventh-rounder, a lot more.

Ike Hilliard, the team's leading receiver with 62 catches last season, believes Gruden simply loves to play "mind games" with his players. "You can't worry about every little thing that is said and written," Hilliard said. "That's just the way it is around here. The Favre stuff just makes good TV. I don't pay attention to it. First off, it really had nothing to do with us."

"All the Favre talk didn't bother me," said Garcia, who is still hoping for a contract increase. "It did surprise me at first, but we all know that Jon loves quarterbacks. If Joe Montana said he wanted to play, Jon would have him in camp. But I've taken it all with a grain of salt because I know how my teammates feel about me. And that's what really matters. I've approached (my preparations) the same way. All it's done is add a little drama to our training camp."

On the flip side, Garcia can't understand what the Packers were thinking.

"You would have thought the Packers would have rolled out the red carpet for Brett when he said he wanted to un-retire," Garcia said. "I'm really shocked by that, after all he's done for that franchise and how well he played last season."

Age is a funny thing, though. For example, Garcia said he popped a calf muscle in simple drills a week ago because his legs were tired. He said he tried to act like his body is still 28. "I have to be more careful, I guess," Garcia said. "But I got this far in the NFL by going full-speed ahead and it's the only way I know. I guess, I have to take some things a little slower, but when you're on the field you always want to give your best effort and compete."

If Garcia can keep himself strong for 16 games, the Bucs have a great chance to repeat as division champs because their receiving corps appears to be hitting its stride. Hilliard, a 12-year veteran who is now 32, is definitely fighting for his starter's job.

Joey Galloway, still a speedster, rarely practices in order to keep his legs fresh (also nursing a groin strain) for the season. Bucs insiders say that tall receivers Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall, both high draft picks in recent years, are having great camps. Plus the Bucs brought in former Cowboy and 49er Antonio Bryant. Then there's Paris Warren, last summer's preseason touchdown champ before he dislocated an ankle making a game-winning catch in the final preseason game. And don't forget the 5-foot-9 rookie Dexter Jackson, the Michigan beater from tiny Appalachian State.

Finally, Gruden has his customary group of tight ends and running backs, including the return of good guy and former Buccaneer, Warrick Dunn.

Dunn is excited to be free of Atlanta, but also to be where his career started. "I tried to tell the young guys in Atlanta last season that what we were doing wasn't the NFL, it was college ball," Dunn said about life under Bobby Petrino. "It was difficult to explain to some of them because they were just out of college. They didn't understand. Right now, I'm using camp to get back into football shape. My legs feel good, though, and I'm hoping I can catch more passes here (Dunn had 37 last season). The coaches here are already telling me this is the best offensive line I've ever played behind."

Dunn and Earnest Graham figure to share the rushing role until Cadillac Williams comes off PUP. Cadillac is doing so well, he probably could have played in September, but the Bucs feel good about Dunn and Graham while Cadillac rests for the first six weeks of the season.

Tampa Bay's biggest offseason acquisition might be New Orleans center Jeff Faine, whose career began in Cleveland. He is only 26 and he's physical, but more importantly he is quick and can run. Faine should be pulling and leading the charge for sweeps and screens in Gruden's offense.

In the last couple of years, Tampa Bay has drafted two massive guards in future stars Davin Joseph and Aaron Sears, plus right tackle Jeremy Trueblood. Joseph loves the upside of his young teammates, plus he couldn't stop talking about how much Faine should really help the unit. The O-line surprise is that Donald Penn may be the left tackle ahead of Luke Petitgout. Penn is a former castoff from Minnesota.

Czar says that Bucs lineman Davin Joseph is a future star. (J. Meric / Getty Images)

"The line is an exciting group on our team," Garcia said. "They are close-knit bunch. I wish we could have kept (former center) John Wade, but I understand the business. Besides, Jeff has been a starter since he came into the league."

Everybody wants to point out Tampa Bay's aging stars like Garcia, Galloway, Derrick Brooks, Kevin Carter and Barber, but the average age of the starting offensive line is 24.6 years old. The youth on defense is led by end Gaines Adams, linebacker Barrett Ruud and safety Tanard Jackson. Basically, the Bucs aren't as ancient as you think they are.

"If you subtract me and Brooks from the defense, we have a bunch of youth on my side of the ball," Barber said. "They've done a really good job rebuilding this team while still giving us a very good chance to win."

Basically, that's the thought process with the Bucs. Everyone in the NFC South is cognizant of the wacky worst-to-first stat. Since the NFL realigned for the 2002 season, the team that finishes in the NFC South cellar recovers to become the division champion the next season.

This five-year streak figures to end this season. Nobody really believes Atlanta with a rookie head coach and quarterback will win the division after finishing 4-12 last season. The Saints, who opened 0-4 before finally winning seven games, are the presumed favorites. But the Bucs, the defending champions, have different ideas. They want to be the first team to repeat as division champions.

"I think we are flying under the radar again," Barber said. "Everybody's picking the Saints because they got Jeremy Shockey and everybody loves Sean Payton and Drew Brees. But they still have to play better defense."

Tampa Bay swept the Saints last season and then coasted into the playoffs with 13 players on injured-reserve. Then against the Giants in the playoffs, they lost deep threat Joey Galloway and two more starters in the first half and basically didn't have enough talented bodies to win at home.

Since his huge seasons in San Francisco, Garcia has had a few stops in the NFL before landing in Tampa.

"Our locker room reminds me of when I was with the Eagles," Garcia said. "They had great veteran leaders with a lot of younger players, too. There's no better leader than Brian Dawkins. We have that here, too. Ronde and Derrick Brooks are like that. We have high character guys and that's so important in this league."

Despite the Bucs and their players believing in Garcia, the bottom line is the guy doesn't seem capable of playing a full season. Even with his quality play last year, he still missed four starts. He suffered a calf strain that put him down for a week in training camp. On the flip side, Favre has started 275 consecutive games, possibly the most impressive record in football.

Favre, with Gruden's help, could have done some special things, but I'm not convinced even with Favre, that the Bucs have enough overall talent to reach the NFC championship game. It would have been fun to watch them try, but Tampa Bay needed to retain their high draft picks instead of spending them on a one-year starter.

I don't know any team that wouldn't surrender a first-round pick if it meant playing in the Super Bowl. But the Bucs aren't that close.