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Asking Favre to be Newton's mentor would be dangerous

Imagine this: Brett Favre assuming the role that a 41-year-old with the rare opportunity of still being an active player in the NFL should actually fill.

The dots are easy enough to connect. Favre and Cam Newton have the same agent, Bus Cook. Newton is a raw talent in need of plenty of guidance to develop into the top-notch quarterback a lot of NFL personnel people think he can be. Favre is the senior-citizen quarterback who has never shown the ability to grasp the definition of "retirement."

So it wasn't a surprise to see it recently suggested in the *St. Paul Pioneer Press* that whatever team drafts Newton just might be inclined to acquire Favre to serve as some sort of "mentor."

Painful as it might seem to many, a legitimate case could be made for yet another Favre return. The potential for the lockout to eliminate offseason workouts and cause most or all of training camp to be missed is right in line with Favre's normal calendar between seasons. If we've learned anything, it's that, when it comes to quitting, you simply can't take him at his word.

A legitimate case also could be made for one of the several quarterback-desperate teams that could end up choosing Newton, who might also be in the market for an experienced addition to serve as a bridge until the rookie is ready to start.

But that hardly seems like Favre. His presence on any team would create a circus sideshow that would likely do nothing to help Newton's chances for success.

The entertainment value might be there, but otherwise it wouldn't make sense. Favre doesn't teach; he plays. Just ask one of his more famous former understudies, Aaron Rodgers. Also, Favre's improvisational style of play, which relies much more on spontaneity than study, simply isn't conducive to being taught ... or learned.

Besides, what coaching staff would be comfortable with sharing (or competing for) Newton's ear? None that I can think of.

There you have it. The dots are now disconnected.

Follow Vic Carucci on Twitter @viccarucci.