Saturday, January 21, 2012

Peyton Manning lands in . . . . ?

If I were a gambling man (wait, I am), I would gamble that Peyton Manning does not return to the Colts for the 2012-13 football season.  The writing seems to be on the wall.   The Colts have the number 1 pick in the draft and the clear cut number pick this year is QB Andrew Luck who is seen as the best college QB prospect in years.  The Colts also recently fired President/GM/Peyton Manning booster Bill Polian (no doubt to replace him with someone who would prefer to go full throttle into the Andrew Luck era).  Also gone, head coach Jim Caldwell and his staff, meaning a new system would need to be installed and undoubtedly one of the appeals for Manning to return to the Colts was the fact that he wouldn't need to learn a new system, that benefit is no longer there.  There's also the question of the $25 million that the Colts would need to pay Peyton next year, I'm guessing there may be some hesitation on their part to pay that amount out when they have a stud QB ready to step in.   They seem to be attempting to make it as unappealing as possible for him to want to return.  With all that being said, where does Peyton land?   I'd rank the teams in this order:
  1. Washington Redskins - the Redskins QB play has been absolutely abysmal for years now, they also have a deep pocket owner, it would not shock me to see him wind up in Washington. 
  2. Arizona Cardinals - the Cardinals had to be a little bit disappointed in the play of Kevin Kolb last year, he never seemed to quite grasp their system (and some doubt that he will ever fit in the Cardinals offense), they also may not want to pay him the $7 million roster bonus he is due.  Playing in an offense that Kurt Warner thrived in and with established stars such as Larry Fitzgerald, Todd Heap and Beanie Wells would no doubt prove to be tempting to Peyton Manning. 
  3. New York Jets - are the Jets ready to give up on Mark Sanchez?  It depends on who you listen to.  While it would probably be a short term upgrade, I doubt that it would help the team long term. 
  4. Miami Dolphins - I have no doubt that the Dolphins will have a new QB next year, the question is who.  They have to give some consideration to Manning if he becomes available.  My guess though is that with the hiring of former Packer offensive coordinator Jim Philbin as head coach they will probably make Packer backup QB Matt Flynn their number 1 target
  5. Seattle Seahawks - if Tavaris Jackson is not the long term answer, why not find a better short term fit?  I'm guessing it's a long shot but you never know.   
  6. San Fransisco 49ers - with the play of Alex Smith this season and in the playoffs I'm guessing he may have bought himself more time but still, San Francisco would have to be an attractive option for Manning if he wants to have a chance at another Super Bowl ring.   
  7. Denver Broncos - let's get serious, Tim Tebow is not going to take the Broncos to the next level, at the very least, the chance for Tebow to work with Manning for a couple of years could prove invaluable to him.  Denver is not out of the realm of possibilities for Manning. 
  8. Cleveland Browns - I don't think Colt McCoy is the answer in Cleveland, I'm guessing they will be exploring their options this offseason, if that's the case, they'd have to consider Peyton Manning wouldn't they?  
  9. Kansas City Chiefs - Are they ready to give up on Matt Cassel?  He hasn't taken them far, it might be time for a change. 
  10. Dallas Cowboys - Like the Chiefs, are they ready to try something new?  Tony Romo has had plenty of opportunities to take the Cowboys to the next level and he can't seem to get them there. 

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