End of An Era

NOT THE MAN(NING) ANY MORE


On the 18th of April 1998, following a shockingly poor season the year before, the Indianapolis Colts had to make a big decision.  The only thing resting on this decision was the future of their franchise, deemed by many to be have been a joke ever since the team left Baltimore in 1984.  It was thought by most experts within the NFL that the Colts would be choosing a new quarterback with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.  For months, speculation had been rife as to which one of the top two outstanding candidates they would select.  In one corner was the signal caller from Washington State University, who when asked by the Colts at the NFL Scouting Combine what he would do if he was chosen first answered "Get all my friends together and go to Vegas", in the other was the quarterback from Tennessee who had told the same inquisitors that he would ask for the teams playbook so he could be ready to start from day one.  So, in front of the assembled media, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stepped to the podium and announced "With the first pick of the 1998 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select...Peyton Manning."

It could be argued that this was one of the greatest calls made in draft history.  Since that day, Manning has played 208 regular season NFL games (all consecutive, before injury totally wiped out his 2011 season), thrown for 54,828 yards with 399 touchdowns to boot.  He has won one Superbowl and lost another.  He has been quite simply the best pure pocket passing quarterback in the whole time I have watched the NFL. (by contrast, that other QB, Ryan Leaf, has become synonymous with the term "bust".  He played a mere four seasons in the NFL, with 3666 yards, 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions).

This era is expected to end at noon eastern time (5pm in England) on March 7th 2012, when the Colts will release Manning in order to avoid paying him a $28m roster bonus.

Where will he go? Well, the first big barrier that must be overcome is one regarding his health.  Manning has endured three neck surgeries (the latest brought about by a hit rewarded with a "bounty", if former Colts coach Tony Dungy is to be believed), and has only recently begun throwing again.  But lets assume that he is back to somewhere near 100% (to be fair, 80% of Peyton is better than most QBs operating at 100%), and that he will land somewhere.

NEW YORK JETS
The Case For - The Jets missed out on the playoffs after two consecutive AFC Championship appearances, due in part to a poor QB show from Mark Sanchez.  Rex Ryan is on the hot seat, and needs to win now.
The Case Against - Manning would have to play in New York, the same city as his younger brother Eli, and would have to play against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots twice.

MIAMI DOLPHINS
The Case For - Many consider the Dolphins as likely to emerge as contenders in 2012, as long as they can secure a quarterback.  They have two good receivers, a decent tight end and a good running game.
The Case Against - Like at the Jets, Manning would be forced to endure two games against his greatest nemesis.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS
The Case For - The Skins, under Daniel Snyder, have never been afraid to go after free agents, especially the expensive ones.  It is possible that the Skins could bring in Manning AND a former target of his Reggie Wayne, who is likely on his way out of Indy himself.  The Skins had possibly the worst QB options of all 32 teams last season.
The Case Against - The Skins have long been one of the biggest underachievers in the league, and this underachievement can be traced partly to their reliance on building through "past it" free agents.  Factor in the aggressive nature of the three other teams defences in the Skins division, and you wonder whether Manning fancies that regular a pounding at this time of his career.  Plus there would be two meetings against Eli and the Giants to contend with.

ARIZONA CARDINALS
The Case For - Arizona finished the 2011 season strong, despite the inconsistent quarterback play of Kevin Kolb and John Skelton.  They have arguably the best wide receiver in the game (Larry Fitzgerald), a legitimate target for Manning to get the ball to.  They also play in a dome, in which Peyton Manning has spent his entire career playing in.
The Case Against - The Cardinals endured a messy quarterback chase in the 2011 off season, paying huge money to the untried Kevin Kolb.  Its doubtful they would want to do so again.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The Case For - The Chiefs are looking forward to the return of several big play makers on offence this season after losing them to injury in 2011.  Under Romeo Crennell, they figure to be very strong on defence, and the addition of Manning could be enough to see them take charge of the hugely Topsy turvy AFC West.
The Case Against - In my eyes, there are very few arguments against this move.  Possibly the fact that the Chiefs already have Matt Cassell entrenched as starter, but even after missing a season Manning MUST be seen as an upgrade at this position.