Most teams suck at rebuilding because it can't be done on the fly. Retooling can, but even that takes the courage of your convictions and most HC's and FO's begin to lose those as the losses pile up and their names get mentioned on hot seat lists...
The Colts never ever tried to, which was the unique thing about them... Polian seemed content after that first ring to just go through the motions of fielding a team and assuming Peyton would get them the division and into the playoffs. He was on gravey train time, passing the torch to his idiot kid mattered more to him than insuring Irsay had a blueprint for consistency beyond Manning. And when it didn't pan out even in 2010 as the rot was beginning to show, he blamed the players he cobbled together for just not performing well enough. And began purging long term coaches and scouts who begged to differ. No accountability from a FO who fielded 19 players the year after their SB win who had never played a snap in the NFL because what he was paying to maintain a top heavy roster of select Polian favorites wouldn't allow for quality depth.
It took 2-14 in a Manningless season to expose Polian for the fraud he had become. And Irsay had to do something at that point. What he did was a product of landing the #1 pick on the heels of Manning's unique injury. Not sure he'd have had the stones to move on from Polian let alone Manning otherwise. Now at least he is saying all the right things and initially doing them. The test will come however when they suck with Luck instead of for him. How long Irsay can tweet his way around growing discontent from a fan base that has been spoiled for a decade plus and stay the course will determine whether or not they can do a genuine rebuild. That and whether Luck pans out. Because those are beyond painful and often for 2-3 years which is the average lifespan of new GM/HC tandems. Those guys start to get nervous and want to win because they don't want to do all the heavy lifting just to see some other guy land in their place just in time to reap the rewards.
It's kind of like in Denver where they'd have been better off from a long term and business standpoint to suck for Luck too, but Fox couldn't bring himself to leave any potential stone unturned to avoid losing because unlike Elway he's on a short leash. And that resulted in Elway finding himself seemingly stuck with a QB he has no real use for because his randomness just insures you never land the guy you covet. While your fan base fawns over him like a savior. Which is why Manning was in Denver last night... If Elway can't draft a legit #1 QB this season or next, he wants the one veteran QB he believes he could win it all with...who has the cache to make the fanbase forget all this Tebow nonsense.
A lot of what you say is true. I think there are other factors for Manning to go to Denver. In essence they wrer rebuilding when Elway came on board last year. The Defense is starting to dominate and is fairly young other than Champ. But you can rebuild gracefully with the addition of some pieces if they are not cost heavy and still blend in younger guys. My thoughts:
Fox is a defense coach, Manning offends no one if he comes in an demand the system be changed to play "Peyton Ball". I do think if Elway is smart and his CAP isn't blown to bits by signing Manning, he should sign some security blankets for Peyton. Pro Football Focus who does a great job with Team needs suggest this:
Primary Need: Quarterback
Secondary Need: Center
There’s no way around this, J.D. Walton is the worst center in football. Bad as a rookie (-16.3), Walton was literally twice as bad in his sophomore season (-32.9), casting him adrift at the bottom of our center rankings by a distance. Walton surrendered four sacks on the year and his 23 total pressures allowed tied him for the second-worst mark in the league for centers–a particularly bad note for a player in the middle of the line that often gets help. One of the reasons the Broncos found everything an uphill battle on offense was the play of the interior, which was at its worst in the very middle in the shape of Walton. They need a major upgrade regardless of who is at center.
Who better to go to Denver to do the new line calls than Jeff Saturday F.A.? Decker and Thomas can be made stars by Manning, but Royal is a F.A.
(Pats anyone? Punt and K.O. and perhaps a WR upgrade over Branch and Ocho. He's bigger than Branch, can play outside at 5'10" and 185, he's only 25 and has been ignored the last couple years after 91 receptions in 2008. He runs a 4.39 40 so there is your deep threat is you play him outside."Mercurial speed. ... Game-changing big-play threat capable of going the distance every time he touches the ball. ... Good quickness off the snap and has the agility, strength and vertical speed to challenge defenders with a variety of routes. ... Can track the ball over his shoulder. ... At his best with the ball in his hands, as he can make defenders look foolish with his ability to change directions and acceleration") but this is for another discussion.
The Broncos just lost their back up TE Green for some games in 2012 because of something he denies he took, so why not bring in comfortable Dallas Clark who just became an FA? The last piece would be Reggie Wayne across from Decker and a very talented Demaryius Thomas who are both young? McGahee is certainly a better back than Adai and perhaps on par with James, so Peyton is stepping into a team that makes sense and the General Manage is a member of the "Quarterback club".
So the dumping of Manning, Saturday, Wayne and Clark, who all might have a year or two left of good ball, works for Elway. Elways' rebuild method is helped by the Colts rebuild method.
As far as Tebow, why does everyone hate him? I wish my Daughters marry someone like him. I wish I had the nads to have his faith. He is the real deal, this is not an act. He is blessed with charisma and why dump him. He's only 24 and if you can get him to study the way Manning prepares, learn defenses and tendencies and become less erratic, you might have a polished QB to take over when Manning leaves in a couple years. He is also insurance. If one QB won't whine and ***** about being 2nd for now, it's Tebow. His arm, strength or leadership is not the problem. It's anal pores who hate him because he is a Christian try to lessen his value, and he has never once attacked those who have attacked him.
Why not have a package of plays for Tebow on a goal line situation? What if Manning gets injured. Who are you banking on to go in and at least make positive plays? He is not perfect but he overcomes many things.
I thing that Elway feels success breeds success. Perhaps he feels, Lets get some more of our 2012 and 2013 picks developed, because none of those Vets cost me my picks, and because of these added Vets, we don't have to throw the kids off the deep end as the rebuilding in Indy has to be. None of those x-Indys guys should break the bank other than Peyton. Who knows, in the six hour conversation, maybe Peyton was picking out the "groceries" with a list for Elway? It make sense.
As for the main topic Freeney, he has some skills left but I see the Falcons or even the Eagles as a better fit. Cole is not much bigger, but Freeney and Cole would be a tough tandem. Irsay has decided his method is to clean house. I think the Pats do it better by adding a mix of youth and Vets. You don't have to start from the ground which takes many years.
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