Maker's Muppet
On the Roster
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2012
- Messages
- 79
- Reaction score
- 10
SITE MENU
Registered Members experience this forum ad and noise-free.
CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.
Peyton, is that you? Because if it isn't then you certainly are making a whole bunch of assumptions about where he would and wouldn't want to go, including the notions that he is afraid to play good teams while also declaring that he's a "national icon" but wouldn't want to play in the biggest media market in the world.But he remains untradeable for two reasons. Players cannot be traded before the start of FA on March 13th and and the Colts don't own the rights to trade him thereafter unless they pick up his $28M option before March 8th. If they pick up that option they are on the hook for a $38M dead cap hit in 2012 if they did trade him then there is no amount of draft compensation that would offset that. When Manning and his agent Tom Condon did this deal they made sure that trading Peyton would not be an option. It's play me if I'm healthy or cut me and if I play thereafter it's my choice where I go and you get nothing for me leaving except potential regrets...
And people need to stop with the potential landing spots including badly run and desperate franchises because he isn't going to voluntarily join one of them at any price. His legacy matters too much to him. He's a national icon and spokesman who makes as much off as on the field and he doesn't need to go to a large market like NY, and he isn't going to be interested in joining a circus in dissaray like the JETS. He isn't interested in competing against Bill and Tom twice a year in the AFCE. He isn't interested in going up against his brother in the NFCE either which eliminates Washington and Dallas. He isn't going to want to face Pittsburgh and Baltimore 25% of the time so rule out the AFCCentral. He isn't going to want to lock horns with Rodgers or the Lions so there goes another division. He isn't going to want to lock horns with Brees either so sayonara the well domed division. And that is all just strategic common sense.
So what options does that leave him. He will either stay close to his roots in the AFCS (JAX or TENN with new HC and/or ownership and no long term answer at QB) which is Polian's worst nightmare or head for the AFCW or NFCW. Denver despite the altitude might have been a consideration with Elway (the guy who wouldn't play for Irsay's dad) at the helm and Fox coaching the D, but they are hamstrung due to Tebowmania. But don't rule them out entirely...because being stuck with Tim scares the bejesus out of them. AZ has the weapons and coaching not to mention track record with Warner, Seattle has the deepest pocketed owner in the game and a defensive minded HC savvy enough to stay out of Manning's way. In a wide open division unless Alex Smith is the real deal in SF, and he isn't signed and he probably isn't real so add three teams from that division to the list - one of which needs a new stadium and features Andrew Luck's college coach...
At the end of the day it all depends on his health because if he is healthy Irsay can't afford to let him walk and potentially make an ass of him. Coughing up $51M in 2012 bonus and salaryfor 2 QB's will probably be less painful. Even though it will hamstring them against the cap and in the draft as well as FA... And despite anything you hear between now and then, don't discount the behind the scenes discussions about what both Manning and Luck are really willing to do because Tom Condon will be handling that and he will push for what is best for both of his clients and not the Indianapolis Colts.
And if he's not healthy or he just doesn't want to start over anywhere and potentially tarnish his legacy...they're just going to need a bigger desk on that CBS set. I think that the bitter pill that is retirement for these guys has become a little more paletable for Peyton over the course of this lost season in part due to the arrival of his twins. Early retirement is no longer the end of his world.
