Where is Manning Landing?

My friend Bird was completely right when he described the way in which Peyton Manning was being treated in Indianapolis as a "travesty".  Rarely in sports do we see someone have an impact on a franchise, city, and even the sport itself, the way Peyton Manning has.  A true professional who plays with a passion and commitment that is hardly seen in sports today.  He has successfully crossed over into mainstream America and become a household name, and he has done it all while playing for Indianapolis.  But, as luck would have it (no pun intended), injury strikes, the team collapses without him, and they are now poised with taking Andrew Luck as the number 1 pick in this year's upcoming NFL draft.  Healthy enough or not:  fully cleared, not cleared, doctor approved, a shell of who he once was, or just on the cusp of greatness once again; it appears the Colts have no desire to bring him back.  Whether it's for financial reasons, personal agendas, or just time to move forward, it seems as though we have seen Peyton play his last game as an Indianapolis Colt.

So, where will Peyton go next?  Let's first start by covering where we can assume Peyton won't go.  Now, a healthy Peyton Manning is almost surely an upgrade to any team, but these first few teams are in no real need for that upgrade. New England is currently doing alright in the QB department, as are the Giants, Green Bay, New Orleans, Dallas, Philadelphia- and despite a somewhat down year, San Diego is probably gonna be alright with Rivers.  Now Detroit, Cincinnati, Carolina, and Tampa Bay all have guys under center that, while they are young, have shown much promise.  I'm not completely sold on Josh Freeman, but a lot of people who watch a whole lot more film than I do seem to think he has what it takes.  This next group of guys aren't exactly the best of the best, but they are up there, and I don't know that any change needs to be made in Houston, Chicago, ATL, or San Fran.  Ryan Fitzpatrick had Buffalo looking pretty solid (5-2 before dropping 7 straight) posting career highs in touchdowns (and interceptions). The Ravens don't always seem sold on Joe Flacco, but he has gotten the job done, falling just short to the eventual conference champions the last four years.  While St. Louis, Minnesota, and Cleveland could all possibly use a little Peyton, recent mock drafts have them either upgrading their team via RG3 or with weapons in which will strengthen their already young talent.  Although Peyton does have ties to Tennessee, Matt Hasslebeck seems to be paving the way for Jake Locker to take the helm there.  In Oakland, I'm pretty sure they have enough on their hands with Jason Campbell and Carson Palmer. So, that leaves 8 teams left in which Manning could land...the Jets, Denver, Seattle, KC, Washington, Arizona, Miami, and Jacksonville.

It should be noted that I do not know what teams have room under the salary cap, but Peyton has said he's willing to structure a contract based solely on his performance.

Jets
Through the media, we've heard a lot of talk about the Jets. While I do believe that both Eli and Peyton are mature enough and media savvy enough to handle New York together, I feel this is by far the worse choice for Peyton.  The locker room is clearly dysfunctional, and Rex Ryan couldn't be farther from a "Tony Dungee type" coach that Peyton Manning has been used to dealing with.  I really don't see this as an option.

Broncos
In Denver there is a lot of upside.  They were the #1 ranked rushing team last year, their offensive line only allowed their QBs (even while scrambling) to get hit 68 times, their defense is young and kept them in a lot of games, but their fans do have a cult like following for Tim Tebow.   If there was one quarterback that could replace and mentor Tebow without any fan backlash, it would be Peyton.  However, I don't know that even one of the greatest in the game would want to deal with that situation.  Would the fans call for Tebow again, should Peyton slump?

Seahawks

There is the possibility of Seattle, but Seattle has all sorts of issues.  Their running game is mediocre, their offensive line play wasn't very good allowing 50 sacks, and while their defense wasn't terrible, the Seahawks just don't have a supporting cast that would appeal to a superstar like Peyton.

Chiefs

The Chiefs do have a few key pieces that may appeal to Peyton, and Matt Cassel hasn't exactly panned out like some thought he would.  They have both a marquee running back in Jamaal Charles, and an All-Pro wide receiver in Dwayne Bowe.  They were a middle-of-the-pack rushing team, and did it all with their #1 RB injured from the start of the season.  Their defense was average at best, but then again Peyton never really worked with the best defenses in years past.

Cardinals

I'm sure Peyton wouldn't mind the warm climate and retractable roof in Arizona, but they had by far one of the least protective offensive lines last year.  They allowed 54 sacks and 86 hits on their quarterbacks, one of which was Kevin Kolb who was somewhat of a let down in the games he did get to play.  On the flip side, just the thought of passing to Larry Fitzgerald has to be appealing to any quarterback, despite the teams lackluster rushing attack.

Redskins

I hear more talk about Washington than any other team, but this seems like a terrible choice.  The NFC East is arguably the best division in all of football.  Peyton is used to playing in a dome all year, so I'm sure the cold winters in DC are not that much of a draw for him.  Their defense was not that good last year either; they were one of the worse rushing teams, and their offensive line play was below average (allowing their QBs to get hit 108 times...3rd in the league).  Maybe a few years ago they were just a QB away from being great, but Santana Moss and the rest of the Skins receivers are clearly on the decline.  Then again, working with Mike Shanahan  may be just enough to lure Peyton to Washington.

Dolphins

Miami I could see.  They have the marquee receiver in Brandon Marshall, and they have one of the best receiving running backs in Reggie Bush, who came alive late in the season.  They were 11th in the league in rushing, middle of the pack defensively, and the second half of the season was a polar opposite to their abysmal 0-7 start (finishing the season 6-10).  Let's also not forget that it is Miami.  First Lebron, then Peyton.?  How many superstars can be in one city?  They, to me, have the most legitimate shot at landing Peyton Manning.  Except for....

Jaguars ? ?

THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS!  Yes, the Jags!  What kind of fan would I be if I didn't offer up a completely biased opinion of why one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time should go to my favorite team?  But, in all honesty....let's look at this.  The Jaguars defense was 6th in the league last year in total yards allowed, 11th in total points allowed, and have the 7th pick in this years draft.  M.J.D....do I need to say anything else?  No, but I will.  He led the league in rushing, and he was able to do so on a team that ranked dead last in total offense, and had the lowest rated quarterback in the league.  The AFC South is not exactly a powerhouse, with the Houston Texans clearly being the best team in that division.  If Peyton wants to get a little revenge on the Colts, he'd have two opportunities a year to do so in the warm climate of sunny Florida.  The market is small, and the fan base is low, but if anyone could turn all that around, Peyton Manning could.  He would be a great mentor to Blaine Gabbert, and with Mike Mularkey and Bob Bratwoski taking over the team's offense, things are sure to pick up in Jacksonville.  Hey, anything is possible, and could you imagine how great Manning would look in those new all black uniforms?

No one really knows where Peyton Manning will play next...if he plays at all.  We've heard that he's been medically cleared, but nobody really knows where Peyton is in his recovery.  No one except Peyton.  He's also the only one who knows where he'd like to play.  Of course, I'd love to see him play in Jacksonville, who wouldn't want him to lead their team?  But no matter where he ends up, that team and the league in general will be better for having him a part of it.  The greatest players of all time should have the opportunity to leave the game they love on their own terms.  And I don't think Peyton Manning is ready to leave yet.


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