NFL: Colts Make Decision On Manning

[The Mac]

As hard as it would have been to imagine this happening even a year ago, the Colts are close to letting Peyton Manning go.

An NFL Network Blog quoted Jason LaCanfora saying that the Colts were planning on moving on from Manning even before the public war of words between he and Jim Irsay.

According to sources who were involved in the Colts’ GM search, the organization was planning to move on from Manning weeks ago, well before this public squabble between the quarterback and his owner.

La Canfora believes that the move will take place before the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine.



What it means?

It means that the Colts are making the right move for both the franchise and Manning. If it happens, it will be weird to see Manning in another uniform, but this move has to be made.

The Colts possess the No. 1 pick and therefore effectively have the rights to Andrew Luck. Realistically, NFL teams today can't pay two starting quarterbacks and still assemble talent around them. Indianapolis clearly needs some help, so spending money on two quarterbacks would be foolish.

Once that is determined, the answer is clearly Luck (or Robert Griffin III if you feel he's better). Manning will be 36 in March, just missed an entire season with a bad neck and has had three neck surgeries in his career.

If he plays, he will be the quarterback in 2012, but not for 2013 or after, which is what the Colts need to have an eye on.

What's next?

Logically, the Colts have to take a quarterback with the first pick. As was reported by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, they are going to do just that. But if Manning stays in the NFL, what the Colts do is only a small part of this.

The bidding war on Manning is going to be epic. Any team with even a slight question mark at the quarterback position will have no choice but to take a strong look at the future Hall of Famer.

Any specific teams would be pure speculation, but think about how few teams have that true franchise quarterback right now. You can bet that any of those teams will be rumored to at least be interested in Manning's services at some point.

Of course, his health is not a small factor. It isn't at all impossible that Manning will either retire voluntarily or be forced into it. Neck injuries are extremely serious and he just missed a full season, so it isn't much of a reach to think that he might miss more than that.

Still, until that moment comes (if it does), we're not going to have any shortage of teams going pretty hard to acquire Manning's services.

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[Flamesoffury]

LMAO i knew it! He's being cut.. he should retire as a colt.

[King of Camelot]

nah he shouldn't retire as a colt, lol.. should go to a better team lol like Minnesota Vikings, lol xD

[KANESHOW]

I don't think he should retire, if he's able to play he should play if he wants and the Colts well it's there choice. He will have offers and no not the Vikings...lol, they need to stick with the youth movement but sure they will go after him when the time comes. Just think he will prolly end up on one of the AFC teams that want to change QB's but can't cause they don't got nothing better.

[Flamesoffury]

From what i read.. the neck injury is still very serious.. and they cant tell if he's 100% or not.. so if that's the case, he should retire. He's got nothing left to prove.. he needs to stay healthy.

[KANESHOW]

From what i read.. the neck injury is still very serious.. and they cant tell if he's 100% or not.. so if that's the case, he should retire. He's got nothing left to prove.. he needs to stay healthy.

Well ya I'm pretty sure he will make the smart decision. All though if he is able to play he will play and there will be teams lined up wanting his services. A team shouldn't decide when a player should retire. It's the players choice, have seen it to much in sports where for some reason the team thinks they should make the choice. Then the person goes and plays somewhere else and shows it wasn't time to retire all though some have failed and should have retired, kinda like Donovan Mcnabb, who thinks he's great. I actually wouldn't expect manning to say whether or not he is gonna play until maybe a month or 2 before training camp.

[Killswitch]

Wouldn't be surprised if he retires. But still if he does play, I think that it would be dumb if the Colts just cut him. If I were the Colts I would trade him, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be worth at least on first round pick.

[Flamesoffury]

Wouldn't be surprised if he retires. But still if he does play, I think that it would be dumb if the Colts just cut him. If I were the Colts I would trade him, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be worth at least on first round pick.

jets wil prolly give up 2 1st round picks for him

[KANESHOW]

^
I bet the Vikings would give that and more they like to do things like that.