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| Photo by Patricia Huisinga/The Savannah Sports Monthly |
It has often been said that sports imitates life. For every time
there is a storybook ending that captivates us and makes us stop and take
notice, there is a series of events or a story that leaves sports fans shaking
their heads and wondering aloud, “How could that happen.”
As the NFL enters its offseason, one of the leagues’s most
accomplished and recognizable athletes enters what can only be described as a
life changing storm. For more than a decade, Indianapolis Colts quarterback
Peyton Manning has been synonymous with the blue horseshoe on his helmet. Once
a moribund franchise with little or no real identity, Manning rescued the team
from the scrap heap and single handedly turned them into a consistent winner.
He had always said that he wanted to be like John Elway and have the privilege
of playing his entire career for only one team.
Now a myriad of circumstances have all converged in such a way as to
make that all seem impossible. Four neck surgeries and a missed 2011 season,
the Colts “earning” the number one draft pick, this season that means the
acquisition of Stanford All World quarterback Andrew Luck, and a $28 million
roster bonus that is due to Manning on March 6. Add it all up with a dose of
Colts owner Jim Irsay letting go all coaches and executives from the General
Manager on down and what you get is the very real scenario that Peyton Manning,
if he can play at all in 2012, will be doing so for another organization .
Now that’s where the fun begins. For the next several months,
sportscasters will be filing their two cents worth as to where this future Hall
of Famer will be headed when training camps open. Some teams are already at the
forefront of the speculative storm, but one, and perhaps the best possible fit
is not being mentioned at all – the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s take a look at
some of the variables that will have to be considered before Peyton takes his
winning ways to any team’s training camp.
First of all, Manning will have to go to an organization that will let
him run the show offensively as the starting quarterback. Peyton is not coming
to be a backup to anyone. He would like to go to a team on the rise. Also, warm
weather and some offensive weapons would be a plus. If a team has all of these
going for them, then you have a good chance at landing the biggest offseason
prize in the history of the NFL.
In order to get a solid reading as to where Manning will go, and
why Jacksonville is the perfect choice, we should take a look at the scenario
team by team and compare the possibilities. The first rumor that will be
dispelled is that 20 teams will be lining up to make a run at Manning. As you
will see, that is simply not the case.
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| Photo by Patricia Huisinga/The Savannah Sports Monthly |
In the NFC South, the Saints (Drew Brees), Falcons (Matt Ryan) and
Panthers (Cam Newton) are all set at the position. The Buccaneers do have a new
coach, but also have a young quarterback in Josh Freeman that some are very
high on. The biggest drawback for Manning is that the division is loaded and
that Tampa Bay has little or no weapons on the offensive side of the football.
Mark Tampa Bay as a maybe, but not a frontrunner.
The same type of scene unfolds in the NFC North where some of the
best quarterbacks in the league already reside. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers,
the Bears have Jay Cutler and the Lions have Matthew Stafford so all of these
franchises can also be crossed off of the list. The only possible suitor for
Manning in this division is the Minnesota Vikings. What makes this doubtful is
that they have a young quarterback in Christian Ponder who made tremendous
strides last season. Also in their favor is Pro Bowl running back Adrian
Peterson. They also play indoors, not only for their home games, but also in
division games in Detroit. Count them ahead of the Buccaneers, but this
division is even tougher than the NFC South and Manning does not have the time
left in his career to start at the bottom and work his way up.
The NFC West has some legitimate fits for Manning with only the
Rams (Sam Bradford) being quickly taken off of the list. The Seahawks need a
quarterback, but the weather would be atrocious and there is nothing there on
the offensive side of the ball. Also, it would be unlikely that Coach Pete
Carroll would turn everything on offense over to Manning. The 49ers are a dark
horse possibility, simply because everyone always seems divided on Alex Smith,
even though he just led San Francisco the NFC title game.
That leaves the Cardinals, who have just been burned by Kevin
Kolb, who simply did not pan out as a free agent pick up last season. They play
indoors. They have a stout defense and numerous weapons including wide receiver
Larry Fitzgerald already in place. The division is also easily winnable. In
addition, Arizona just signed coach and former quarterback Frank Reich to the
coaching staff. This is significant because Reich just spent six seasons as
Manning’s quarterback coach with the Colts. All of these points vault the
Cardinals to the top of the Manning sweepstakes list.
There does not seem to be a fit at all in the NFC East. There is
no fit for Manning with the Cowboys (Tony Romo), the Eagles (Michael Vick) or
the Giants, where little brother Eli just earned his second Super Bowl ring.
Some have speculated on the Washington Redskins, but there seems to be very
little reason for Peyton to go there. First of all, the organization is a mess
and the team has no playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. The division
is loaded and playing for Washington will mean a large number of games in bad
weather stadiums. It is also unlikely that Peyton would volunteer to step
directly onto his brother’s turf.
In the AFC, we see more of the same. Beginning with the East, we
can quickly rule out the Patriots, who have one of the best in Tom Brady. The
Bills can be eliminated even though they do have some players on offense to
make them an interesting possibility. The division is too tough, the weather is
too bad, and the Bills just gave quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick a ton of money.
Some have said the Dolphins are a good fit, which is a team that does need a
quarterback. Offensively, Miami just seems inferior, and while one can argue
that bringing in Manning will change that, the fact remains that Peyton will
have to try and overrun Brady and Company in New England as a division rival
every year. That, in itself, may keep Manning out of South Florida.
Since Manning’s potential departure from Indianapolis first became
a possibility, rumors began that he would be headed to the Meadowlands as a New
York Jet. While this may be nice to think about, it just doesn’t make sense.
First of all, the Jets do have a young quarterback in Mark Sanchez that did
take New York to the AFC Championship Game in his first two seasons. With the
Santonio Holmes meltdown and the disarray in the locker room, the team is
totally dysfunctional. The weather is also bad and he would be sharing the New
York spotlight (as well as the same stadium) with Eli, both of which work
against Peyton donning Gang Green. Besides that, the salary cap situation with
the Jets is in terrible shape. Could you
really envision Peyton Manning playing for Rex Ryan?
The AFC North has little room for Manning as well. The Steelers
(Ben Roethlisberger), Bengals (Andy Dalton) and Ravens (Joe Flacco) are set at
quarterback, although the Ravens could emerge as a candidate for Manning’s
services. True, they have a slew of bad weather games, but they have a
formidable defense, a strong running game and a coach that would be willing to
turn the keys over to Manning. The only question is how sold is the team on Joe
Flacco (translation: Who does Ray Lewis want to share his last few seasons
with?). Keep an eye on this one.
That leaves the Browns, who have Colt McCoy at quarterback. The
team does have some possibilities as a Manning suitor, but I just don’t see him
starting at the bottom of the division in Cleveland.
In the AFC West, the Chargers (Philip Rivers) and the Raiders
(Carson Palmer) seem to be out. The Broncos already have all the craziness that
they can handle with the Tim Tebow phenomenon and adding Manning to that mix
will only make Denver spontaneously combust. That leaves the Chiefs, who have a
lot of talent on their roster. Even though Matt Cassel and Kyle Orton are on
the roster, Manning would be a huge upgrade in a winnable division with a
fantastic fan base. If the move was good enough for Joe Montana when he was cut
loose by the 49ers, then it may be good enough for Peyton Manning as well.
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| Photo by Patricia Huisinga/The Savannah Sports Monthly |
That leaves us with the AFC South, home of the Indianapolis Colts,
who are obviously off the list. We can also eliminate the Texans, who have just
turned a corner with Matt Shaub, and the Titans who have both a young
quarterback (Jake Locker) and a veteran (Matt Hasselback) already in Tennessee.
Then there are the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team that no one is
talking about. This is where I feel that Peyton Manning would be a perfect fit.
Yes, they have quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who endured a painful first season
in the NFL in 2011. Manning would be the perfect mentor for Gabbert and would
elevate the young quarterback’s grasp of the NFL immediately. The team has the
NFL rushing leader and pass catcher Maurice Jones-Drew, who could be today’s
version of Eddgerin James, who Manning had a great deal of success with while
in Indianapolis. Granted, there are no wide receiving stars, but Manning made
stars out of Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie with the Colts, so it goes to
reason that he could do the same here. Besides, if Manning signed in
Jacksonville, it would be an easy stretch to say that one (if not two) of the
top free agent receivers on the market this offseason (Wes Welker, Marquis
Colston, Dwayne Bowe, DeShawn Jackson or Mario Manningham to name a few) would
strongly consider teaming up with Manning on the Jaguars.
More food for thought – the Jaguars play most of their games in
great weather or in a dome. The team not only has a new coaching staff, but
also a new owner who eagerly wants to
make a great first impression on his fan base. What better way to make yourself
popular and send a message to perspective season ticket holders than to bring
Peyton Manning to town?
There is also one last ingredient that the Jaguars have that no
other team has going for it– revenge. There is famous footage on NFL films
where Peyton Manning is recalling his interview with the Colts prior to his
being drafted first overall ahead of quarterback Ryan Leaf. In that pre-draft
interview, the incoming rookie told the Colts that they had better make him the
first overall pick or else he would stick it to Indianapolis for the next 15 years. That kind of scene can now play out in
Jacksonville, where Manning will have the opportunity to face the Colts, his
former owner Jim Irsay and his successor Andrew Luck twice every season as a
division opponent. That is the type of scenario that Peyton Manning lives for
and that alone makes the Jacksonville Jaguars the best choice for the spurned
quarterback to call home.
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