Decision on Manning made "weeks ago", He'll be gone.

[Bear Pand]

This article is bs. Manning probably will not be on the team next year but I do not think the decision was made weeks ago, and do not think it's even finalized at this point.

 

[NAHSTE]

I actually agree with Dave here.

Uh oh. You are off to a shaky start here.

The Colts need to rebuild

Why? If Manning has proven he can take any team to the playoffs, aren't you always one or two impact players away? If he is cleared to play, he will play for least three more years.

.. they're in cap hell and you don't rebuild with a 36-year old QB at the helm, no matter how great he may be when he's 100% healthy..

The Colts suck at drafting though. Keeping Manning prevents them from having to rebuild through the draft. He stays, free agents might want to sign, and you buy yourself time to wait for your draft picks (which you'd have a metric fuckton of if you traded the top pick, mind you) to develop. Assuming of course they don't keep making Donald Brown and Jerry Hughes type picks. But the more picks you have the lower the margin of error. Teams with poor draft records need that lower margin of error.

you rebuild with a 21-year old QB who is significantly cheaper and gives you a solid 10-15 years at that position (assuming he doesn't have a significant injury knock him out), not someone that gives you 1 or 2 years.

Oh yeah I forgot that they are discontinuing the quarterback model after Luck comes off the shelves. There will never be another quarterback worth drafting and developing, ever. It has been written.

Luck is good, yes, and there's a high probability he pans out ... but if Manning is healthy he will still be better for the next two years. He's the best QB in the NFL as long as he's breathing. Dumping that and going with a rookie is a downgrade. Trading the #1 pick allows you to make multiple upgrades. Selecting Luck with the #1 pick allows you to make no upgrades as well as an intentional downgrade. Why make your team worse if you don't have to?

As for Manning, if he's healthy, he can be like Favre was with the Vikings. He can take a team that has talent but is missing a QB and take them to Super Bowl contender status. Several teams fit that criteria.

Every team in the NFL fits that criteria. Being a team in the NFL, the Colts would do well to keep the QB that can take them to contender status, rather than the guy who miiiight be able to win 5-6 games and have a "feel good" rookie season.

To me there's really no other way around it.

Yeah, but none of your reasoning makes sense. It's just something that people are accepting, throwing up their hands and saying "meh, it has to be done," when in actuality it doesn't. Typical groupthink based on media generated Luck hype, as well as a culture of fake GMs living on the internet.

 

[Bear Pand]

@JimIrsay: No he hasn't been released nor was a decision reached weeks ago

So far this offseason I've heard a ton of weird rumors. Like Caldwell will stay on as head coach. Polians would not get fired. Manning will retire...

If the Colts have already made their decision what's stopping them from cutting ties now (or the first day they are able to do it) instead of waiting?

 

[Bear Pand]

The Colts suck at drafting though. Keeping Manning prevents them from having to rebuild through the draft. He stays, free agents might want to sign, and you buy yourself time to wait for your draft picks (which you'd have a metric fuckton of if you traded the top pick, mind you) to develop. Assuming of course they don't keep making Donald Brown and Jerry Hughes type picks. But the more picks you have the lower the margin of error. Teams with poor draft records need that lower margin of error.

Colts' draft record is irrelevant when they just threw Bill and Chris Polian off the team. We have no idea how good the new GM will be at drafting. Indy will also have a hard time finding quality free agents when they already have to deal with figuring out what they're going to do about Mathis/Wayne.

Oh yeah I forgot that they are discontinuing the quarterback model after Luck comes off the shelves. There will never be another quarterback worth drafting and developing, ever. It has been written.

Luck is good, yes, and there's a high probability he pans out ... but if Manning is healthy he will still be better for the next two years. He's the best QB in the NFL as long as he's breathing. Dumping that and going with a rookie is a downgrade. Trading the #1 pick allows you to make multiple upgrades. Selecting Luck with the #1 pick allows you to make no upgrades and an intentional downgrade. Why make your team worse if you don't have to?



Every team in the NFL fits that criteria. Being a team in the NFL, the Colts would do well to keep the QB that can take them to contender status, rather than the guy who miiiight be able to win 5-6 games and have a "feel good" rookie season.



Yeah, but none of your reasoning makes sense. It's just something that people are accepting "meh, it has to be done" when in actuality it doesn't. Typical groupthink based on media generated Luck hype, as well as a culture of fake GMs living on the internet.

I think the Luck hype is way overblown and because of that the Colts are too shook to trade the pick. I'd be all for them keeping Manning (if he's healthy) and getting a gang of picks to try and fill holes but I don't think that will happen. If they keep Manning I think they might be dumb enough to still draft Luck and have them both on the roster for no reason.

 

[NAHSTE]

Good point on the new front office. But what good is any GM if he's just gonna do what the entire world thinks he should do?

Charlie Casserly disapproves.

 

[Bear Pand]

Good point on the new front office. But what good is any GM if he's just gonna do what the entire world thinks he should do?

Charlie Casserly disapproves.

Because Irsay said that he had the final say on who gets drafted #1. Also that he'd have the final say on Manning. So Grigsons impact wont be seen until later rounds

And I think Irsay will draft Luck hoping and praying he can hit gold again like he did with Manning.

 

[Tailback U]

Unbelievable. I knew this would happen but it is still shocking.

I believe the decision hasn't been made officially but everyone in the building knows what's going to happen and tensions are building towards it happening sooner rather than later.

Let's consider the facts:

Manning has gotten the Colts to the Super Bowl twice in 11 years.

Manning has one Super Bowl ring in 11 years.

If Manning is healthy, he has 3-5 years left in him.

Supposing he plays for 3-5 years, it's likely that he will win at least 1 more Super Bowl.

Manning's contract is huge, trading the #1 pick for cheap picks is one option.

The other is to draft Luck, who will keep the stadium full for the next 10-15 years, most likely get you at least one Super Bowl, and free up cap space.

Andrew Luck is the highest profiled quarterback coming out of college in 30 years or whatever. He could be the guy that wins 3 Super Bowls in the next 15 years.

I see both sides. It's still just odd to think about Peyton Manning being released and going to another team. I got to think that the Jets and the 49ers will aggressively pursue him if they're smart.

 

[JBregz]

Surprising the Colts are gonna let him go. Whatever current dump of a team Manning goes to is going to be an instant playoff caliber team.

 

[Houston]

Let's consider the facts:

Manning has gotten the Colts to the Super Bowl once in 11 years.

Stopped reading right there.

 

[Tailback U]

Stopped reading right here.

Got mixed up in trying to say he's won 1 or been to two.

Seems like he crushed Rex Grossman's super bowl dreams decades ago.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Why? If Manning has proven he can take any team to the playoffs, aren't you always one or two impact players away? If he is cleared to play, he will play for least three more years.

Do you really think Peyton Manning would have taken the Colts far in the playoffs? If at all? And saying he will play 3 years is a bold assertion.. just because he's healthy in 2012 doesn't mean he will be in 2013, 2014, etc. He's 36 with a significant neck injury, not 25. He's got 1 or 2 seasons tops IMO. Which is enough for a team that is on the brink of a championship, but not the Colts.. they are far removed from that. That window slammed shut the moment Manning was done for the year.. this was their last hurrah.. now they find themselves in salary cap hell, unable to keep their marquee FA's.. If QB was the only position of dire need for the Colts then .. absolutely I agree with you 100% - the Colts should sell off this pick and load up for a couple runs with Manning as his career winds down.. but they're not in this situation.. not even close.

The Colts suck at drafting though. Keeping Manning prevents them from having to rebuild through the draft. He stays, free agents might want to sign, and you buy yourself time to wait for your draft picks (which you'd have a metric fuckton of if you traded the top pick, mind you) to develop. Assuming of course they don't keep making Donald Brown and Jerry Hughes type picks. But the more picks you have the lower the margin of error. Teams with poor draft records need that lower margin of error.

1.) Bill Polian sucked at drafting. He's gone.
2.) They can't sign FA's if Peyton Manning is still on the roster. At least the ones that would put the team over the top.
3.) The "more picks you have the lower the margin of error" thing isn't necessarily true if you swing and miss at drafting.. but back to point 1, maybe Grigson is going to be a hell of a GM come draft day - who knows?

Oh yeah I forgot that they are discontinuing the quarterback model after Luck comes off the shelves. There will never be another quarterback worth drafting and developing, ever. It has been written.

There won't be another Andrew Luck type prospect to come out for awhile.. and if Manning works the magic you anticipate him working by staying, the Colts are not going to be in any position to select that player. Why prolong the fact you absolutely NEED a future at that position, just because Manning has been great for years? They 'lucked' out (pun not intended) by picking this year to completely bottom out - they have to take Andrew Luck. No doubt about it.

Luck is good, yes, and there's a high probability he pans out ... but if Manning is healthy he will still be better for the next two years. He's the best QB in the NFL as long as he's breathing. Dumping that and going with a rookie is a downgrade. Trading the #1 pick allows you to make multiple upgrades. Selecting Luck with the #1 pick allows you to make no upgrades as well as an intentional downgrade. Why make your team worse if you don't have to?

I don't get this.. earlier you knock the Colts for sucking at drafting, now you want them to keep Manning, pass on the best QB prospect to enter the draft in at least a decade - and then get more picks? Not to mention - we have no idea what Andrew Luck will look like come 2012.. many wrote off Cam Newton, he did great. Many wrote off Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton - they did great. Sure Luck probably won't be Peyton Manning before his neck injuries, but that doesn't lessen their need for a young franchise QB to take the reins from 2012 to whenever he's done.

Every team in the NFL fits that criteria. Being a team in the NFL, the Colts would do well to keep the QB that can take them to contender status, rather than the guy who miiiight be able to win 5-6 games and have a "feel good" rookie season.

The Seahawks, Jets, Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans, etc are all MUCH closer to the Super Bowl with Peyton Manning than the Colts would be. A 5-6 win season with hope for the future is better than 9-7, done in the first round of the playoffs, and having that Peyton Manning hourglass just about done.

Yeah, but none of your reasoning makes sense. It's just something that people are accepting, throwing up their hands and saying "meh, it has to be done," when in actuality it doesn't. Typical groupthink based on media generated Luck hype, as well as a culture of fake GMs living on the internet.

My reasoning makes plenty of sense. It's why so many GM's do this very thing year after year. Teams that wait too long to sell off their aging players are usually the teams that hit rock bottom and have a hell of a time rebuilding (see St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks).. as opposed to the ones who do it at EXACTLY the right time and continue right where they left off (Green Bay, Philadelphia, New England).

It's not "groupthink" .. it's the fact Andrew Luck is a future superstar QB who is 21 and 100% healthy and the fact Peyton Manning is a current superstar QB who is racing towards the end of the finish line.

 

[NAHSTE]

There won't be another Andrew Luck type prospect to come out for awhile.. .

Horseshit. None of us could possibly know this. Besides, are you telling me Matt Barkley won't be just as hyped next year?

Not to mention - we have no idea what Andrew Luck will look like come 2012.. many wrote off Cam Newton, he did great. Many wrote off Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton - they did great.

Wow, it's almost as if it's really easy to draft a franchise QB in the modern era! Kind of takes the legs out of the "BUT LUCK IS THE ONLY GOOD ONE EVER" narrative no?

Stafford, Roethlisberger, Eli, Cam, Flacco, Ryan, Rodgers ... all drafted in the last 10 years. All contribute very much. All very close.

So how can Luck be a once in a generation prospect? What is Cam Newton then? What is Matt Stafford then? What was Aaron Rodgers then? Do those guys not count? Luck's ceiling is seriously higher than Aaron Rodgers? You expect me to believe that?

 

[Bear Pand]

Andrew Luck has passed Tebow as my most annoying QB in the NFL. I'm gonna root for dude if the Colts draft him but gotdamn this hype is out of hand. Best QB prospect since the forward pass OMG.

 

[Tailback U]

Andrew Luck has passed Tebow as my most annoying QB in the NFL. I'm gonna root for dude if the Colts draft him but gotdamn this hype is out of hand. Best QB prospect since the forward pass OMG.

It's unfortunate because he will never live up to the hype and have a ton of pressure on him from day 1.

No time to sit and learn or think for that matter.

It'll be fun to see how he responds.

 

[Archer]

Do you really think Peyton Manning would have taken the Colts far in the playoffs? If at all?

He took a worse version of this team (15+ players on IR) to the playoffs last year and was a special teams fuckup away from advancing to the second round.

 

[Archer]

Also I love how people are making it out to be a case of an injured Manning or a young star QB. I don't know what the "correct decision" is here but a rookie QB who is trusted to re-start a franchise directly after one of the GOAT QB's is a huge risk. Irsay has to be 100% sure he is going to be the next big thing or he will get run out of town and then things really will turn into a disaster mode.

 

[dave]

You really need to quit posting while drunk.

I can't deal with this place sober. But, more to the point, why do drinking and my original post have anything in common?

The guy ahead of me said he hoped Luck would be a bust, I simply said Luck has done nothing to deserve that.

 

[Houston]

@ClaytonESPN just told me Peyton Manning is likely headed for retirement, not just parting ways w/Colts. Stunning. I'm in total denial.

https://twitter.com/#!/AmyLawrenceESPN/status/163840570240933888

 

[dave]

https://twitter.com/#!/AmyLawrenceESPN/status/163840570240933888

Sad it ends this way for Manning. He deserved better.

 

[Bear Pand]

Don't believe a thing until Manning himself says he's retiring.

This is the second time someone's tweeted it. First time guy said Manning had retired. Clayton is just saying it's likely.

I feel like the media is tripping over themselves trying to find drama and be the first person to report something. Lots of rumors and bs flying around. He might retire obviously, but like I said until it comes from him who cares?