Wednesday, January 25, 2012

17 Blurbs on Peyton Manning and the Seahawks

Jason La Canfora of NFL.com has recently opined that the Seattle Seahawks are probably on the short list of suitors for Peyton Manning's post-Colts services.

Imagine this...at the VMAC.
Amongst La Canfora's arguments:

- The regime change in Indianapolis ensures a quarterback change as surely as it did in Carolina a year ago. The availability of Andrew Luck makes it easy for the Colts to move on, and Manning's recent comments, his medical condition, and the team's cap issues only seem to strengthen this likelihood.

- Manning's pay-me-or-cut-me roster bonus is due for a decision before the official start of free agency, effectively eliminating Indy's ability to trade him.

- Peyton has "earned the right to be picky" and will probably be looking for a quieter, lower-pressure division and a young, rising, team with a stable locker room and enough talent to where he won't have to pull his usual elevating-an-entire-team act. That narrows the list of candidates considerably, with Seattle and Arizona standing out.


17 quick blurbs from me on this possibility:


17.     La Canfora's article is mere speculation. Sensible, articulate, and exciting speculation, but nonetheless there's no element of Manning's actual intentions in there. For all we know, the anonymous "general managers and executives" that La Canfora cites could refer to Tim Ruskell and Dan Snyder.


16.     It needs to be noted that Peyton Manning may never play another down in the NFL. And if he does, he may not be very good. Any spinal injury is crucial to one's mobility and arm strength. The team that signs him (including Indy) will be taking a fairly considerable gamble.

15.     It also needs to be noted that Seattle's front office is not stupid. They're going to give Peyton a physical. They're not going to sign a mega-bucks quarterback if they're not convinced he's healthy enough to play like one. If Peyton becomes a Seahawk, that's a vote of confidence from Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

14.     Someone else who isn't stupid is Peyton Manning. If he were one hit away from permanent paralysis, he would probably have retired by now. He certainly wouldn't be fighting this hard to return.

13.     This front office has a track record of betting against injury anyway - Leon Washington, Walter Thurmond, Sidney Rice, and Robert Gallery being prime examples.

11.     A healthy Peyton Manning instantly elevates this team. His accuracy, lightning-quick read, and ability to throw receivers open could transform Mike Williams, Golden Tate, and Zach Miller from sputtering learners into reliable playmakers, and don't even get me started on Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin. Imagine how much running room (and how much less wear and tear) Marshawn Lynch would enjoy against defenses worried about Manning. Other offenses would have to adjust to our ability to score, allowing our defense more freedom to adapt. Peyton has been doing all this for over a decade, and if he can replicate 80% of it here, he's an upgrade over anyone we have now.

10.     For those worried about our offensive line, keep in mind that Peyton has played behind a mediocre-to-bad offensive line for years. He's not only survived, but flourished. The speed of his game allows him to get rid of the ball before common pass rush can get anywhere near him. He protects himself with his game, as all good quarterbacks do to one degree or another. Besides, we needn't assume that James Carpenter will remain rookie-bad after a full offseason.

9.     I've seen some say that signing older free agents to big contracts is not part of the Pete Carroll and John Schneider blueprint. My opinion is that Carroll and Schneider's blueprint is to do whatever it takes to be competitive in the present, and they're not going to be dogmatic about how (e.g. anointing Tarvaris Jackson before training camp). They're the rare front office that plans to win now while still building for the future, and has a gift for making it happen. The question is whether Manning would benefit the team now without blocking its future. I think he'd fit that bill nicely, certainly taking some of the heat off the front office in their search for a franchise quarterback.

8.     As far as the finances are concerned, another perk regarding Manning - one that made Matt Flynn appealing - is that he wouldn't cost any draft picks. Nor is Seattle hurting for cap room right now, or talent elsewhere on the roster. We're in a stronger position than some realize. And even if sacrifices are necessary, is anyone really that worried about losing Red Bryant or Leroy Hill if it means picking up the greatest quarterback of the last decade and handing him more talent than Indianapolis ever gave him? I'd hope not.

7.     Not worried about OC Darell Bevell ruining Manning. Bevell isn't popular here right now (for good reason), but nobody was complaining about him when he had Brett Favre. Nor did anybody complain about Tom Brady's offensive coordinators in New England, even though none of them have done much since they moved on. I'm of the opinion that it's more about the talent at the OC's disposal then the OC's own talent - you can do more when your offense is better. Manning IS an offensive scheme, in and of himself.

6.     There was no #12 in this list. This is in honor of the 12th Man.

5.     You scrolled back up to see for yourself that there was no #12, didn't you? Haha.

4.     It could be interesting to see Peyton playing with a chip on his shoulder over being ousted from Indy.

3.     It could also be interesting to see him mentor our next quarterback of the future, once he arrives.

2.     Could Manning's ego be an issue? Will we end up with another Favre scenario? It's worth pondering. The front office will need an exit strategy if the QBOTF shows up sooner after Peyton's acquisition rather than later. But I don't see Peyton as another cluelessly over-the-hill QB who holds up his team and the whole national media because he can't make up his mind.

1 1/2.     Seattle may be forced to compete for Manning just by the threat of him going to Arizona. There he would enjoy Larry Fitzgerald, a recovering running game and defense, and warm, dry weather for his spinal cord.

1 1/4.  One downside to signing The Peyton would be that it'd be hard to sign Mario Williams too.

1.     ZOMG PEYTON MANNING!!!!! YES PLEASE!!!!!

17 comments:

  1. My guess?

    1) Peyton leaves Indy.

    2) Peyton does not come to Seattle.

    Why? With Andrew Luck available and a poison pill bonus for Peyton, it's over.

    Why not? We're building a young team. PC believes that guys can now play in their rookie years. Unless Peyton's health looks great and the price is reasonable, our front office bails on the deal.

    Why could I be wrong? Because with our running game and defense, Peyton would kill in our division. Let's see... Smith, Kolb, Bradford, Manning. Obvious.

    Another reason I could be wrong is that the front office doesn't like anybody at #11/12 this year and doesn't expect us to get a top pick next year either. That means we develop low draft picks and pray. In the meantime, we have games to win!

    But for this to happen, it has to be a deal we can't refuse. This won't be like us begging for Charlie from San Diego.

    ReplyDelete
  2. http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/4949/matt-flynn

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think it is unlikely that we get Manning. That would make PC/JS absolute hypocrites in regards to their comments about Tavaris Jackson getting jerked around in Minnesota. I could see that backfiring on them to a degree. The question is, will that really matter if we are winning tons of games this year and in the next 2-3 years under Manning?

    ReplyDelete
  4. The "jerked around" comments always struck me as PC/JS saying that T-Jack never got a fair chance, not that he was a certain QBOTF who had been blocked. They gave him (and Whitehurst) a fair chance, he didn't come through, and now they're free to move on. No biggie.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Peyton will never get through a full NFL season again. He's not someone to build an offense around.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great stuff Brandon. I haven't even finished yet and I'm nodding strongly in agreement with many points you make.

    ReplyDelete
  7. If Seattle signed Manning it would be the single most exciting acquisition of any kind in Seattle sports history. The downside isn't small, but the upside is him bringing the town's first NFL/MLB title back in the next couple years.

    If you believe the sources that cited interest in Carson Palmer, then it would be silly to think Seattle would avoid Manning because of age (or injury). Could this be why Seattle seems so focused on non-1st round QBs this year? Is it possible that Manning is a major part of their pre-draft plan? Somehow, deep down, I don't think it will happen, but I'm dying to find out.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Not a fan of the move but even B. Huard calls it a potential championship opportunity. I wonder if Pete can sell PM a run first scheme. PM is a defacto OC wherever he goes but Bevell has survived that before, can Cable? Pete?

    If you believe the FO has schemed towards a mobile Qb point guard, then you'd be making a rather large exception in PM who is anything but that. Besides Archie hates the west coast right?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Correction: Manning at 50% is better than any QB on the roster now.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes, you made me scroll back up, but I'll get over it.

    Peyton Manning doesn't need to be mobile. And our OT only needs to block pass rushers for 2.5 seconds. Forget about it.

    Lightning fast reads. Machine like accuracy. Yeah, I could get a bit anticipatory behind signing PM.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Brock chimes in.

    http://mynorthwest.com/422/623661/An-open-letter-to-Peyton-Manning-on-coming-to-Seattle

    ReplyDelete
  12. I honestly think Manning will end up somewhere that no one expects. I can tell you where Peyton Manning won't be going. He won't be going to the Redskins to play against his brother twice a year. He felt really bad the last time they played and he torched Eli's team. I even have my doubts about him even playing in the same conference as Eli. That being said, if he did then lets look at the options being thrown around. Arizona is spot I keep hearing about. It's indoors and they got Larry Fitzgerald. Eveveryone seems to have forgotten the ransom the Cardinals already gave up for Kevin Kolb and I do believe Kolb is getting paid pretty well too. So I'm not so sure that deal would work out as well as people would think. Why not Minnisota if it has to be warm or indoors? Christian Ponder isn't so hot and isn't getting paid that much. Jacksonville is another possiblilty if your looking at a warm climate team. These teams have cap space as well. I think Peyton would consider Seattle if he didn't mind playing outdoors actually. It's not that cold in Seattle and he has played in cold before. I keep hearing about San Francisco and that could be since Alex Smith's contract is up this year but I don't know how their doing with cap room. They have a few big names and there may not be enough room. They say Manning may be lured to the West cause its so winnable but everyone knows what a crap shoot the NFL is from year to year. The Niners, Seahawks and Cards actually aren't all that bad and the Rams are about to be healthy again with a better coach which really makes the competition stiff in the West. Peyton will be sure to consider all avenue's when deciding where he want's to go. A lot of variable will have to come into play like having a competitive team, getting paid, being in the right division in the right location with the right coach's and right venue, etc, ect. I don't even know if the Manning family likes the West at all or the West Coast offense. You also have to consider how rusty he might be coming off a one year lay off and learning a new offense. Granted Peyton is as smart a quarterback as they come but he may not be up for learning an entirely new offense. Heck that's the number one reason why Brett Favre left New York to play in Minnesota. They ran the same type of offense he was used to and you could see it in his play. I think Peyton want's to be in more of a spread type offense instead of a ground and pound offense. That eliminates teams like the Jets and San Francisco and Baltimore even. I don't think these coach's are going to change their playbook for Manning. Manning needs a coach he can push around. Not a coach who want's to be in charge. With that said I think he would sell a lot of Seattle jersey's....lol

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great article, and yes, I too scrolled up (haha). Peyton as a Seahawk is certainly an interesting concept. Aside from his health, I think the biggest risk would be how well he could adjust to the major culture change. That is, would his ego allow him to go from a team where he was the unquestioned, undisputed leader in virtually all facets of the organization, to Caroll's "everyone competes for his job" philosophy? I just don't know, but it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Stoke your pipe dreams with something else. This in not the place for Payton.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This just recently reported today, Peyton Manning, according to NFL Networks Mike Lombardi, "He can't throw to his left. He can't throw the ball across his body, because he doesn't feel it. People that catch the ball for him, say he doesn't really have velocity on the ball yet." Hope Peyton has a quick and thorough recovery!

    ReplyDelete
  16. We can stay the course and go 8 & 8 while we find and school the QBOF. Or we can contend for a Super Bowl while we find and school the QBOF.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Had to share this quote from OrFan.

    When the Bidwells have crappy cable they hire Peyton Manning for entertainment. When they hire Manning, Kolb gets cut. When Kolb gets cut the Seahawks hire him. When the Seahawks hire Kolb they go to crap. Don't let the Seahawks go to crap. Someone get the Bidwells Direct Tv.

    ReplyDelete