Report: Peyton will pick team within week, prefers AFC to NFC

[.infamous]

Peyton Manning said Wednesday that he hadn’t started thinking about his next team before officially being released by the Colts, but a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN makes it seem like someone in his camp has been looking ahead.

Schefter reports that Manning will pick his 2012 team within the next week and that he has a preference to remain in the AFC over heading to the NFC. Both make a lot of sense.

Choosing a new home quickly would allow the chosen team to figure out the cap implications in time to jump into free agency without losing out on potential targets while waiting for Manning to decide. If there’s a need to massage the roster to create cap room or to make a move involving a quarterback presently on the roster, it can be done swiftly with an eye toward making other moves to bolster the roster around Manning. The only rub to that scenario is that Manning still needs to show teams how well he can throw.

As of now, there are now known workouts scheduled with any teams interested in making a play for Manning nor is there an open workout for any and all teams to attend. It’s hard to imagine any team making a deal with Manning based only of off the video from Duke or secondhand reports about his fitness. This issue can be taken care of quickly, though, and, assuming Manning can throw well, it wouldn’t take long to go from workout to contract if Manning is dead set on playing for that team.

The AFC over NFC preference makes sense from the standpoint of Manning’s familiarity with the conference as well as the fact that there appear to be more teams in the AFC that could thrust themselves into contention by acquiring a healthy and productive Manning. With the 49ers remaining steadfast in their commitment to Alex Smith, the other NFC teams thought to be in the mix would still have to deal with a strong group of contenders returning more or less intact. The AFC has good teams too, of course, but a Manning acquisition might do more to swing the balance of power on that side.

 

[Elite]

Good news for the Jets. Still highly doubt he ends up here but it would be awesome if it happened.

 

[kam.]

It'll be the Dolphins.. end all the BS now.

 

[cruzg24]

Man if Peyton Manning went to the Texans, wow.... just wow.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

to me it's either Texans, Chiefs or Dolphins. I don't see anyone else in the AFC that he'd be even remotely interested in.

 

[kam.]

Texans arent even interested....

It'll be Cheifs, Dolphins or Broncos.

 

[footballplaya52]

probably wont be the broncos since tebow is represented by the same agency

 

[kam.]

probably wont be the broncos since tebow is represented by the same agency

Could be true, yet the Broncos are expected to give dude the franchise.. lol In the end its Mannings decision, not his agent.

 

[.infamous]

welp cross the redskins off the list lol:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/08/report-manning-doesnt-want-to-play-for-the-redskins/

 

[Giantmetfan07]

any idea if there's a list out there on what the 12 teams are that "inquired"? Or at least a list that speculates what the teams are.

 

[kam.]

Skins, Hawks, Dolphins, Broncos, Chiefs, Cards, Jets, .. thats it so far

Browns said no.
Texans said no.
Jaguars said no.
Vikings said no.
Titans said no.


Factor this in with teams that already have franchise QBs.. and the other teams shouldn't be hard to factor out.

 

[.infamous]

any idea if there's a list out there on what the 12 teams are that "inquired"? Or at least a list that speculates what the teams are.

Among the teams that have reportedly reached out are the Cardinals, Seahawks, Broncos, Dolphins, Redskins, Titans and Jets. At least five other teams that are keeping their intentions quiet for now have also privately reached out.

 

[kam.]

Dont believe the Titans did.. They came out and said they're "fine" with the QB position on their team.

 

[Elite]

Yeah, I can't see the Titans being in on him because of the Locker pick last year and I don't think Peyton would go play for any other AFC South team just out of principle.

 

[The Young One]

I hope he comes here obviously..But I think he goes to the Dolphins

 

[DJT]

AFC East would be kinda bad IMO. If he goes to the Dolphins, the Pats and the Jets are in that division. Its gonna be hard for the Dolphins to compete with them (more so New England, the Jets are up/down)

Same with AFC North with Pitt and Baltimore...AFC South and West would make the most sense if he wants to win and get to the playoffs.