Marcell Dareus is currently working on a contract extension with the Buffalo Bills (http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/bills-marcell-dareus-talking-contract-extention-dt-focused-on-football-072415).
He is in the final year of his contract as the Bills picked up his fifth year option for this year. Dareus is expected to make somewhere between the six year $95 million deal Gerald McCoy got and the $114 million deal for six years Ndamukong Suh signed this offseason with Miami with roughly between $55-60 million guaranteed.
He's up there with Suh and McCoy for best defensive tackles in the league. He's better than McCoy and is on par with Suh. In fact, Dareus has 28.5 sacks in his first four years compared to 27.5 for Suh in his first four years and McCoy had just 18.5. Hall of famer and one of the best defensive tackles to ever play the game, Warren Sapp, had 29.5 sacks his first 4 years in the league. So you can tell how great Dareus is.
The Bills are expected to have a great defense like they've had the last two seasons and it should be even greater with Rex Ryan taking over. The defense could be number one overall this season with a healthy Dareus (who will be suspended for the opener for violating the league's substance abuse policy).
It got me thinking however as to how good will the defense be if Dareus wasn't on the roster? I'm thinking what do the Bills need more than Dareus and the number one ranked defense? Shouldn't be a surprise as the answer is quarterback.
Dareus is the best player on this defense but it will be tough to have two $100 million men on the defense (although I expect them to restructure Mario Williams). I still think the defense would be more than capable without Dareus. Isn't that one of the reasons you hired Rex in the first place to run the defense?
He should be able to make this a top-10, maybe even top-5. I know you can't just get rid of everyone and give him garbage and say ok Rex make this the number one defense in the league. I get that. But he needs a QB badly as he can do whatever on the defense even if it were missing their top players while the QB can also help overcome the loss of a really talented football player. That's the whole point of this exercise to figure out how much Dareus is worth in terms of QB.
I doubt that the Bills could trade Dareus for a qb because who would trade a great QB for a defensive player, no matter how great that defensive player and one who's contract is about to expire after this season? To get one of the top QBs you'd have to trade an entire defense, which they would say no to. But let's pretend we can trade Dareus for any QB in the league. In that case, who do you want?
I'll use this Mike Sando ESPN article (http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/2015-nfl-qb-tier-rankings/story?id=32652348) where he ranks QBs in tiers 1, 2, 3, and 4. I'll list QBs and see how far we will go to trade Dareus for a QB.
Let's make this one quick, tier 1 (Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees). We can all agree we'd trade Dareus for anyone of these, even Manning who's on his way out but still can get you into the playoffs as a top seed regardless of whether or not he can still win a Super Bowl or not.
Manning might be the only one in this list I might say no because he's a bit on the decline but I'll still say yes as I'll take even one-two seasons like last: 4,724 yard, 39 touchdowns, 7.9 yards per attempt, and 101.5 QB Rating. Give this team with this talent those numbers and you're in contention for the Super Bowl.
Tier 2 (Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson, Tony Romo, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Eli Manning, Matt Stafford, and Cam Newton). Now you can debate some guys on this list more than others but for me, I need a QB badly and I'd even trade Dareus for anyone on this list because while these guys need might need some more help to win games than tier 1, they are still so much better than what the Bills currently have or have had since Jim Kelly.
There are more I'd rather have than others. I'd really like Rivers, Romo, Flacco, and especially Ryan, who I think is very good and I am a huge fan despite the lack of love for him around the league. Flacco doesn't put up eye popping numbers in the regular season, but man when it comes to the playoffs he's money, the complete opposite of Peyton Manning.
Peyton's brother Eli is a lot like Flacco but lately has struggled badly in the regular season whereas Flacco still gets the team into the playoffs. Manning did have a bounce back year last year thanks to a new offensive coordinator and the emergence of Odell Beckham Jr.
Both Rivers and Eli are entering the final year of their contracts as I would expect both the Chargers and Giants to be working out contract extensions for both as both are in talks about new contracts. However, if one if not both are prepared to move (which I doubt but let's see) on from them, then Dareus could definitely be in play and I'd be willing to get one of the two, preferably Rivers.
Wilson is similar as well where he won't wow you and needs the defense and Marshawn Lynch to help but he makes big plays in big moments when it matters the most. He plays his best ball in November, December and January, where his QB Rating is over 100 combined. Even September and October his QB Rating is in the mid 90s as his career rating is 98.6.
He puts up much better numbers than people give him credit for because of Lynch and the defense, but he doesn't have elite weapons to throw to either and he puts up decent numbers regardless. He won't necessarily win a game on his own, or at least we don't know that until they lose some players because he will get a ton of money. Only time will tell. But he's not garbage either although I am sick of hearing about his contract.
Stafford is good, not elite but good much better than anything the Bills have. Stafford does have Megatron but he doesn't also just have Megatron. He had a 5,000 yard, 41 touchdown season in 2011 and last time I checked, Megatron did not catch all 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns.
He's had close to 5,000 yard seasons a couple of times since, but his TD numbers declined. His overall numbers declined last year, but they had a great defense and had injuries to Megatron, which affected him. Stafford also makes a lot of mistakes and turns the ball over, but he's a gun slinger.
Newton also makes some mistakes and can be inaccurate at times. Much like Wilson, he can run very well and needs a good defense and running game. Last year, he did help the Panthers win the division with the top 4-5 receivers from the previous year's team gone and has a terrible coach and front office and offensive line.
These guys can't win games on their own without a little help, but the help is here in Buffalo. I am still pretty high on Newton and am a big Newton fan. No offense Dareus, I wish the Bills lost two more games in 2010 so we could have the #1 overall pick and drafted Newton instead. Dareus is great but the QB is more important.
Now we're on to tier 3 and I wouldn't trade Dareus for any of these QBs and tier 4, yeah no thanks. You couldn't trade them to us for nothing. Ok exceptions of course being Carson Palmer if he's healthy he's still really good. Palmer was 6-0 as the starter until he was injured and is 13-2 in his last 15 starts over the last two years. If he's healthy, then yes I'll trade Dareus for him as I still think Palmer is very good. I'd gamble anyway.
Andy Dalton might be of some interest but to me I feel a lot is the talent around him. He's not bad although he had a down year last but two years ago he threw 33 touchdowns. I still think he's pretty good but most of it his team surrounding him that probably makes him better than he is. I'd say at this point no thanks.
I'd consider trading Dareus for Teddy Bridgewater, Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, or Marcus Mariota despite them being rookies or second-year players because I think they are all possible franchise QBs. I'd consider trading Dareus for a package to move up for either Winston or Mariota this year if they were available which neither Tampa nor Tennessee would trade them.
I'd say no right now on Blake Bortles as he needs a lot of work to show he can be a franchise QB. He does play on one of if not the worst team in the NFL in Jacksonville and that could be a reason for the struggles. Of course he's shown me very little at this point to make this trade and consider him a franchise QB. Of course we'll see over time what comes of this. No to Johnny Manziel btw.
This isn't I want Dareus traded, it's I'd only trade him for a top notch QB, even a "tier 2" QB that could take this team to the playoffs with a 11-5, 12-4 record. Dareus isn't worth trading unless it's a top-10, 12 QB in the NFL, that's it.
Nothing else, no lineman, no running back, no receiver, no tight end, nor draft pick (unless it's a top-5 pick for a potential QB) is worth it. Dareus is worth a big time QB so let's get this deal done as no QB will be available.
I must explain about Brady and Peyton Manning some more. I would trade for Brady and Manning, or should I say the caliber of them in their best days, not so much now because they're going to be 38 and 39 years old.
Despite Brady being an arrogant douchebag and a jackass, I still would take him in his prime or even right now as he's still really good. Manning is a shell of his former self but I'd trade for the Manning even two years ago where had a record-breaking season.
As long as I got a few good years from them, then sure I'd risk trading a star like Dareus. Otherwise, I'd stick with Dareus.
Showing posts with label Miami Dolphins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miami Dolphins. Show all posts
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Five Reasons Why I Wouldn't Want Ryan Tannehill
I've already written about the top two quarterback prospects in the draft: Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/andrew-luck-vs-rg3.html). Both those men are slam dunk picks. The number three quarterback prospect in this year's draft is Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill could anywhere from #3 (with a team possibly trading up with Minnesota) to about #11 or #12. He does have great size, mobility, and arm strength. I'll tell you why I'm not buying the hype on Tannehill even though many are. Here are the five reasons why I wouldn't want Tannehill:
1. Lack of Starting Experience - He started only 19 games as a quarterback during his four years at Texas A&M and he did not start until the middle of his junior season. Tannehill was initially a wide receiver until he took over the starting job during his junior year. Guys like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III started three years and guys like Peyton and Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers started four years. Sure Cam Newton started only 14 games as a junior at Auburn in 2010 when he won the Heisman Trophy and National Championship, but he also started a year at Blinn Junior College and led them to a National Championship as well. Plus Newton was recruited to be a quarterback, not a running back or wide receiver. I generally want my QB to have started at least three years, possibly two full seasons if there is a ton of success and he looks like he can start in the NFL immediately, like Luck after his redshirt sophomore year.
2. Wasn't Recruited Primarily as a Starting Quarterback - As mentioned above, Tannehill was primarily recruited and played as a wide receiver. He did play some at QB, but was mostly a wide receiver. I'm sorry but I want my QB to have been recruited and play primarily as a QB. It's the most important position in football and I want my guy to spend all his time learning to be a QB, not another position.
3. Hands - Tannehill has small hands for a quarterback. This means that he has a hard time gripping the ball, which leads to him fumbling the ball. He's fumbled a number of times in college. If he can't hold onto the ball while trying to make a play or fumbles the snap, then the opposing defenses are going to eat him alive and it will hurt his team in the battle for field position.
4. Intangibles - Tannehill has good size (6'4 220 lbs), a strong arm, and is very mobile. He also put up good numbers at Texas A&M such as completing 62.5% of his passes, 42 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, and a 134.2 QB rating. But he lacks those certain intangibles. For instance, he has a strong arm, but he lacks some zip on his ball when he tries to throw deep as it lands about a yard or two short of his intended target. Now throwing the ball 50 yards down the field isn't everything, but it's still very important. He's also admitted that he has trouble finding the safeties when throwing down the field which results into an interception. What? Are you kidding me? I do not want my franchise guy to say or think stuff like that.
I guarantee you Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and probably even Andrew Luck know where the safety is at all times and can throw it where only the receiver can get and where the safety can't. Sorry, Tannehill is not a franchise QB to me. He's also shown at times last year he was not able to bring his team from behind in the final two minutes or could not close out a game while leading, which led to the other team coming back to win.
5. Lack of Success Against Big Time Competition - Even though Tannehill has a pretty good record overall as a starter at 12-7, some of it is diluted. He is a very fast starter as he went 5-0 in his first five starts before falling to 7-7 over his last 14 starts. Even his senior year, Texas A&M was a top-10 team early on and started 5-2, only to lose four of their last six games to finish a disappointing 7-6. So it appears that defenses figure him out over a course of time. What do you think NFL defenses will do with much better, faster, and stronger athletes and better defensive coaches will do with time to prepare and figure him out?
In addition to this, I went and looked back at his toughest competition he faced the last two years, teams with the most NFL talent on their defense. In eight games against Oklahoma (twice), Oklahoma State, Texas (twice), Nebraska, LSU, and Arkansas, Tannehill completed just 55.8% of his passes with a woeful 5.9 yards per attempt, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. The numbers don't lie. I'm not saying that all of those teams have elite NFL talent, but all of them have at least close to NFL talent as opposed to the rest of the competition he faced. If he struggled against these schools, what will he do against elite NFL defenders with very smart defensive coaches game planning? My answer, not too good.
Yea he creamed Baylor with RGIII starting, but Baylor has no NFL talent on their defense. He is clearly not ready to start right away, he'll need a year or so to start. Unfortunately, if I take a quarterback as high as Tannehill is projected in the top-10, I need him to be able to start right away. Sure, guys like Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers sat the first couple of years, but that's because they were behind elite, Super Bowl quarterbacks. But both men were able to start day 1, they were just in a great position. Tannehill won't be so lucky and won't be behind an elite QB as either he'll be ineffective or injured and you might have to throw Tannehill in there.
Now I would not take Tannehill if I were drafting due to the reasons above. Of course I'm not a GM or scout but I like to think I know somewhat what I am talking about. I've seen "gimmicky" QBs in the NFL not work out so well. Someone like Tim Tebow is "gimmicky" but he at least started at QB for four years. Tannehill only started for a year-and-a-half. Despite playing for four years, he doesn't have enough experience to start for a franchise right away whoever drafts him. That being said, I don't think he'll be a bust, he could be a serviceable QB if he finds the right coach and offensive system tailored to his style. The reason why I don't think he will be a bust is because he has some first round talent and I wrote a blog earlier about first round QBs drafted since 2004 and its about an 80% success rate for guys to be elite or at least serviceable. Only 20% are busts (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/quarterbacks-drafted-in-first-round.html).
That's why teams could possibly trade up to as high as third overall to take him because you need to find a franchise QB and the only way to do so is to find them in the first round of the NFL Draft. QB values rise and are probably overrated because of the need for a franchise QB more than any other position in football. He is regarded as the third best QB behind only Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Tannehill was originally slated to be an early 2nd, possibly late 1st before he rocketed up the charts because of his workout and combine and the teams in need of a QB. I'd take him maybe at the end of the 1st round or possibly 2nd, but the success of 2nd round QBs is very slim (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/quarterbacks-taken-in-2nd-and-3rd-round.html).
Basically, I would not take him unless it was absolutely necessary. It's possible Cleveland could take him at 4, or Miami at 8 or Kansas City at 11, unless someone offers Minnesota a sweet deal to move ahead of these teams. The other thing as to why QBs are more highly rated or overrated is because there is a rookie wage scale. No longer do you have to give a QB $30-40 million and worry about him being a huge bust and setting your franchise back many years. More teams are willing to take a risk on a QB higher than before. Look at last year for example, the first year of the rookie wage scale. Obviously Cam Newton was first overall even though some questioned whether he should have gone first overall or not. Carolina needed a QB bad they took him and it looks like a home run. Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, and Christian Ponder went 8, 10, and 12 respectively even though they were considered to be mid-to-late 1st round picks, even 2nd round.
I wouldn't be overall shocked though if he were a bust, but I don't think he will. He just won't be elite. Maybe he could be like Tim Tebow in terms of having a coach and offensive system that is more tailored to him. He is more physically gifted and has a better arm than Tebow does. Tannehill just won't be Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers, or Matthew Stafford. He won't even be Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, or RGIII. Maybe he could turn out somewhat like Tony Romo, who is very athletically gifted with a great arm and extremely mobile. Romo was not drafted and took several years to work on him to get him up to speed. But Romo was again a starting QB in college. Athleticism is important and that's Tannehill's greatest strength. But I think it can be overrated too. Sure Rodgers, Romo, and Newton are great athletes as well as quarterbacks. But a lot of QBs that are great athletes don't make it in this league as a starting QB. Also, the best QBs: Brady, Brees, and the Mannings aren't the greatest athletes. They are very smart, cerebral in their approach, and meticulous in the way they pay attention to details as well as lead the team on their backs and control the way the game is being played.
So in conclusion, I would not draft Ryan Tannehill because I believe he won't be a franchise QB. I'm not saying he's a bust because I think there's a place for him in this league. But just don't think of him as that elite guy who leads you to multiple Super Bowls. Not happening.
1. Lack of Starting Experience - He started only 19 games as a quarterback during his four years at Texas A&M and he did not start until the middle of his junior season. Tannehill was initially a wide receiver until he took over the starting job during his junior year. Guys like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III started three years and guys like Peyton and Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers started four years. Sure Cam Newton started only 14 games as a junior at Auburn in 2010 when he won the Heisman Trophy and National Championship, but he also started a year at Blinn Junior College and led them to a National Championship as well. Plus Newton was recruited to be a quarterback, not a running back or wide receiver. I generally want my QB to have started at least three years, possibly two full seasons if there is a ton of success and he looks like he can start in the NFL immediately, like Luck after his redshirt sophomore year.
2. Wasn't Recruited Primarily as a Starting Quarterback - As mentioned above, Tannehill was primarily recruited and played as a wide receiver. He did play some at QB, but was mostly a wide receiver. I'm sorry but I want my QB to have been recruited and play primarily as a QB. It's the most important position in football and I want my guy to spend all his time learning to be a QB, not another position.
3. Hands - Tannehill has small hands for a quarterback. This means that he has a hard time gripping the ball, which leads to him fumbling the ball. He's fumbled a number of times in college. If he can't hold onto the ball while trying to make a play or fumbles the snap, then the opposing defenses are going to eat him alive and it will hurt his team in the battle for field position.
4. Intangibles - Tannehill has good size (6'4 220 lbs), a strong arm, and is very mobile. He also put up good numbers at Texas A&M such as completing 62.5% of his passes, 42 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, and a 134.2 QB rating. But he lacks those certain intangibles. For instance, he has a strong arm, but he lacks some zip on his ball when he tries to throw deep as it lands about a yard or two short of his intended target. Now throwing the ball 50 yards down the field isn't everything, but it's still very important. He's also admitted that he has trouble finding the safeties when throwing down the field which results into an interception. What? Are you kidding me? I do not want my franchise guy to say or think stuff like that.
I guarantee you Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and probably even Andrew Luck know where the safety is at all times and can throw it where only the receiver can get and where the safety can't. Sorry, Tannehill is not a franchise QB to me. He's also shown at times last year he was not able to bring his team from behind in the final two minutes or could not close out a game while leading, which led to the other team coming back to win.
5. Lack of Success Against Big Time Competition - Even though Tannehill has a pretty good record overall as a starter at 12-7, some of it is diluted. He is a very fast starter as he went 5-0 in his first five starts before falling to 7-7 over his last 14 starts. Even his senior year, Texas A&M was a top-10 team early on and started 5-2, only to lose four of their last six games to finish a disappointing 7-6. So it appears that defenses figure him out over a course of time. What do you think NFL defenses will do with much better, faster, and stronger athletes and better defensive coaches will do with time to prepare and figure him out?
In addition to this, I went and looked back at his toughest competition he faced the last two years, teams with the most NFL talent on their defense. In eight games against Oklahoma (twice), Oklahoma State, Texas (twice), Nebraska, LSU, and Arkansas, Tannehill completed just 55.8% of his passes with a woeful 5.9 yards per attempt, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. The numbers don't lie. I'm not saying that all of those teams have elite NFL talent, but all of them have at least close to NFL talent as opposed to the rest of the competition he faced. If he struggled against these schools, what will he do against elite NFL defenders with very smart defensive coaches game planning? My answer, not too good.
Yea he creamed Baylor with RGIII starting, but Baylor has no NFL talent on their defense. He is clearly not ready to start right away, he'll need a year or so to start. Unfortunately, if I take a quarterback as high as Tannehill is projected in the top-10, I need him to be able to start right away. Sure, guys like Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers sat the first couple of years, but that's because they were behind elite, Super Bowl quarterbacks. But both men were able to start day 1, they were just in a great position. Tannehill won't be so lucky and won't be behind an elite QB as either he'll be ineffective or injured and you might have to throw Tannehill in there.
Now I would not take Tannehill if I were drafting due to the reasons above. Of course I'm not a GM or scout but I like to think I know somewhat what I am talking about. I've seen "gimmicky" QBs in the NFL not work out so well. Someone like Tim Tebow is "gimmicky" but he at least started at QB for four years. Tannehill only started for a year-and-a-half. Despite playing for four years, he doesn't have enough experience to start for a franchise right away whoever drafts him. That being said, I don't think he'll be a bust, he could be a serviceable QB if he finds the right coach and offensive system tailored to his style. The reason why I don't think he will be a bust is because he has some first round talent and I wrote a blog earlier about first round QBs drafted since 2004 and its about an 80% success rate for guys to be elite or at least serviceable. Only 20% are busts (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/quarterbacks-drafted-in-first-round.html).
That's why teams could possibly trade up to as high as third overall to take him because you need to find a franchise QB and the only way to do so is to find them in the first round of the NFL Draft. QB values rise and are probably overrated because of the need for a franchise QB more than any other position in football. He is regarded as the third best QB behind only Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Tannehill was originally slated to be an early 2nd, possibly late 1st before he rocketed up the charts because of his workout and combine and the teams in need of a QB. I'd take him maybe at the end of the 1st round or possibly 2nd, but the success of 2nd round QBs is very slim (http://buffalosportsbeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/quarterbacks-taken-in-2nd-and-3rd-round.html).
Basically, I would not take him unless it was absolutely necessary. It's possible Cleveland could take him at 4, or Miami at 8 or Kansas City at 11, unless someone offers Minnesota a sweet deal to move ahead of these teams. The other thing as to why QBs are more highly rated or overrated is because there is a rookie wage scale. No longer do you have to give a QB $30-40 million and worry about him being a huge bust and setting your franchise back many years. More teams are willing to take a risk on a QB higher than before. Look at last year for example, the first year of the rookie wage scale. Obviously Cam Newton was first overall even though some questioned whether he should have gone first overall or not. Carolina needed a QB bad they took him and it looks like a home run. Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, and Christian Ponder went 8, 10, and 12 respectively even though they were considered to be mid-to-late 1st round picks, even 2nd round.
I wouldn't be overall shocked though if he were a bust, but I don't think he will. He just won't be elite. Maybe he could be like Tim Tebow in terms of having a coach and offensive system that is more tailored to him. He is more physically gifted and has a better arm than Tebow does. Tannehill just won't be Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers, or Matthew Stafford. He won't even be Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, or RGIII. Maybe he could turn out somewhat like Tony Romo, who is very athletically gifted with a great arm and extremely mobile. Romo was not drafted and took several years to work on him to get him up to speed. But Romo was again a starting QB in college. Athleticism is important and that's Tannehill's greatest strength. But I think it can be overrated too. Sure Rodgers, Romo, and Newton are great athletes as well as quarterbacks. But a lot of QBs that are great athletes don't make it in this league as a starting QB. Also, the best QBs: Brady, Brees, and the Mannings aren't the greatest athletes. They are very smart, cerebral in their approach, and meticulous in the way they pay attention to details as well as lead the team on their backs and control the way the game is being played.
So in conclusion, I would not draft Ryan Tannehill because I believe he won't be a franchise QB. I'm not saying he's a bust because I think there's a place for him in this league. But just don't think of him as that elite guy who leads you to multiple Super Bowls. Not happening.
Friday, March 30, 2012
2012 NFL Free Agency and Trade Round Up
What an amazing free agency and trade period this year for the NFL. There were so many big names that have moved this off season so far, more than I could ever remember. This totally changed the landscape of how and who teams are going to do in the draft. The biggest name was without a doubt future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning.
Manning was let go by the Colts after 14 seasons when he missed the entire season following setbacks from neck surgery and the Colts finished 2-14. The Colts will probably draft Andrew Luck 1st overall in this year's draft and will rebuild. Once Manning was on the market, he was probably the biggest free agent in NFL history. There were questions and concerns as he was 36 and coming off several neck procedures over the last few years. Either teams knew he was medically cleared or just wanted to take a chance at one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history, but teams were coming out of the wood works to make a play at him. The closest teams were the Jets, Miami, Arizona, Washington, Seattle, Tennessee, San Francisco, and Denver. Manning ultimately chose to sign a 5-year deal with the Denver Broncos over a Super Bowl bound San Francisco and Tennessee, where Manning played college ball and was reportedly offered a "lifetime contract" by Titans' owner Bud Adams.
San Francisco appeared to have been the best choice because they were an overtime loss away from going to the Super Bowl with perhaps the best defense in the league, a weak division, and a red-hot first year head coach in Jim Harbaugh. It would appear however that Manning and Harbaugh would clash as Harbaugh seems to be a control freak and Manning I'm sure wants to run the offense like he has in Indy. Even though the NFC West is weak, the NFC as a whole is very strong as there quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, Tony Romo, Michael Vick, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, Jay Cutler, and even Peyton's younger brother Eli. I'm sure Peyton did not want to play his brother unless its every four years in the AFC and/or Super Bowl. So that left Denver, who won the weak AFC West with an 8-8 record and a QB who seemingly can't throw. Denver has a very good coach in John Fox, a great offensive line, a very good young defense, and a very underrated set of wide receivers along with a good running game. I think Fox would let Manning run the offense while he focuses on the defense. With Manning, the Broncos should without a doubt win the division as there is a talented but underachieving San Diego Chargers team with Norv Turner back, a troubled Oakland team, and a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs team. The road to the Super Bowl is a lot easier in the AFC as he would only have to go through the Patriots, the Baltimore Ravens who don't have an elite QB, and an aging Pittsburgh Steelers team. The question is, will there ever be a free agent as big as Peyton Manning ever again? Can you possibly imagine Tom Brady or younger guys like Aaron Rodgers or even Eli Manning ever available in free agency? Unless the Saints don't resolve their contract issues with Drew Brees, he would not be available.
Manning's signing made Tim Tebow expendable as he was traded to the New York Jets shortly after Manning signed. The Broncos traded their QB who led them to the postseason last year and even beat the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs. But Tebow had one of the worst QB Ratings in the league and completed less than 50% of his passes. Tebow and his hype goes to the Big Apple and has to contend with vicious Jet fans, a big mouth head coach in Rex Ryan, and starting QB Mark Sanchez. Tebow chose the Jets over Jacksonville, which is closer to home and would be a huge draw for a struggling franchise, because he knows he can start down the road. Despite giving Sanchez a $20 million signing bonus, Sanchez is on the lookout and has never got the love by the fans and even the team despite taking them to the AFC Championship Game in his first two years. Wait till he throws an interception and the fans will be calling for Tebow. What a mess and I love it.
This next signing hits very close to home and is the one I'm most excited about. Perhaps the best free agent not named Peyton Manning, Houston Texans' defensive end Mario Williams, shocked the league by signing with the Buffalo Bills for nearly $100 million and $50 million guaranteed, which is the most by a defensive player in league history. Williams was the #1 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft and had a very stellar six-year career so far in the NFL with 53 career sacks. Williams' signing was not only big because it fills a tremendous void for the Bills as they needed a pass rushing defensive end, but it also turns one of the worst franchises in the league's perception around the league around as it now appears that players want to play for Buffalo. Not only did he sign with Buffalo, he chose them first, spent several days there and never left to even talk to another team as he and the Bills wanted each other. This is such a huge impactful signing for the Bills faithful and still has me buzzing. This is the biggest signing for the Bills since they signed Jim Kelly from the USFL, even though he had his draft rights. But Kelly coming to town was a big deal and it led the Bills to their greatest time in franchise history. The biggest free agent name that went to a small city that I can think of was when Reggie White signed with Green Bay back in 1993 when no one wanted to go there and look, they are one of the league's best teams over the last two decades. I'm hoping Williams' impact on the Bills is just the same. Also, the Bills added Mark Anderson to the line and his 10 sacks from New England a year ago to make the Bills from one of the worst defensive lines in the league to one of the best.
There were a good amount of wide receivers available as Vincent Jackson left San Diego to go to Tampa Bay and Jackson's spot in San Diego was taken by Robert Meacham, who left New Orleans. Perhaps the biggest wide receiver signing was the 49ers signing Randy Moss, who was out of the league last year. They also added Mario Manningham. Brandon Lloyd was very vocal about playing for the Patriots and Tom Brady and made good on his promise by signing with them. Lloyd reunites with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was Lloyd's head coach in Denver when Lloyd led the league in receiving yards two years ago and was his offensive coordinator last year in St. Louis. Lloyd should be close to or at his numbers two years ago playing with Brady, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez. The Saints re-signed Marques Coltson while the Colts re-signed Reggie Wayne. Pierre Garcon left the Colts to go to Washington. The Steelers signed speedy Mike Wallace to a first round tender on the restricted free agent, which means any team can sign him, but give up a first round pick to the Steelers for him. It appears he will remain in Pittsburgh as no one has given up a first round pick yet. Laurent Robinson and his 11 touchdown catches from a year ago move from Dallas to Jacksonville. Dwayne Bowe was another big time receiver to hit the market until he was franchised by Kansas City while the Bills locked up Stevie Johnson before he was set to hit the open market and were forced to use the franchise tag. Even though he was not going to hit the open market this season, the Lions made sure Calvin Johnson did not in the future by giving him a record $60 million guaranteed signing bonus.
Other notable free agent signings: corner back Brandon Carr from Kansas City to Dallas, guard Carl Nicks from New Orleans to Tampa Bay, corner back Cortland Finnegan from Tennessee to St. Louis to be reunited with his former head coach Jeff Fisher, offensive tackle Eric Winston from Houston to Kansas City, and the Saints added a couple of defensive players in lieu of possible suspensions in the wake of "bounty gate" in linebacker Curtis Lofton and defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley.
There were two more quarterback moves that did not involve Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow. Alex Smith, despite looking around after the 49erswere trying to lure Manning, went back to San Francisco to sign a 3-year deal. Smith guided the 49ers to a 13-3 record and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. Smith had a bounce back year after being considered a bust after being taken #1 overall by the 49ers in 2005. This past season Smith improved his game with the help of new head coach Jim Harbaugh. Despite going all the way to the NFC Championship Game, Harbaugh and the 49ers felt they needed to upgrade and no offense to Smith, they did so they went after Manning. After Manning turned them down, they went back to Smith, who was in Miami looking at a possible deal there. Smith's common sense got the better of him, despite getting hurt by the 49ers he chose to go back because it was the best option for him. They gave him more money than they would have so his trip to Miami got him more. They did not want to lose the guy who went 13-3 if they lost out on Manning. Settling in this case isn't so bad. The other major QB signing was Seattle signing Matt Flynn, who was the backup in Green Bay. Flynn, who was a 7th round pick out of LSU in 2008, started only two games in his NFL career, but both starts were very impressive. In 2010, he lost a close game to New England on the road and last year, he defeated a Detroit Lions team that still had something to play for in the last game of the season. In that game, Flynn threw for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns in a 45-41 win. There's no doubt Flynn has some talent, but I question if he's the real deal or is the system he plays in with really good wide receivers? I'm still leaning towards the latter until I get to witness more starts. Seattle needs a QB as Tarvaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst are not the answers. I just wonder if it's Flynn? They might have not been able to draft one and could not sign Manning. So they had to go to Plan B. Flynn reminds me of guys such as Kevin Kolb, Derek Anderson, and Rob Johnson who started a few games and impressed people because of a system and land full-time roles and fail. These guys are backups for a reason and I will never go after a system quarterback. Good luck Seattle, I hope it works.
This was one of the most amazing free agency periods I can ever remember. If this what the off season will be like, and we are far from done my friends, then I can't wait to see what the season and the Super Bowl holds for us!!
Manning was let go by the Colts after 14 seasons when he missed the entire season following setbacks from neck surgery and the Colts finished 2-14. The Colts will probably draft Andrew Luck 1st overall in this year's draft and will rebuild. Once Manning was on the market, he was probably the biggest free agent in NFL history. There were questions and concerns as he was 36 and coming off several neck procedures over the last few years. Either teams knew he was medically cleared or just wanted to take a chance at one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history, but teams were coming out of the wood works to make a play at him. The closest teams were the Jets, Miami, Arizona, Washington, Seattle, Tennessee, San Francisco, and Denver. Manning ultimately chose to sign a 5-year deal with the Denver Broncos over a Super Bowl bound San Francisco and Tennessee, where Manning played college ball and was reportedly offered a "lifetime contract" by Titans' owner Bud Adams.
San Francisco appeared to have been the best choice because they were an overtime loss away from going to the Super Bowl with perhaps the best defense in the league, a weak division, and a red-hot first year head coach in Jim Harbaugh. It would appear however that Manning and Harbaugh would clash as Harbaugh seems to be a control freak and Manning I'm sure wants to run the offense like he has in Indy. Even though the NFC West is weak, the NFC as a whole is very strong as there quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, Tony Romo, Michael Vick, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, Jay Cutler, and even Peyton's younger brother Eli. I'm sure Peyton did not want to play his brother unless its every four years in the AFC and/or Super Bowl. So that left Denver, who won the weak AFC West with an 8-8 record and a QB who seemingly can't throw. Denver has a very good coach in John Fox, a great offensive line, a very good young defense, and a very underrated set of wide receivers along with a good running game. I think Fox would let Manning run the offense while he focuses on the defense. With Manning, the Broncos should without a doubt win the division as there is a talented but underachieving San Diego Chargers team with Norv Turner back, a troubled Oakland team, and a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs team. The road to the Super Bowl is a lot easier in the AFC as he would only have to go through the Patriots, the Baltimore Ravens who don't have an elite QB, and an aging Pittsburgh Steelers team. The question is, will there ever be a free agent as big as Peyton Manning ever again? Can you possibly imagine Tom Brady or younger guys like Aaron Rodgers or even Eli Manning ever available in free agency? Unless the Saints don't resolve their contract issues with Drew Brees, he would not be available.
Manning's signing made Tim Tebow expendable as he was traded to the New York Jets shortly after Manning signed. The Broncos traded their QB who led them to the postseason last year and even beat the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs. But Tebow had one of the worst QB Ratings in the league and completed less than 50% of his passes. Tebow and his hype goes to the Big Apple and has to contend with vicious Jet fans, a big mouth head coach in Rex Ryan, and starting QB Mark Sanchez. Tebow chose the Jets over Jacksonville, which is closer to home and would be a huge draw for a struggling franchise, because he knows he can start down the road. Despite giving Sanchez a $20 million signing bonus, Sanchez is on the lookout and has never got the love by the fans and even the team despite taking them to the AFC Championship Game in his first two years. Wait till he throws an interception and the fans will be calling for Tebow. What a mess and I love it.
This next signing hits very close to home and is the one I'm most excited about. Perhaps the best free agent not named Peyton Manning, Houston Texans' defensive end Mario Williams, shocked the league by signing with the Buffalo Bills for nearly $100 million and $50 million guaranteed, which is the most by a defensive player in league history. Williams was the #1 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft and had a very stellar six-year career so far in the NFL with 53 career sacks. Williams' signing was not only big because it fills a tremendous void for the Bills as they needed a pass rushing defensive end, but it also turns one of the worst franchises in the league's perception around the league around as it now appears that players want to play for Buffalo. Not only did he sign with Buffalo, he chose them first, spent several days there and never left to even talk to another team as he and the Bills wanted each other. This is such a huge impactful signing for the Bills faithful and still has me buzzing. This is the biggest signing for the Bills since they signed Jim Kelly from the USFL, even though he had his draft rights. But Kelly coming to town was a big deal and it led the Bills to their greatest time in franchise history. The biggest free agent name that went to a small city that I can think of was when Reggie White signed with Green Bay back in 1993 when no one wanted to go there and look, they are one of the league's best teams over the last two decades. I'm hoping Williams' impact on the Bills is just the same. Also, the Bills added Mark Anderson to the line and his 10 sacks from New England a year ago to make the Bills from one of the worst defensive lines in the league to one of the best.
There were a good amount of wide receivers available as Vincent Jackson left San Diego to go to Tampa Bay and Jackson's spot in San Diego was taken by Robert Meacham, who left New Orleans. Perhaps the biggest wide receiver signing was the 49ers signing Randy Moss, who was out of the league last year. They also added Mario Manningham. Brandon Lloyd was very vocal about playing for the Patriots and Tom Brady and made good on his promise by signing with them. Lloyd reunites with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was Lloyd's head coach in Denver when Lloyd led the league in receiving yards two years ago and was his offensive coordinator last year in St. Louis. Lloyd should be close to or at his numbers two years ago playing with Brady, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez. The Saints re-signed Marques Coltson while the Colts re-signed Reggie Wayne. Pierre Garcon left the Colts to go to Washington. The Steelers signed speedy Mike Wallace to a first round tender on the restricted free agent, which means any team can sign him, but give up a first round pick to the Steelers for him. It appears he will remain in Pittsburgh as no one has given up a first round pick yet. Laurent Robinson and his 11 touchdown catches from a year ago move from Dallas to Jacksonville. Dwayne Bowe was another big time receiver to hit the market until he was franchised by Kansas City while the Bills locked up Stevie Johnson before he was set to hit the open market and were forced to use the franchise tag. Even though he was not going to hit the open market this season, the Lions made sure Calvin Johnson did not in the future by giving him a record $60 million guaranteed signing bonus.
Other notable free agent signings: corner back Brandon Carr from Kansas City to Dallas, guard Carl Nicks from New Orleans to Tampa Bay, corner back Cortland Finnegan from Tennessee to St. Louis to be reunited with his former head coach Jeff Fisher, offensive tackle Eric Winston from Houston to Kansas City, and the Saints added a couple of defensive players in lieu of possible suspensions in the wake of "bounty gate" in linebacker Curtis Lofton and defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley.
There were two more quarterback moves that did not involve Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow. Alex Smith, despite looking around after the 49erswere trying to lure Manning, went back to San Francisco to sign a 3-year deal. Smith guided the 49ers to a 13-3 record and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. Smith had a bounce back year after being considered a bust after being taken #1 overall by the 49ers in 2005. This past season Smith improved his game with the help of new head coach Jim Harbaugh. Despite going all the way to the NFC Championship Game, Harbaugh and the 49ers felt they needed to upgrade and no offense to Smith, they did so they went after Manning. After Manning turned them down, they went back to Smith, who was in Miami looking at a possible deal there. Smith's common sense got the better of him, despite getting hurt by the 49ers he chose to go back because it was the best option for him. They gave him more money than they would have so his trip to Miami got him more. They did not want to lose the guy who went 13-3 if they lost out on Manning. Settling in this case isn't so bad. The other major QB signing was Seattle signing Matt Flynn, who was the backup in Green Bay. Flynn, who was a 7th round pick out of LSU in 2008, started only two games in his NFL career, but both starts were very impressive. In 2010, he lost a close game to New England on the road and last year, he defeated a Detroit Lions team that still had something to play for in the last game of the season. In that game, Flynn threw for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns in a 45-41 win. There's no doubt Flynn has some talent, but I question if he's the real deal or is the system he plays in with really good wide receivers? I'm still leaning towards the latter until I get to witness more starts. Seattle needs a QB as Tarvaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst are not the answers. I just wonder if it's Flynn? They might have not been able to draft one and could not sign Manning. So they had to go to Plan B. Flynn reminds me of guys such as Kevin Kolb, Derek Anderson, and Rob Johnson who started a few games and impressed people because of a system and land full-time roles and fail. These guys are backups for a reason and I will never go after a system quarterback. Good luck Seattle, I hope it works.
This was one of the most amazing free agency periods I can ever remember. If this what the off season will be like, and we are far from done my friends, then I can't wait to see what the season and the Super Bowl holds for us!!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Don't Feel Too Sorry For Manning and Colts Fans
I know Peyton Manning being released yesterday in Indianapolis was a sad day for Colts fans and I'm also sure Manning himself, who played there for 14 seasons. However, Colts fans saw great football in those 14 seasons as they won a Super Bowl, been to another, and were a consistent 10 plus win team year in year out. In fact, the Colts set an NFL record with nine consecutive 10 win seasons from 2002-2010. As for Manning, well he's made big time money and deservedly so. He turned Indianapolis from a loser into a winner almost instantly. Let's face it, before Manning came along, the Colts were not a hotbed in the NFL. Indianapolis was all about Indiana basketball, the Indiana Pacers, and the Indianapolis 500. Manning comes in and transforms that city into Colts town. Because of Manning, the Colts build a brand new state-of-the-art stadium that otherwise wouldn't be built and they would probably be moving to I don't know, Los Angeles. Plus they just hosted the Super Bowl in their new stadium. There's no way Indy hosts a Super Bowl without that stadium and there's no way they get that stadium without Manning.
It will be hard to move on from a man who meant so much to the city and vice versa. It's hard it's emotional I get it. But everyone needs to put things into perspective. Manning has made tons of money, including $25 million or whatever last year despite Manning not taking a single snap. They gave him that roster bonus and not put him on the IR and kept him on the active roster just to give him the bonus. Now to pay him $28 million with the chance that he might not play or play up to his Hall of Fame level. Plus he's 36 so he isn't getting any younger and he's had several neck surgeries the past few years. The Colts went 2-14 without him and are drafting 1st overall and they will probably take Andrew Luck, who many claim is the next Peyton Manning. We shall wait and see. Owner Jim Irsay cleaned house of the front office, including the man who drafted Manning back in 98, Bill Polian, and also got rid of the coach. It's clear they want to start over and Manning should want to move on and win somewhere else because Indy is not going to have a ton of talent for him to work with. If he wants to win a Super Bowl and I know he does, he won't do it in Indy. He already gave Indy a Super Bowl trophy and another appearance a couple of years ago. As for the fans, it's tough but it's life. Nothing lasts forever. But the good news is your getting Andrew Luck, who I'm sure won't replicate what Manning has done right off the bat but I bet you he will be a very good QB in his own right a few years down the road. With a chance for another 10-15 years of success, would you give up another year of possibly awful football? Especially when Luck falls right into your lap?
Look at how some teams have moved on from their franchise quarterback over the years. The San Francisco 49ers went from Joe Montana to Steve Young and even to Jeff Garcia, who had some good years in the bay area. Green Bay went from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. So as you see, you go from great QB to another, the transition is a lot easier than expected. Of course the guy coming in has to prove but once he does, you almost forget about the guy before. Of course some teams like Miami and Buffalo have lost franchise QBs and have not been the same. I still remember the Bills cutting Jim Kelly and him retiring 15 years ago. I never expected the Bills to go this long without getting some sort of good quarterback. They've missed on so many and it's no surprise that they have missed the playoffs 12 years in a row. Look what Manning has done to energize an entire city and region, don't you think an elite franchise QB could the same for Buffalo? It did in the early 90s with Kelly as the Bills were one of the best teams in the NFL and went to 4 straight Super Bowls. I heard on the Colin Cowherd show that the Bears have made something like 17 different starting quarterbacks since Peyton broke into the league in 1998. I think he said Miami has had 15 or 16. Manning had not missed a single game from 1998 to 2010, 208 consecutive starts, only behind Brett Favre's record of 297 consecutive starts. His durability especially after taking a beating in his last few years is amazing.
Being a Bills fan, I have to say I have no sympathy for Colts fans. You had 14 amazing years with Manning, winning a Super Bowl, and now you get Andrew Luck. There's a chance of you possibly having 25-30 years of awesome quarterbacking. You even got a Super Bowl in your city. You have a new stadium. Our stadium is old and dilapidated. I like it but it doesn't compete with the new stadiums around the league. Did I mention we don't have a quarterback nor having a possible franchise QB fall into our laps like you guys did after a horrible season? It's like winning the lottery, living it up for 14 years and blowing it all only to win the lottery once again. If they aren't in the position to draft Luck, I believe the Colts keep him. Luck is the no-brainer move. You might take a step backwards but let's face it, you're already backwards after Manning was out. Take a step back now so that you will take many steps forward in the not to distant future. For those of you who are mad and/or an Andrew Luck hater, how about not having any good quarterback for over a decade and being irrelevant?
Colt fans, you've known since last Sept. this was happening so don't act all surprised. This wasn't like Lebron James telling Cleveland he was leaving to Miami on a prime time television special on ESPN. As for Manning, he will continue to rack in the dough and for the first time in his career, he will choose where he wants to go and possibly win another Super Bowl. He will have the chance to energize another city much like the way he did in Indy whether it's Miami, Arizona, Washington, or wherever. Jersey sales and revenue will continue to grow. Another team that was downtrodden will be more relevant and that's good for the league. Manning's not retired he will still play.
It will be hard to move on from a man who meant so much to the city and vice versa. It's hard it's emotional I get it. But everyone needs to put things into perspective. Manning has made tons of money, including $25 million or whatever last year despite Manning not taking a single snap. They gave him that roster bonus and not put him on the IR and kept him on the active roster just to give him the bonus. Now to pay him $28 million with the chance that he might not play or play up to his Hall of Fame level. Plus he's 36 so he isn't getting any younger and he's had several neck surgeries the past few years. The Colts went 2-14 without him and are drafting 1st overall and they will probably take Andrew Luck, who many claim is the next Peyton Manning. We shall wait and see. Owner Jim Irsay cleaned house of the front office, including the man who drafted Manning back in 98, Bill Polian, and also got rid of the coach. It's clear they want to start over and Manning should want to move on and win somewhere else because Indy is not going to have a ton of talent for him to work with. If he wants to win a Super Bowl and I know he does, he won't do it in Indy. He already gave Indy a Super Bowl trophy and another appearance a couple of years ago. As for the fans, it's tough but it's life. Nothing lasts forever. But the good news is your getting Andrew Luck, who I'm sure won't replicate what Manning has done right off the bat but I bet you he will be a very good QB in his own right a few years down the road. With a chance for another 10-15 years of success, would you give up another year of possibly awful football? Especially when Luck falls right into your lap?
Look at how some teams have moved on from their franchise quarterback over the years. The San Francisco 49ers went from Joe Montana to Steve Young and even to Jeff Garcia, who had some good years in the bay area. Green Bay went from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. So as you see, you go from great QB to another, the transition is a lot easier than expected. Of course the guy coming in has to prove but once he does, you almost forget about the guy before. Of course some teams like Miami and Buffalo have lost franchise QBs and have not been the same. I still remember the Bills cutting Jim Kelly and him retiring 15 years ago. I never expected the Bills to go this long without getting some sort of good quarterback. They've missed on so many and it's no surprise that they have missed the playoffs 12 years in a row. Look what Manning has done to energize an entire city and region, don't you think an elite franchise QB could the same for Buffalo? It did in the early 90s with Kelly as the Bills were one of the best teams in the NFL and went to 4 straight Super Bowls. I heard on the Colin Cowherd show that the Bears have made something like 17 different starting quarterbacks since Peyton broke into the league in 1998. I think he said Miami has had 15 or 16. Manning had not missed a single game from 1998 to 2010, 208 consecutive starts, only behind Brett Favre's record of 297 consecutive starts. His durability especially after taking a beating in his last few years is amazing.
Being a Bills fan, I have to say I have no sympathy for Colts fans. You had 14 amazing years with Manning, winning a Super Bowl, and now you get Andrew Luck. There's a chance of you possibly having 25-30 years of awesome quarterbacking. You even got a Super Bowl in your city. You have a new stadium. Our stadium is old and dilapidated. I like it but it doesn't compete with the new stadiums around the league. Did I mention we don't have a quarterback nor having a possible franchise QB fall into our laps like you guys did after a horrible season? It's like winning the lottery, living it up for 14 years and blowing it all only to win the lottery once again. If they aren't in the position to draft Luck, I believe the Colts keep him. Luck is the no-brainer move. You might take a step backwards but let's face it, you're already backwards after Manning was out. Take a step back now so that you will take many steps forward in the not to distant future. For those of you who are mad and/or an Andrew Luck hater, how about not having any good quarterback for over a decade and being irrelevant?
Colt fans, you've known since last Sept. this was happening so don't act all surprised. This wasn't like Lebron James telling Cleveland he was leaving to Miami on a prime time television special on ESPN. As for Manning, he will continue to rack in the dough and for the first time in his career, he will choose where he wants to go and possibly win another Super Bowl. He will have the chance to energize another city much like the way he did in Indy whether it's Miami, Arizona, Washington, or wherever. Jersey sales and revenue will continue to grow. Another team that was downtrodden will be more relevant and that's good for the league. Manning's not retired he will still play.
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