Peyton Manning going to the Denver Broncos... be still my heart....

I don't see the Broncos as one player away from Super Bowl contention.

Tebow wasn't working out, and the organization didn't want to invest building a franchise around him...that's really not my issue.

Manning is really the issue..

Clearly the Colts saw this...and dumped Manning.
Manning is past his prime and not a QB a young team should build a franchise around.

Manning is a risk. He's got 3, maybe 4 productive years left...if...and that's a big if...he remains healthy

Missing an entire season with an injury is the equivalent of a thoroughbred breaking a leg...might as well put them down.

The Broncos are taking a risk, but even if Manning is back to his old self, I don't see that team as one player away from a Super Bowl.

Say Manning gets injured?

What's the Broncos back up plan?

None.

They've put all their eggs in one basket named Peyton Manning.

I'll say again...in his prime.
Peyton Manning's playoff record is 9 - 9.

.500

Yeah he gets a team there, but once there, he's just an average QB in terms of when it counts.

 

The things people say when theyre clueless about anything football. Peyton Manning loses a game - its his fault. Coaching, play calling, the other players on the field, injuries, match up problems, etc all fall on the shoulders of a QB because the average fan who's never played football is focused on the guy with the ball and nothing else. Brett Farve was a .542 QB in the playoffs. Dan Marino .444, Drew Brees is .546, Steve Young .571, Bon Griese .546...All average too, right?

 

Why does having played football make one better qualified to analyse a business decision.

Sports is a business...

Manning is being paid millions of dollars to do a job...lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl.
That's his job.
Personally, I don't think that even a QB of Manning's talent can accomplish this with the Denver Broncos...
N.E. scored 41 points against them in a playoff game. The QB has nothing to do with that...
the defense isn't Super Bowl caliber...

So the owners spend MILLIONS thinking one player is going to change all that?

I don't think that's a sound business decision, given Peyton Manning's advancing age and the limited time he has to build the franchise
to a Super Bowl caliber team....

In his prime...Manning’s advocates are trained to counter the Super Bowl question with this fallback statistic: In 11 of his 13 seasons with the Colts, Manning has guided the club to 10 or more wins. It’s an incredible run that cannot be ignored — proof Manning has consistently won, and done so with different supporting casts. But consider this: Both Brady (.776) and Ben Roethlisberger (.704) own a higher career regular-season winning percentage than Manning (.678 ), and Donovan McNabb (.626) is not far behind. Is this really Manning’s calling card — that he ranked one spot behind Roethlisberger and one ahead of McNabb among the winningest quarterbacks of his era?

Are folks forgetting the Colts let him go?

If he was the "dream QB" all the so-called "experts" are espousing in here, the better business decision for the Colts would be to have kept him on as an employee.

In essence, he was fired.

 

Have you been drinking? Are you under the impression that your MBA actually elevates you to a status that trumps that of the Denver Bronco staff?

What percentage of players do you think stay with 1 team their entire career?

The colts are looking long term, and it's going to be doubtful theyre going to have another chance to draft the best QB prospect in the nation anytime soon.

 

There are busts all the time.

The Eagles risked a lot and spent a lot building their franchise around Michael Vick.
Last year didn't pan out so well...but of course Vick is still relatively young and can turn it around.

Lots of 1st round picks and high dollar contracts...do not pan out.

Manning is an elite QB, no doubt about it...he's a Hall of Fame caliber QB...
but neck surgery and being out for an entire year...makes him a risk...I can see a team like San Francisco for example...using Manning for that extra edge to put them in the Super Bowl.

My contention is building a franchise around Manning...for that push to win a Super Bowl or at least contend.

I do not see the Denver Broncos as a team that one person...even an elite QB like Manning can turn around that quickly.
New England thrashed them in their playoff game. The defense is not Super Bowl ready...even if Manning's offense is.

Front offices make bad decisions all the time...ultimately it's a risk...no matter what you do.

 

So what you're saying is that in fact, yes, you do believe your opinion is more revelant than that of John Elway and the rest of his staff. Pardon me for being under the assumption that someone who hasn't stepped on a football field in his life or been around any football program might not have the decision making abilities of a NFL program.

Is Peyton a sure thing? Of course not, there are no such things in athletics. But he's one heck of an improvement over Tim Tebow.

LOL - defense is not Superbowl ready...New England had a great defense last year, didn't they?

 

Coming into the 2012 season, Denver has the second toughest schedule in the league. They have to play the other AFC division winners from last year—Baltimore, New England and Houston—the AFC North and the NFC South, which features the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons.

Now the Tebow haters have an added incentive to root for Manning...

I'm looking at it strictly from business..

San Francisco would be better off with Manning and I believe could seriously contend for a Super Bowl with him.

Denver?

Don't expect it next year anyway.

If Manning stays healthy I think it's very possible the Broncos could win a Super Bowl...eventually...
but he is older and a bigger risk than a younger player.

Denver didn't think Tebow was their QB to build a franchise around...probably a good decision...
but Elway as his replacement?

I can't agree, given the level of risk assumed with an already injured neck.

I suppose we'll see...

 

Yes, he's a slightly bigger risk for injury over Tebow...With a much higher reward. If anyone was under the illusion Tebow was a good NFL QB hopefully reality set in yesterday for them. Denver will never have a chance of being a Super Bowl calibur team with a QB who cant complete 50% of his passes and struggles to throw for 100 yards.

 

Tebow was not their guy...that's understood.

There are not many elite QB's out there in free agency..the front office at Denver figured get him while they can.

Will it play out?

Who knows...but there are those who seem to think Denver is now a lock for a Super Bowl ring...and I'm just questioning that.

A healthy Roethlisberger and Brady are still the better QB than Manning is...
he must get past them with a Denver Broncos team.

Here's my last point on the topic...Indianapolis let Manning go...
that says something doesn't it?

Could you imagine New England letting Brady go?

The Colts felt they needed younger blood and re-build...

Manning needed to go to a team ready to go...and San Francisco would have been the better choice.

 

I fully support the decision Elway and the Broncos made with Manning over Tebow. Manning, with 4 neck surgeries, at 36 years old, is miles better then a 24 year old Tebow can EVER be. Period. High risk? No doubt. But the reward is tons higher then what they could have expected if they kept Tebow as their franchise QB. Remember folks, Elway was 38 before he won his FIRST Super Bowl.

I do not see them in the Super Bowl this year, but this team has a ton of $$ under the cap that they still can spend to get the right pieces they need to make a solid run very soon. They have a solid Offensive Line that will only get better if they can land Jeff Saturday as their Center. McGahee is a stud runner. Thomas & Decker are solid WR's and very young. If they can land Dallas Clark as their TE and pick up one more WR either in the draft or free agency, they will be set.

Defensively, they have 2 awesome pass rushers in Miller & Dumervil. Linebackers are solid as well. Secondary can use a lil work, but not terrible. Yes, NE scored tons of points on them. But when your offense goes 3 & out EVERY quarter excepth the 4th, or when you turnover the ball on their side of the field, your asking for trouble. That poor Broncos defense was so gassed at the end of the season they had no chance. They were on the field a hell of a lot longer then the Offense ever was.

 

Are you a 49ers fan? Just curious.

 

To be clear, this happened because his injury happened to coincide with the ability to draft the best QB prospect since Peyton Manning himself. Had the Colts gotten any other pick, or the first pick in any other year, then Manning would still be their QB. It is just that Luck is considered as close to a sure thing as there is, and a future star. So the Colts decided they could not justify paying Manning that huge bonus, to keep an older QB, when they could get a younger QB with a once in a generation skill-set. Manning would be there if it weren't for that huge bonus coming up as well. The Colts would have kept him, and allowed Luck to learn behind Manning. My point is, it is NOT an indictment of manning that the Colts let him go. It is a reflection on Luck, and money concerns.

 

Manning will now be an outdoor QB after spending a career in a dome.

Anyone know his statistics for outdoors compared to indoors?

I don't know off the top of my head...

 

Luck hasn't played one down in the NFL...however.
Still a risk.

Manning had a proven track record as an elite QB.

 

Kind of, always did like Joe Montana, and I'd like to see them competitive again for a Super Bowl.

I think Manning and the 49ers would be easy contenders for next year's Super Bowl.
Alex Smith almost took them there, and Manning is much better.

 

Of course, not only because the injury threatens his ability, but also because if Manning didn't hurt his neck, there is about a 0% chance the Colts would have ever gotten the first pick in the first place!!

 

Yes, but 1st round picks don't always have to be QB's.

Luck is a solid prospect, but c'mon Peyton Manning?

He's an elite QB, 36 is not ancient...seems to me they kicked him to the curb once he got injured.

Another choice could have been to draft someone other than Luck and keep Manning at the helm.

 

Manning had lots of pass protection during his career and youre right about him playing at home in a nice, domed stadium. He's gonna get creamed in Denver, just wait and see.

 

Luck IS NOT a solid prospect!! He is an exceptional once in a generation prospect, who has scouts, coaches, and GMs creaming in their pants!! Add that to the fact that he is 22, and Manning is 36, which makes the decision pretty easy. It says less about Mannings ability to play QB in the short term, and more about Lucks potential to play QB in the long term.

 

I will bet you credits that the Broncos are better next year than they were last year.

 

The new Jets logo has Jesus on the "T" for Tebow.

 

So far this trade seems to be working our pretty well for the Broncos. I know it is still early, but Manning still looks like an elite QB!!!

 

The Chargers collapse makes them the new Houston Oilers.

 

I find it funny that all the people who predicted this trade was going to be a disaster, because Tebow had Jesus on his side, and have all of a sudden disappeared!! Peyton Manning is still an all time great QB, and Tim Tebow is a glorified fullback and trick play specialist in NY, playing back up to a terrible QB. Seems like Denver did pretty well if you ask me!!

 

the Mannings are old and they are in the later years Brett Farve mode. they do not have much game left in them.

No matter the team they are on, or the quaity of thier team, they will not be able to succeed. they are washed out.

There are a lot of better QBs wating their opportunity to prove themselves, but most never get the chance. take a look at the current greats. Drew Breeze, Arron Rodgers, they all had to wait and were lucky to get a chance.

Some hyped up scrubs like Matt ryan, Jason Campbell, and a host of other hypes started rookies and never become great players. And they never will.