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Should the Colts trade Manning?
CvilleE
Posts: 1,594 ✭✭✭
I found it interesting this morning while watching Mike and Mike, the question was brought up, should the Colts, say they get the #1 pick this year, draft and rebuild the team around Andrew Luck by trading Manning? I'm sure it's a little too soon to know how Peyton's nerves are going to react to his latest surgery, but I'd say he has several more productive years left. I personally want Miami to get Luck, and to think the Colts would consider this as an option crazy. At the least, let Luck back up Manning for a couple of years like Rodgers did Farve. Anyhow found this an interesting topic, and was wondering what everyone else thought about it.....
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But from a point of alienating your fan base they'd probably do that too which in turn would hurt ticket sales and etc until Luck becomes elite and then it'd fix a lot of that but that would probably take a year or two to win the fans back.
Now as a fan of a team they play twice a year I hope they trade Manning and bring sign Jamarcus Russell to a 200 million dollar contract hahahahaha
I'd heard this a while back. Going rumor seems to be that Manning has 4-5 years left (given that he comes back in any shape near he was before he had surgery). How much will Luck lose serving in a back up role that long? And I agree with Enfidl; they have more needs than just a QB that need addressed to waste a ton of money on 2 QBs.
I've been a Colts fan since the 60's ( born in '59 ). So many people are calling for a overhaul of this team that it blows my mind . Lets take a look at their injury situation this year . 8 different combo's of starting o-linemen , not to mention Manning himself . Receivers except for Wayne have all missed time as has both tight ends . Starting RB out several games , this offense has been crushed with injuries .
Defensivly , lost both defensive captains early in year in Brackett and Bullitt . D-line has been a revolving door as has been secondary and LB 's all season . The secondary is the only part of this team that needs much improvement if everyone else was healthy including Manning in my opinion . Their short and not that good in one on one coverage .
The bottom line is when healthy , all 11 starters on offense and defense are on the field at the same time , there are only about 3-4 teams with the firepower to stay with a Manning lead HEALTHY Colts team .
Their biggest defiency in my opinion is the head coach . I have never been a Jim Caldwell fan . From his days here in NC at Wake Forrest till HC of the Colts . I just don't think the guy is a true championship caliber leader . IMHO .
However, you really need to reconsider your O-line. Saturday isn't going to last forever, and I'm not sure he's got too many decent years left in him. That's a pretty lynch-pin type player that's gonna take some time, effort, money, and drafting to replace. I know, so is Manning, obviously, but he's got some good years left, and arguably more than Saturday.
So I think they should work out some scenario in which they trade Luck (or a pick for luck) for first-round draft picks, but do it so that you get those picks over the next couple years. That leaves major room in your salary cap to start picking up free agents to bandage current needs and gives you access to the draft to rebuild AT THE SAME TIME. And let Manning choose his successor, ask who he sees potential in, and give him the job of training his replacement (and coaching him later after he retires!!)
Who knows, it's entirely possible in this scenario that two years from now, Luck has gone to Miami and realizes no one can make that team any good and goes to the Colts to shadow Manning for a year before taking the reins. And they didn't have to shell out the big bucks to have him ride pine the whole time. Or Luck turns out to be a bust and they're patting themselves on the back.
Agree about Saturday , though his replacement has already been drafted . Mike Pollak who has been playing guard but was center in college ( Arizona ) and scored very high on his wonderllic (sp) test , a very intelligent player , will step in for Saturday , I think Pollack is in his 4th season now so he knows the offense and should be a seamless transition .
I totally disagree on Luck , if he's there , no team can afford not to draft him , including the Colts . Manning has had his say and his opinion really counts with the Colts but this is the one scenario under which it doesn't matter what Manning thinks , its ownerships responsibility to put a winning product on the field and Luck gives them the best chance to continue the past 12 year or so run well into the future . As for trading for a bunch of draft choices to fill needs or free agency money , again , if you follow the Colts ( I bleed Colts blue haha ) you know who they have in key positions and what their abilities and defiencies for that matter are . Their starters when NOT injured are about as good as they get in the NFL . As for trading a talent like Luck just to pick up depth on the roster to play behind most of these guys , you can do that without needing 1 , 2 and 3rd rounders to pay a lot of money to just ride the bench . Although I understand you are doing that with Luck for now , thats a one time deal , not the way to build a competitive team long range IMO .
Our real problem most urgent to address next season is Head Coach and special teams . A decent kick returner and a decent punt returner who would instill a little fear in an opponet has not been seen in Indy in quite a few years .
Colts used 1st round pick ( Costanzo ) and 2nd round pick ( Ijalana ) on o-linemen in last draft . Costanzo is starting at left tackle guarding Peytons blind side (when he gets back) and Ijalana was injured and put on IR ending his season but next year they are both 2nd year starters and Pollak will be in 5th year so if we get another year from Saturday and I believe he will be there to make one more super-bowl run , then right tackle will be either Diem or linkenbach , neither one stars but both steady . So I think o-line will actually be a strength rather than weekness next year . Of course just my opinion .
But all that said, unless you are SURE you can win a championship in the next 3 yrs, and its gonna take some major help for that to happen in Indy, its best to cut him loose....let him try and win another one elsewhere...and build your team toward the future.
1) Drafting Luck and having him "apprentice" under Manning a la Rodgers/Favre I think is comparing apples to oranges. Rodgers spent those years learning an OFFENSIVE SYSTEM, not learning from Favre. The Dolts have proven this year that they have NO offensive system without Manning. And any human being not named Peyton Manning cant learn to do what Peyton Manning does, since Peyton Manning is a MACHINE, not a human. With the possible exception of Joe Montana, I havent seen another QB who so clearly and instantaneously sees everything around him, processes that info, and directs everything around him. When you factor in Manning's physical abilities, he's a once in a lifetime QB. What that guy has cant be taught, its a gift from God.
DISCLAIMER - I am NOT a fan of either Montana OR Manning, lest someone think I am a Dolts fanboy swinging from Manning's jock. :-)
2) Is Luck a great prospect? Absolutely. A sure-fire, cant miss prospect? No such thing exists. Think about all the QB's drafted in the first round (much less #1 overall) who never came close to living up to their expectations. I could name a dozen or more over just the past five years alone without straining. He11, Manning wasnt even the first QB drafted the year he came out, lest we forget good ol Ryan Leaf (a great example of what Im talking about here). The Dolts got the great QB they did not from superior scouting or development, but the same way every other team gets a franchise QB - they got lucky (example: anyone remember where Tom Brady was drafted, and what his expectations were coming into the league?).
3) The only logical move here in my mind is to trade the #1 draft pick to whoever wants to pony up the most draft picks for Luck and start rebuilding your team with those picks, and the picks you have over the next 4-5 years Manning has left. This season has exposed the Dolts as a team with mediocre talent AT BEST at every position besides Manning, which has only succeeded BECAUSE of Manning. Job One for the Dolts should be hiring a top-notch talent evaluator (Ozzie Newsome anyone?) and scouting staff, and starting to build for the future when Manning is done. As an organization, you got to see what that future looks like this season if you continue on doing what you're been doing. Why would you not use your remaining time with Manning to ensure that what happened this season isnt whats going to happen for the next TEN season after Manning hangs em up?