Peyton grows up - once a Colt, Now a Bronco

macrojack · « **on:** 19 Mar 2012, 05:33 pm »

Reports from SI.com say that Peyton Manning has instructed his agent to proceed with negotiations for his Bronco contract. This should help them separate from Tebow without too much handwringing, letter writing, or prayer meetings.

This is probably the biggest free agent acquisition in NFL history. I hope they have enough money left to get Manning some help. Good as he is, he can't win by himself.

And when Tebow leaves, that should pretty well signal the end of the McDaniels disaster.

cujobob · « **Reply #1 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 05:51 pm »

I disagree that Manning can't win by himself. The Colts were, as I predicted, mostly talentless. He was never given the help he should have received there, he'd have made it to the Super Bowl nearly every season if they had.

I'm curious what will happen to Tebow now. That was pretty much the only system he could have had any success in, I'd think.

I think every team should have chased Manning unless you have Brady or maybe Brees. Manning, healthy, is the better QB IMO but they aren't too shabby. I wonder if Indy figured his health wouldn't recover to the point he'd be useful. There's no reason to throw Luck out there in his rookie season if you don't have to.

dwk · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 05:52 pm »

I'll believe it when the contract is signed, but should be interesting.

I'm actually of the opinion that keeping Tebow might be a good idea, providing he's up for it. I think having Manning in the shotgun reading the defense with Tebow in the backfield could cause defenses to have absolute fits in trying to come up with coverage schemes - the Broncos could almost literally run anything from that setup, and Manning is about as good as it gets at reading the D and audibling as needed.

macrojack · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 07:20 pm »

If the Broncos protect Manning, he can win for them. Their defense played well enough last season to allow Tebow to win with mostly very low scores. Actually, I read that the defense scored 1/3 of the touchdowns during the Tebow era.

Fantasy owners should be looking at Demarius Thomas.

Maybe Brandon Stokely will unretire. Dallas Clark is available. Joseph Addai. The draft?
They better do something -- the offense is thin at this point.

BTW Tebow is one of about eight NFL QBs never to start in Miami.......it might be his time.
Their strategizing has left them high and dry. And GOD knows Tebow would fill seats in Florida.

Æ · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 07:25 pm »

Once a colt, now a bronco. Quit horsing around!

jackman · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 07:41 pm »

Wow! My money was on Arizona (it's warm there and popular with old people...and Manning is no spring chicken). Congrats to that horse-toothed jackass Elway for making the biggest free agent signing in NFL history, at least in my recollection.

If the Broncos' O-line can keep Manning in the vertical position and the receivers can catch the ball, they will be a very good team. I don't know who the Broncos lost in the off season but last year's team with Peyton added to the mix would have been a SB contender. I'm shocked he didn't go to a dome team (Seattle) or a place with more moderate weather (AZ or Miami).

They should make Tebow a half-back and let him run the option every once in a while to keep teams off balance. He's an athletic guy who is very big and strong. I'd love to see him take on DB's when teams run a nickle package against the Broncos or when Payton spreads out the field and they run a single back offense. Could be interesting.

I know there are lots of guys on this site who do not share my admiration of Payton Manning but, IMO, he is the best QB to ever live. Look at the Colt team without him last year. They went from a possible playoff team with Manning, to the worst team in football without him. The only thing I question is the 5 year ~$98 million contract. Does anyone think he can make it three or four more years, let alone 5?

Berto · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 08:00 pm »

Before his neck injury Peyton was the most durable Qb in the league who can still play at a high level. So 5 years is not out of the question if they can protect him. I doubt 98mill is guaranteed so if they get even 2 good season out of them they might very well win it all. Great signing.

Tebow is a beast he could block for Peyton if need be.

macrojack · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 08:13 pm »

The Broncos won with defense last year. Heaven knows there was precious little offense.
And I believe that team remained intact except for the fact that 3 players are facing PED suspensions at the beginning of the season and CB Perrish Cox signed with the 49ers.

The offense lost WR/kick returner Eddie Royal and QB Brady Quinn. OTOH reports are coming in that Jeff Saturday is coming to Denver to talk.

Ole Peyton chose to join the weakest division in the NFL. Just consider the Tebow Broncos won the division with 8-8. That has to look quite do-able to P.M.

I hope Brian Dawkins can be effective for another couple of years.

craig223 · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 08:32 pm »

It will be interesting to see Manning play for John Fox. Fox had a lot of trouble with QBs at Charlotte. Fox always impressed me as a defensive coach. During most of his tenure in Charlotte, his team nickname was "cardiac cats" because they were always in close games. If Fox will let Manning run the offense, Denver may have a few great years ahead. Don't think Manning's health will hold out for five more years though.

jackman · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 09:41 pm »

Quote from: craig223 on 19 Mar 2012, 08:32 pm

It will be interesting to see Manning play for John Fox. Fox had a lot of trouble with QBs at Charlotte. Fox always impressed me as a defensive coach. During most of his tenure in Charlotte, his team nickname was "cardiac cats" because they were always in close games. If Fox will let Manning run the offense, Denver may have a few great years ahead. Don't think Manning's health will hold out for five more years though.

Don't kid yourself, Manning is not playing for Fox...Fox is coaching for Manning. PM will be calling the plays and running the offense. If Fox doesn't like it, he will be sent packing or at least get a stern sit-down with the Horse-Toothed one, Elway. Maybe if he gives Elway a couple sugar cubes or a carrot, he will get back in the good graces. I'm with you on the 5 years not happening. Manning was very durable but a neck injury like this one scares me. He's going to get hit eventually and I hope he holds up. Dirty teams like the Lions and Raiders will surely be targeting his injured neck.

If this is official and Manning is a Colt, do you think the idiot Denver fans will be asking for Tebow if they lose the first couple games? For the record, I enjoyed the Tebow string of victories last year. It was especially fun listening to all of the Tebow haters get steamed come up with excuses every time they won. I'll miss that!

Can't wait for football to start! Jay Cutler finally has a guy to throw the ball to, and the Bears finally got ride of that piece of crap Martz and Angelo. I guess I should say pieces of crap, Angelo and Martz. Look out Packers!

Cheers,

J

randytsuch · « **Reply #10 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 11:16 pm »

Peyton's been a warm weather, dome player.
Wonder how he's going to like playing in the snow in Denver?

Still, if Denver does sign him, they are instantly a contender, given what they did with Tebow.

Randy

wilsynet · « **Reply #11 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 11:18 pm »

Quote from: jackman on 19 Mar 2012, 09:41 pm

For the record, I enjoyed the Tebow string of victories last year. It was especially fun listening to all of the Tebow haters get steamed come up with excuses every time they won. I'll miss that!

You have to admit, as creative as Tebow seems to be sometimes, he also looks pretty shaky throwing the ball. But it's not just a subjective view that makes me skeptical, he statistically a disaster too.

I recall a lot of skeptics naysaying Wayne Gretzky when he entered the NHL in 1978. They said he was too weak, too small, just wouldn't be able to deal with an NHL defence. But no one ever said he wasn't skilled or that his fundamentals weren't there or that his stick handling was suspect. And statistically of course, he was all there.

People marvel at how successful Tebow has been, seemingly based purely on his ability to gut out the win in the dying seconds of a game. Games which has has generally played poorly but every other player has played well to keep them close. We cheer for this underdog to confound the experts, but is he actually a great quarterback? Below average and a string of flukey wins is the way I see it.

I applaud his success so far and I hope he finds another team and keeps on winning. Like many other aspects of life and this world, surely there's room in the NFL for mediocrity to flourish and be rewarded.

macrojack · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Mar 2012, 12:32 am »

I don't have the record in front of me but, if memory serves, Manning is undefeated in Denver. How long can he string that out?

Last season the Bronkies had a new head coach and a new defensive co-ordinator and no summer camp or chance to get acquainted before the abbreviated pre-season started. Their 2009 NFL sack leader (Dumervil) had been out the entire previous year and their new superstar rookie (Von Miller) hadn't played a down. It took awhile for them to gel, which they did just in time to suppress opposition scoring for the Tebow magic to start grabbing headlines.

The 2012 schedule for the Broncos is brutal and the entire league has been reorganized due to an enormous free agent confab. P.M. will have his work cut out for him.

soundbitten1 · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Mar 2012, 12:52 am »

Manning will tear up the league next year but it won't be Peyton ...

... sorry, still basking in the afterglow.

timind · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Mar 2012, 01:11 am »

As a Colts fan, and a P. Manning fan, I was hoping he would retire before any real injuries. He's considered a bit of a saint in Indianapolis. Wish him well.

JerryM · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Mar 2012, 02:50 am »

Quote from: dwk on 19 Mar 2012, 05:52 pm

I'm actually of the opinion that keeping Tebow might be a good idea, providing he's up for it. I think having Manning in the shotgun reading the defense with Tebow in the backfield could cause defenses to have absolute fits in trying to come up with coverage schemes - the Broncos could almost literally run anything from that setup, and Manning is about as good as it gets at reading the D and audibling as needed.

Yes, I agree.

Elway understands the importance of a veteran QB calling the plays. Have Tebow as a wildcat fullback, learning from Peyton all the while, and after two seasons Peyton becomes the back up. Could work very well.

Then again, Tebow would be HUGE in Miami.

JoshK · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Mar 2012, 03:11 am »

I am not a huge football fan, at least not American football but I do watch it. I was really hoping to see Peyton join the jets

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Mar 2012, 03:20 am »

Quote from: JerryM on 20 Mar 2012, 02:50 am

Yes, I agree.

Elway understands the importance of a veteran QB calling the plays. Have Tebow as a wildcat fullback, learning from Peyton all the while, and after two seasons Peyton becomes the back up. Could work very well.

Then again, Tebow would be HUGE in Miami.

Tebow could really be in a win/win situation here. Did he really want to take the heat for what was sure to come this season with him at QB? Now the pressure is off, he can actually learn something behind Peyton, stay active with some special packages for him, and If Peyton goes down, someone who has run the offense before can come in, albeit with whatever changes are made with Peyton. And he loses no face stepping back one for the great Manning. If he goes to Miami, he almost doesn't have to win. They have a good D, and the fans will come out in droves no matter how he plays, at least for a while. It's the best thing that could have possibly happened for Tebow.

LadyDog · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Mar 2012, 03:22 am »

Not really sure Peyton chose the least path of resistance. The AFL West had all 4 teams all right at the 500 mark, which makes it pretty competitive. The NFL West has one really good team, another that was so-so, and two on the lower tier.

No crystal ball, but think he did not the hometown pressure or having to play his old team 2x a year. Also did not want to compete against his bro, unless it was in the Super Bowl.

Not 100% positive on my facts, but believe he is like 4-1 playing in the Denver stadium. Believe he also have a better than average record playing in the cold/poor weather. So I would bet against him going playing outside in the snow.

wilsynet · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Mar 2012, 04:07 am »

Tebow could not step in as a backup for Manning. They're going to build the team around Manning's superb passing ability while Tebow is statistically the worst passer amongst all starting quarterbacks.

You may as well ask Shaquille O'Neal to play point guard.

Maybe Tebow has had a bionic arm replacement in the off season.