Loading ...You can file Peyton Manning to the Washington Redskins "unlikely to happen", however it is a slow news day and when I hear any outrageous rumor involving the Redskins I just can't help myself.
While answering an online question about possible suitors for Peyton Manning if the Indianapolis Colts decided to trade him, ESPN analyst and co-writer of Mike Shanahan's autobiography, Adam Schefter put the Redskins at the top of the list. Granted he is not reporting an interest by the Redskins but merely speculating.
Had this been any other analyst there would have been some buzz, but because it was Schefter (who many believed Shanny was leaking information about former Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb to) the internet is bursting at the seems about this.
Like I said above I don't think this holds that much weight. Sure the Colts are more than likely going to have the number one overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, meaning they'll get to choose whatever quarterback they want. That quarterback is more than likely going to be Andrew Luck (author's note: It is completely unfair that the Colts have had Manning all these years and then get Luck).
Many have assumed that the Colts would not be able to afford the top pick giving Manning's salary (which would be especially true had a rookie wage scale not been put in place) and therefore the Colts would dump Manning.
Again, I doubt that is going to happen.
The most logical outcome of all of this is that the Colts will draft Luck with the first pick in the draft and have Manning groom him for two or three years. At that point Manning will either retire or the Colts will trade him away much like the Green Bay Packers did with Brett Favre when they felt Aaron Rodgers was ready to take over.
Or, the Colts will trade away that pick for a king's ransom and still draft a quarterback in the first round who's name isn't Andrew Luck and then have Manning groom him for two to three seasons.
I find it hard to believe that the Colts would trade Manning, and I find it even harder to believe that the Redskins would trade for him. After all there are 95 million reasons why trading for Manning would be ludicrous.
However, for the sake of this rumor I'll go ahead a pretend that it is likely that it will happen. Now the question is, as a fan and someone who covers the team would I want to see it happen.
Sadly the answer is "yes" with a "but", however.
Odds are trading for Manning would cost the Redskins at least one first round pick (probably two or three in reality) however I wouldn't want that pick being from this year's draft.
The Redskins are more than likely going to have a top five pick in the draft and where they won't be high enough to get Luck there are still plenty of other quarterbacks worth a top ten pick in the draft that could sit behind Manning for two seasons and come in and tear it up.
Also to make this trade work the Redskins have to rework Manning's deal. General Manager Bruce Allen has worked too hard to gut this team and get them well below the salary cap just to blow it all on one player (that's a Vinny Cerrato move). Manning's new deal would have to be incentive laden and a good chunk of money be placed on the back-end of the contract.
Manning would have to also come in with the knowledge that he's a place holder for two to three season and will be grooming a rookie. We don't want a repeat of last season with Donovan McNabb.
If you're thinking "well that's a lot that has to happen to make this deal work" then congratulations you're thinking logically and you'll then come to the conclusion that this won't happen.
I know a lot of people are thinking that if true this is just business as usual for the Redskins and I'd be inclined to agree. However, if the Skins did it in a similar fashion as to what I have described above then I'd be for it. After all we'd have a fantastic place holder who (if motivated to) could teach the rookie a ton of football knowledge, and who knows after Mike retires and Kyle Shanahan inevitably takes over as the head man, maybe he could convince a retired Manning to be the team's new offensive coordinator.
But in all seriousness this will remain a rumor. The Colts aren't trading away Peyton Manning (at least not until after next season) and will sadly also be drafting Andrew Luck.
Tags: Andrew Luck, Football, Kyle Shanahan, Mike Shanahan, NFL, Peyton Manning, Washington, Washington RedskinsRelated Videos
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