Hit the brakes on Manning Monday
That sound you just heard was ManningWatch 2012 trying to avoid a guard rail.
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I’ll admit it. I though today would surely be the day that we learned where Peyton Manning was going to sign. And I thought it would be here. After all of the excitement of the past couple of days it just seemed like it was bound to happen.
Free agency opens in the NFL tomorrow at 4pm and it’s logical that teams will want to know what Manning’s plans are before they go about the task of tossing offers to the 600+ free agents floating about. Well, the man himself is apparently in no hurry.
Among today’s reports we learn that Manning plans on discussing matters with the Miami Dolphins (who were presumed to be out of the running), the Titans and the Houston Texans. It seems the only team not to reappear on the Manning radar is the Chiefs (for obvious reasons). While Peyton apparently has no immediate plans to make VIP visits to other NFL cities as he did to Phoenix and Denver, he is still in the process of scratching his chin. He should be, for that matter. He is new to this whole free-agency thing, after all.
I, for one, still feel pretty positive about the Broncos chances. Denver is one hell of a place to play and it looks as though Elway and company are prepared to do whatever it takes to bring Manning in. They have all the cap space they need and can make room for whatever toys Peyton wants them to sign along with him. In fact, the Broncos should sign Jeff Saturday and Dallas Clark tomorrow in anticipation of Manning. The AFC South teams don’t really scare me. I doubt #18 wants to become Indy’s rival. Miami seems like too broken a franchise to truly attract.
Mike Klis of the Denver Post is reporting that the Broncos have begun preliminary contract talks with PM’s agent. I feel good about that – even though they are only one of several teams to do so.
What I don’t feel so good about is the fact that, the longer ManningWatch 2012 continues, the shakier the Broncos ground seems to be. They really have gone all-in here. They have undoubtedly spooked the heck out of Tim Tebow and placed the team in a vulnerable position. A week ago we had no clue that they would pursue Manning – now it feels a lot like they will have failed in a big way if they don’t.
it’s been an insane few days, that’s for sure. The Manning thing has been a runaway train in Denver. Now it’s skidding and that makes everybody nervous.
