Peyton Manning's Not What I'm Looking For

Author: Bruce Lamb

The great question, will the Miami Dolphins go all out for Peyton Manning?  I hope not.  Would he be an upgrade over Matt Moore?  Definitely.  Would he immediately make the Miami Dolphins a contender in the AFC East next season?  Of course he would.  Would he be the franchise quarterback the Dolphins have longed for since Dan Marino?  Nope.

Signing Manning in Miami, should he in fact be let go by the Colts, looks great on paper.  He's one of the all time greats, a first ballot Hall Of Fame player.  He would immediately make the Dolphins better and be that quarterback that could get them over the 'hump,' but I'm not sold on the whole idea of bringing Peyton Manning to Miami. 

The first issue I have is how much it would cost the Dolphins.  They have some cap space, but not much, and Manning would likely take up more than they have available.  This would mean it would be difficult for the Dolphins to add pieces to the defense to make the switch from the 3-4 to the 4-3, which seems more and more likely to happen. 

The second issue is his age.  He's about to be 36 years old in March.  If the Dolphins sign him, he'll likely give them 2-3 solid years.  For a franchise looking to build for the future, they need to have someone who will be there for the next 8-10 years.  Sure, you could make the argument that Manning will be the bridge to give Philbin time to groom the next quarterback, but how long will it take Manning to learn a different offense?  Would the Dolphins even go after someone to groom early in the draft or will they use the early picks on players to help Manning win now? 

The final issue I have is Manning's health.  As of now, he's unable to play.  He's not cleared by doctors and no one knows when or if he ever will be.  If he does become healthy, how many hits can he take?  I'm not sure I'd be comfortable paying Manning what he will demand and not be 100% sure of his health.  This would be too great a risk for Miami to take.

The idea of Peyton Manning as a Miami Dolphin sounds great.  It would energize this fan base and give them hopes and expectations of a Super Bowl, which they very well could get.  But in the long run, I think it could set this franchise back after it's over.  How have the Arizona Cardinals been since Kurt Warner retired?  Sure, they made it to a Super Bowl and were close to winning it, but they have gone through a rebuilding phase the past couple seasons and the quarterback position is still a question mark.  If the Dolphins look to return this franchise into a winner year after year, I don't believe Manning is the answer. 

Phins Up!

BEL