Manning Sweepstakes

Arguably the biggest free agent in NFL history, the market for Peyton Manning is going to be extensive. As of today twelve teams in the league have expressed interest in acquiring the two time NFL MVP, but only one team will end the offseason happy.

            Although there are twelve teams interested in Peyton, he has already said he would like to stay in the AFC, which narrows down the list of potential suitors.  Of the remain teams I think only four have a reasonable shot at landing Peyton.

            The first team that would make the most sense is the Miami Dolphins.  Peyton has been seen working out in Miami and also owns a house in the area. It has also been reported that Reggie Wayne will most likely follow Peyton and Wayne has reportedly shown interest in the Team. If Peyton were to go to Miami he would have a big, down field receiver in Brandon Marshall and a young and very talented Offensive line to keep the aging quarterback on his feet.  The warm weather would also benefit a quarterback who has played his whole career in the safety of a dome; the less stress put on Peyton the better.

            The second option for Peyton would be the Denver Broncos. Although Denver’s weather doesn’t always benefit quarterbacks, the team has a lot of variables required for a Super Bowl team. The team finished the season ranking in the top ten in Rushing offense, Rushing defense and total defense. With the edition of both Peyton and Wayne, the team would immediately get the passing game they have been missing with Tim Tebow.

            The last two teams I see as bad fits however they are still possibilities. The first is the Kansas City Chiefs. They just franchised start receiver Dwayne Bowe but past that Peyton would lack skill around him. The second team is the New York Jets, as much as it would make the media ecstatic to have both Manning’s in New York I don’t think that Payton has any desire to deal with the scrutiny of the New York media at this point in his career. The team has issues in the locker room and has a slacking offensive line, both things that Manning will want to stay away from at the age of 35.

            With no clear team in the lead for the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, these next few days should become very interesting for the potential teams. I see manning ending up in Miami but it’s the NFL; anything is possible.

-Scott Burgess

Hofstra University '13