Manning Cleared to play! A KC connection. How bout that?

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Peyton Manning's Medical Clearance Makes Him The Perfect Fit In Every Way For Kansas City Chiefs


Peyton Manning has gotten the green light. And that’s the news that everyone has been waiting for.

Here’s the scenario. Andrew Luck is the sure thing. Robert Griffin III is filled with potential. Matt Flynn is the intriguing back-up. Other than that, the quarterback class for 2012 between the NFL Draft and the free agency class is uninspiring. Sure, Ryan Tannehill or Brandon Weeden might turn out to be fine starting quarterbacks. Perhaps a team could do well with Jason Campbell under center. But for the most part, there is only one sure thing on the market. Even Griffin and Flynn are questionable properties, albeit exciting ones.

Obviously there are more than three quarterback needy teams in the NFL. The Chiefs might not count themselves among them. But it’s hard to find anybody fan or media who believes that Matt Cassel has proven himself to be the consistent winner as the starter for the Chiefs that the team hoped he’d turn out to be if given the full-time keys.

You live and die by the quarterback position in the NFL, and it’s hard to believe that even Scott Pioli would believe he’s set for the long term with Cassel. That said, if they are going to go after someone — that someone is not on the market. Unless that someone is Peyton Manning.

The only way the Chiefs are truly going to improve at the quarterback position is if Peyton Manning is healthy and available:

1. He’s finally been cleared medically. Word today is as follows: The sources said Watkins examined Manning recently in Los Angeles and concluded the stability in his neck would have allowed the quarterback to play this Sunday if the nerves in his arm had regenerated to a satisfactory performance level. Watkins also instructed the quarterback to continue an aggressive rehabilitation path that provides an optimistic outlook for Manning to play in 2012.

2. He has to be available for trade or signing. Watching the drama go down in Naptown between Colts owner Jim Irsay and Manning tells you all you need to know about their ability to co-exist while seeing other people (on the field). Andrew Luck is going to be the man. Chuck Pagano is going to be the coach. There’s no way Manning comes back for a victory lap with the Colts.

That means that Manning will be both healthy and available. And check the line in that healthy paragraph: he will likely be ready for this next season. Those were the magic words.

There is no way that Scott Pioli is going to go for Matt Flynn after already trying the back-up quarterback route and paying him rather well to do so. Cassel was the one experiment there, and it’s hard to imagine the Chiefs trading draft picks and paying a big salary to yet another unproven NFL back-up quarterback three years apart. Just won’t happen.

There’s also no way that Pioli trades up in this draft. Unless Griffin falls a bit in the draft order (not happening), then the Chiefs are out of it from the outset. The team has too many holes to trade so many draft assets. Whether or not the fans think they will go for it, the perceived value by the KC front office simply won’t allow it. That’s called cost-prohibitive and the Chiefs lack the roster depth to accommodate that loss.

That means that the team will not make a move at quarterback other than bringing in veteran competition for the starting job a la Jason Campbell or Kyle Orton. Unless someone else is in the mix.

Consider Manning. The Chiefs have the players at the right skill positions to make Manning happy. He loves a Dallas Clark type of tight end and he has the second coming of him that’s even an Iowa product in Tony Moeaki. He has a new first round stud in Jon Baldwin who should develop quite well to go with veteran receivers like Steve Breaston and, presumably, Dwayne Bowe, who continues to show just how amazing of a receiver he is year after year despite his detractors.

The running game would instantly become better than anything Manning has ever enjoyed in Indianapolis as well. Jamaal Charles will be coming off of major surgery and rehab, but he’s young, dynamic and things have been reportedly going well there. The Chiefs should be expected to add another body and Dexter McCluster also keeps things interesting. Manning is smart enough to help whoever the new offensive coordinator is to utilize all of the talent properly.

Even more, Manning is owed a $28 million roster bonus that will likely earn him his freedom from the Colts. It’s hard to tell monetarily what will happen between the Colts and their franchise icon, but some sort of deal will be made. The thing is, Scott Pioli and Clark Hunt are sitting on around that same amount of unspent cash from last year. In other words, if the Chiefs need to absorb a major payment and/or pony up something major for Peyton, the money is absolutely there and available.

More than anything, the Chiefs have a major public relations nightmare on their hands. They have an outstanding lawsuit filed against the team alleging age discrimination on the part of the powers-that-be in the front office. They have Todd Haley’s allegations (and other former employees) that the team had a paranoid, controlling, manipulative environment that even included phone tampering and spying. They have the unspent money that no one has explained well to the fan base who continue to pay exorbitant prices. In short, Arrowhead is a place to be.

One move changes all of that. Short of Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning is the prize of the off-season. This story is even overshadowing the Super Bowl of all things. This is the big fish. If the Chiefs were to get him, they instantly become not only the favorites in the AFC West but guaranteed of several prime time games. The reality is that not only would they instantly sell a million of anything remotely team-related, but any and all ill feelings would dissipate immediately. A PR nightmare needs a salve that heals all wounds. Peyton is that salve.

That might sound dramatic, but imagine the frenzy if Manning were to sport a Chiefs uniform. Imagine the trade announcement. Imagine the analysis that would ensue. Imagine the press coverage of practices, workouts and the lead-up to his first official game action since 2011. Once you’re done imagining all of that, then tell me it’s not worth the move. Thought so.

Belichick didn't follow his own formula either, he followed the Parcells formula. It's worked fine for both of those guys. Its actually worked very well for us to. The Chiefs are a lot better than they should be considering what Pioli inherited. We have young talent everywhere now, and depth. We are just a few players away from being real good, hell we should have been a playoff team last year and that's without arguably our two best players.

If we have a good game managing QB like Orton that could be enough for us to make some serious noise. If we get someone like Manning, we could tear shit up.

Orton = Playoffs
Manning = Super Bowl..assuming his nerves heal completely

OutlawChief wrote:

Could be right about Matt Moore, but don't think he is a FA. Would have to trade for him if he isn't released. I wasn't excited about the Daboll hiring either but Continuity is what we need right now. And he is probably the best fit. Hell he did wonders with Reggie Bush so he should have a field day with Charles.

I hope your right buddy! I just want to see a fucking competant offense on the field. I just wasn't a big fan of what the Dolphins did Offensively. Ifs not like they had a bad supporting cast. Matt Moore was 210 for 347, 2500 yards, 60.5%, 16 TDs and 9 Ints. Henne throwed for another 900 yards. Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas went for 1660 yards rushing. Brandon Marshall had 81 balls for 1214 and 6 Tds. Devon Bess had 51 balls for 537 yards and 3 Tds. Reggie Bush caught 43 balls for 300 yards and a Td. Brian Hartline had 35 balls for 549 and a Td. Fasano had 32 balls for 451 and 5 tds. Clay had 16 balls for 231 yards and 3 Tds. Those look like decent numbers yet they were ranked 20th in points at 20.6, 22nd in yards at 317.4 per game, 23rd in pass yards at 193, 11th in rush yards at 124.2. Even with all the injuries we had, we finished 31st in points at 13.5, 27th in yards at 310.8, 27th in pass yards at 192.5, 15th in rush yards at 118.3. There is something about Daboll, I cant put a finger on it.

Touchdown Bowe wrote:

Orton = Playoffs
Manning = Super Bowl..assuming his nerves heal completely

100% Agreed!

chiefbravebull wrote:

If we have a good game managing QB like Orton that could be enough for us to make some serious noise. If we get someone like Manning, we could tear shit up.

A good game managing QB like Orton? Hell I thought thats what Matt Cassel was. I like Orton but am not as high on him as you guys are. I think Orton and Cassel are pretty much the same guy. And if they compete no matter who wins we get the same result. Yes Orton played very well in two out of 3 games last year. But he was horrible for Denver and run out of town for Tebow. And that pick in the redzone against the Raiders killed me. Hey it's just my opinion and I am not saying I am wrong or right. But if go for a QB lets do it right, I rather just get Manning if healthy and make a SB run.

I'm not sure if you have watched Cassel or Orton, because they really aren't the same QB at all. Neither are elite if that's what you are talking about, but they are totally different QB's. As for your Denver reference, yeah he wasn't good this year in a new scheme. He wasn't very good in Chicago in their schemes either. But with McDaneils, he was very good in his scheme. He came to KC then who runs the same scheme as McDaniels, and again he was very good. I'll take my chances with him in this offense.

I live in Ohio so I don't get many Chiefs games on TV unless its Sunday or Monday night. But there is a website I watch everygame on. And no neither is an Elite QB. Just from their careers stats are almost identical. I just didn't see Orton do anything Cassel cannot. Yes Orton looked better in the same offense, but the teams as a whole was playing better also. Which makes things different. I believe Cassel could have had the same result. Now don't get me wrong, I know I have probably been the biggest Cassel supporter of all here. I do think we need a change, I see Cassel as a game manager who can help win but never carry a team. But I see Orton as the same. We need to move on from both if we can get a healthy Manning. But the chance is slim. And I don't see us in a position to upgrade. So our best bet is to resign Orton to compete with Cassel. I just think no matter who starts we will have the same result. Maybe a playoff run, but not a Superbowl run.

Orton is more accurate, has a better arm, and goes through his progressions a lot better. I'll take that over Cassel. Their stats are pretty similar probably, and a lot of that is due to all the years Orton didn't look very good in his other offenses besides the Earnhardt-Perkins that Haley/Weis/McDaniels/Muir/most likely Daboll runs/ran.

We would be a good match for any qb with all the talent that we have.

Idk I just wanna compete for a SB. Not make the playoffs and be one and done. If it's Manning, Cassel, or Orton. I just want to finally see this team go somewhere and get some of that respect we used to have. GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!

Polian predicts Peyton will return “at a high level”
Posted by Mike Florio on February 9, 2012, 8:29 PM EST
PeytonManningGettyStephenDunn460 Getty Images

The man who believes he lost his job in Indianapolis for not having a better Plan B behind Peyton Manning thinks that Peyton will be someone’s Plan A again soon.

Former Colts Vice Chairman Bill Polian told ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption (via NFL.com) that Manning will return to football “at a high level.”

Polian contradicted reports that Peyton hasn’t been able to throw effectively.

“It’s marked [improvement] from where he was back in September,” Polian said regarding Peyton’s arm strength in December, when Polian last observed Manning. “He threw it accurately, he threw it with a good, tight spiral, and he threw it with velocity. Generally, he looked like a pretty confident quarterback out there.”

This meshes with recent comments from Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, who said last week that Peyton “definitely is not that far off.”

What’s definitely not that far off is the date by which the Colts will have to decide whether to pay Peyton another $28 million or cut him loose.

That sucks! If Manning is that far along, I dont think he will get released. Irsay was on record saying that he wants Peyton to finish up his career there and train Luck like Farve did with Rodgers.

OutlawChief wrote:

I live in Ohio so I don't get many Chiefs games on TV unless its Sunday or Monday night. But there is a website I watch everygame on. And no neither is an Elite QB. Just from their careers stats are almost identical. I just didn't see Orton do anything Cassel cannot. Yes Orton looked better in the same offense, but the teams as a whole was playing better also. Which makes things different. I believe Cassel could have had the same result. Now don't get me wrong, I know I have probably been the biggest Cassel supporter of all here. I do think we need a change, I see Cassel as a game manager who can help win but never carry a team. But I see Orton as the same. We need to move on from both if we can get a healthy Manning. But the chance is slim. And I don't see us in a position to upgrade. So our best bet is to resign Orton to compete with Cassel. I just think no matter who starts we will have the same result. Maybe a playoff run, but not a Superbowl run.

The team as a whole was playing better because the offense was clicking and moving down field instead of struggling possession after possession to cross the 50 yard line. The defense was fresh everytime they came out because Orton kept our offense on the field more than Cassel did. Not a chance in hell Cassel beats Green Bay..and honestly I think if Cassel starts these last 3 games, Romeo is still the DC and someone else is brought in as head coach. By no means is Orton elite like you said, but he's able to move the ball down the field consistantly unlike Cassel.

BigRatt wrote:

That sucks! If Manning is that far along, I dont think he will get released. Irsay was on record saying that he wants Peyton to finish up his career there and train Luck like Farve did with Rodgers.

Irsay isnt gonna take a chance on Peyton next season. Ive seen reports saying his arm strength is still very weak and ive seen others saying he's coming along fine. Its a huge gamble finance wise. Irsay wont pay Peyton his 20 something million dollar bonus when he's got a perfectly capable starting QB in Luck coming in. Of course he's gonna tell the media and fans he wants Peyton back. If he came out and said Peyton isnt coming back and just kicks him to the curb thats just gonna piss the fans off for disrespecting their longtime hero.

The situation the Colts have is different than the Packers. Peyton is getting big time money. Favre wasnt. Peyton is coming off a serious injury. Favre wasnt. The Packers were still in playoff run mode while the Colts appear to be close to rebuilding.

Manning would probably still be working out in Indy instead of at Duke if he planned on returning.

RustShack wrote:

Manning would probably still be working out in Indy instead of at Duke if he planned on returning.

It's not up to Manning because Manning is under contract. It's up to Irsay whether or not Peyton comes back. From what I heard in that interview, Irsay sounded like a man who was fan of the Favre/Rodgers situation. If it looks like he can come back and be the same old Peyton, I would expect Irsay will keep him and break Luck in slowly which is the smart thing to do from the Luck standpoint. Irsay let Polian fuck him from the contract standpoint and that may end up being the deciding factor. Here is an Article I found.


"Peyton Manning's contract included $51million in bonuses, a 20million dollar signing bonus (which for cap purposes is spread evenly over the 5 years of the contract), a 3million dollar roster bonus in 2011 (which goes against the 2011 cap) and a 28million dollar option bonus (the cap hit of which is spread over the 4 years remaining on the deal).

Right now the Colts have paid Peyton 23 million in bonuses, and only had 7million count against the cap leaving 16mil outstanding. The Colts have to take this money against the cap, and if he's released or traded they have to take it over the following 2 years. 16mil is a lot of dead cap, but what happens if Peyton is still on the Colts roster when his option bonus is due, March 8th?

With 28million more paid to Peyton in March that would bring the outstanding bonus money to 44 million, making releasing or trading Peyton between March 8th and the 2012 season totally impossible. During the 2012 season 1/5th (4mil) of the signing bonus and 1/4th of the option bonus (7mil) will be counted against the Colts 2012 cap, reducing the outstanding bonus money to 33million. Still a monsterous cap hit to take, enough to cripple a team trying to transition to an Andrew Luck era. In 2013 another 11mil of that bonus money is paid on the cap getting the Colts within shouting distance of where they are now at 22mil. Cutting or trading Peyton after 2014 would leave 11mil of dead cap, by which point Andrew Luck will have sat on the bench for 3 years.

To recap:

Cut or Trade Peyton before March 8th: 16mil of dead cap

Cut or Trade Peyton after March 8th: 44mil of dead cap

Cut or Trade Peyton after 2012: 33mil of dead cap

Cut or Trade Peyton after 2013: 22mil of dead cap

Cut or Trade Peyton after 2014: 11mil of dead cap

After 2015: Peyton's contract expires"

If Manning knew he wasn't getting cut he would be working with his teammates.

Touchdown Bowe wrote:

OutlawChief wrote:

I live in Ohio so I don't get many Chiefs games on TV unless its Sunday or Monday night. But there is a website I watch everygame on. And no neither is an Elite QB. Just from their careers stats are almost identical. I just didn't see Orton do anything Cassel cannot. Yes Orton looked better in the same offense, but the teams as a whole was playing better also. Which makes things different. I believe Cassel could have had the same result. Now don't get me wrong, I know I have probably been the biggest Cassel supporter of all here. I do think we need a change, I see Cassel as a game manager who can help win but never carry a team. But I see Orton as the same. We need to move on from both if we can get a healthy Manning. But the chance is slim. And I don't see us in a position to upgrade. So our best bet is to resign Orton to compete with Cassel. I just think no matter who starts we will have the same result. Maybe a playoff run, but not a Superbowl run.

The team as a whole was playing better because the offense was clicking and moving down field instead of struggling possession after possession to cross the 50 yard line. The defense was fresh everytime they came out because Orton kept our offense on the field more than Cassel did. Not a chance in hell Cassel beats Green Bay..and honestly I think if Cassel starts these last 3 games, Romeo is still the DC and someone else is brought in as head coach. By no means is Orton elite like you said, but he's able to move the ball down the field consistantly unlike Cassel.

I think it had more to do with Haley being fired and the team Rallying behind Crennel. Don't get me wrong Orton played his part in all of this. If he didn't we wouldn't be having this conversation. I think all in all we would have ended the season the same way. Even if we threw Stanzi in there and that would have opened a whole new can of worms. I don't believe Orton or Cassel is the answer at all. But I am just saying I don't see how we improve unless we get a healthy Manning or trade up in the draft which isn't going to happen.

We would have easily been in the playoffs if Orton was our QB all year instead of Cassel. Or even if Orton was our QB instead of Palko those four weeks.

So yes, a full season of Orton would be an improvement over a full season of Cassel.

Not as big of an improvement as Manning, but its still a step in the right direction.

When are you all gonna realize that the Chiefs are FULLY commited to Cassell?

And that Orton will not stay because he will not be given an equal oppourtunity to be the starter. The hiring of Daboll just solidifies it.

RustShack wrote:

We would have easily been in the playoffs if Orton was our QB all year instead of Cassel. Or even if Orton was our QB instead of Palko those four weeks.

Definately if he started over Palko. But the way the whole team played From beginning to mid season I don't think so. Our D didn't step up until after Cassel got hurt, they knew they would have to carry Palko. I still want to see Cassel with a new OL and Haley out of the picture. But on a very short leash with a Orton or someone capable in the wings. But I am ok if someone replaces Cassel as well. All in all none of these guys are the long term solution is all I am saying. I just want to find a Franchise QB so we don't have to worries about it again for another 10 to 15 yrs.