It was what I expected. Given that Manning preferred to stay in the AFC, it seemed like the best fit. Miami seemed to have had a shot because he lives down there but trading away Marshall seemed to have done them in. Plus, there is a lot of change going on down there with the new coaches.
Washington was never in the running. The Cards seemed to have a shot but after not being able to pull off a deal before the weekend when Kolb was due his bonus took them out. Must be a little awkward for the Cards/Kolb as they were pursuing Manning but not getting him and then having to revert back to Kolb.
Tennessee was making a strong push and I'm sure he would have enjoyed going back to the place where he played his college ball but the Titans aren't as good and he would have to have played Indy twice each year.
SF tried to get in late the game but it was probably a little too late. Similar to Arizona, I'm sure Alex Smith feels a bit shunned but I imagine they will be able to work it out with him.
In the end, Denver was the best fit. They are in the AFC. They are in a similar market size to that of Indy. They have a very good defense. They have playmakers on offense. The division is weak and they should be the clear front winner to win the division now. Interesting because last year the Denver fans were all about Tebow-mania and while I'm sure there are still some supporting him, I'm sure the majority of fans are super excited to be getting Manning. It shows you the fickleness of fans.
I like Manning and I hope he has success next year.
6 comments:
Denver will now be a favorite in the NFC.
SF may have screwed themselves. They still may be able to get Alex Smith back, but they will likely have to pay him more than they initially offered.
Obviously, I meant "AFC" not "NFC" in my first sentence above. Sorry.
Agree. I am sure Smith feels disrespected and with no real quality QBs out there, they will need to get Smith back and have to pay more to do so.
Denver will be the favorite for the division and should be one of the better teams in the conference assuming Manning is healthy.
I dont know. I think he may struggle a bit initially. He is a year removed from football and older and going to a new team.
One thing he has in favor of him is a great head coach. John Fox is one of my favorite coaches. He definitely knows how to coach to the strength of his players.
This is the perfect fit for Manning and he instantly makes them a Super Bowl contender. They have a solid running game with McGahee. The O-line is solid and there are some play makers at WR. The coach is very good at getting the most out of his players. Top it all off with a solid defense. If Manning is healthy and can shake off any rust after being out for a year, this team will be dangerous.
The thing is Manning doesn't have to win all by himself. Everyone wants to give Tebow credit for their run last season. I don't want to take stuff away from the guy but lets face it, he is no elite QB. The defense deserves a ton of credit for keeping them in games.
Even a 75% Manning is a big upgrade to Tebow. I do think Manning will have to shake a little rust off but there is no question about this guy's work ethic and leadership abilities and desire to win. He will make sure he is prepared and assuming he is healthy, I expect him to play at a high level.
With the cast around him, it is a great fit for him.
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