June 19, 2013

NFL Rumor: Browns to Pursue Peyton Manning?

January 4, 2012 by 48 Comments

I know that is one heck of a headline, right?  Thanks to Adam Schefter talking to Mike and Mike this morning on ESPN radio Browns fans can dream about Peyton Manning taking over the Browns offense next year.  So, what, exactly could this all be about?

The Colts have fired the Polian family from their front office.  The team hasn’t made a decision regarding their head coach Jim Caldwell as of yet.  They have the number 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft and QB phenom Andrew Luck is staring them in the face.  Peyton Manning is rehabbing a neck injury where he had vertebrae fused together and he is 35 years old.  He is also due a $28 million (MILLION) roster bonus in March.  The Colts are at a crossroads.

Do they cut Peyton Manning?  Obviously the team could move forward next season without Manning and with Andrew Luck by simply cutting Manning and his gaudy salary.  The Manning family is kind of involved and over-bearing sometimes.  Archie is already on record about Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck sharing the same roster.  Archie makes Brad McCoy look like a sheepish little mouse.

The Browns could trade Brad McCoy for a few years of Peyton Manning and his dad Archie should Manning become a free agent outright.  The Browns certainly have the cap space to pay Manning one more time before he retires.  In August this year the Browns had about $24 million in cap space.  They re-upped with a few guys during the season, but there’s always some flexibility in the NFL.  I’m not saying the Browns should do anything like it, but they could part ways with Eric Steinbach who is set to make $12 million over the next two seasons.  Sheldon Brown is set to make $3.7 million in his final year next season as well.

Trading Brad McCoy for Archie Manning via free agency is about the only way I see it happening.  The way Peyton Manning’s deal is structured I just don’t see anyone actually trading with the Colts to take on the contract as it is currently written.  Manning signed a $90 million deal that pays him $69 million over the first three years of the contract.

All in all though, I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.  That is assuming you are interested in a few years of Peyton Manning on the Browns anyway.  What are the chances that Peyton Manning would come to Cleveland?  When Archie had control over Eli’s draft position, they bargained their way out of San Diego so Eli could be a Giant.  If Peyton Manning was free and clear to go absolutely anywhere he wanted, why wouldn’t he choose somewhere else where they are further along?  He could go to Houston and throw balls to Andre Johnson.  he could go to the Jets and make NYC a Manning town for a few years.

We’ll see how it shakes out, but I don’t have a clear vision for it.  Plus, who knows if he is even going to be healthy enough to make it through a season let alone multiple?

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  • ben

    To be fair to Schefter, even though I don’t really like him, he prefaced those statements by saying “this is just speculation” about a million times.

    I wouldn’t even go so far as to call it a rumor, b/c I think those are based in some kernel of truth from somewhere. This was all pure guesswork.

  • Painesville

    BUYING MY SUPER BOWL TICKETS NOW!

  • DocZeus

    Wait, what? Really? I mean… it’s Peyton Manning.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Craig Lyndall

    That’s why I worded it so carefully. Thanks to Adam Schefter Browns fans can dream…

  • Garry Owen

    No way he would come to Cleveland and risk another injury to his vertebrae. This Peyton hasn’t had grass stains on his jersey in 13 years. Conversely, Browns QBs haven’t worn anything but green in the last 12.

  • B-bo

    No. Absolutely not. This team doesn’t need a player of that age and now frailty for that money. And Peyton Manning doesn’t need to end his career by getting annihiliated behind the sorry excuse for a right side of the O-line that we have in place. Bad deal for both sides. If he does leave Indy, I could see him replacing “the Sanchise” in NY. Or perhaps Arizona? Or how about a return to Tennessee to lead the Titans? Any of those seems a more reasonable option than here.

  • Harv 21

    um, could analyze this to death but let’s start with two words at the heart of the Colts’ dilemna: “vertebrae fusion.” So we release our best guard who’s only had a little disc nip and tuck for a … aw, why even go here. I heard Schefter too. He was just brainstorming about any team looking for a QB if the Colts can’t figure out a way for him to return to a starting job.

  • dimoko

    peyton in Free agency, resign hillins, Blackmon with #4 pick, RG with the Atlanta pick and away you go.

  • http://serandez.blogspot.com Ezzie

    If he’s going to go somewhere, wouldn’t it be Miami? They could give up their #1 this year (which would be used on a QB anyway) and perhaps some other picks, they have a decent O-line, and Reggie Bush is a lot like Joe Addai as a RB. They have Brandon Marshall already and their other WRs aren’t horrible, and they have an OK defense.

    Meanwhile the Colts would pick Luck and at #9 take Rieff from Iowa to protect him, and they’d have other picks and extra cash to play with.

  • MrCleaveland

    Flick says he saw some grizzly bears near Pulaski’s candy store.

  • Matt

    Two Peytons would be too confusing.

  • Matt

    Assuming we get either next year. Big if.

  • http://www.redright88.com Titus Pullo

    If the Colts decide to part with Manning, which is still a big if, it would seem likely given the history between the player and the team that the Colts would work something out to allow Manning to go to a team of his choosing, as long as it wasn’t within the division.

    It doesn’t seem like the relationship between Manning and the Colts is acrimonious the way it was with Brett Favre and the Packers, so it seems reasonable that they would work with him.

    Not to bag on the Browns, but if Manning could go anywhere, and there will certainly be teams willing to take a risk, why would he come to Cleveland? It seems more likely he would want to go to a team with a legitimate chance to win in the next 2-3 years as that is probably all his career has left.

    If he actually plays again, of course.

  • Garry Owen

    I wonder what the recent departure of the Polians says about potential acrimony in Indy. My hunch is that there was clear, and harsh, disagreement between ownership and management over what to do with Peyton.

  • humboldt

    Craig, why do you continue to bang on about Brad McCoy? His son had a serious head injury and it was mishandled in a way that put him at risk for long-term brain damage. His speaking up to the media helped make the situation a national issue and now additional safeguards are in place around the league.

    Good lord man, think this one through a little before casting simple-minded aspersions.

  • oribiasi

    @ Garry Owen: Or, there was clear, harsh disagreement over a lost season that was tanked for one player/possible bright future.

    See how heads roll after one bad season in some towns, guys and gals? I wish we had such fervor here.

  • mgbode

    even if the Colts trade Peyton Manning it is foolish to think that he won’t have some say into where he gets to go.

    why would he pick a team that is currently terrible on offense, doesn’t run the offense that he wants to run, and is not very likely to let him be his own OC?

  • mgbode

    @oribiasi – or the Irsay’s realized that these were Polians 1st round picks since 2005

    2005 – Marlin Jackson
    2006 – Joseph Addai
    2007 – Anthony Gonzalez
    2008 – No pick, was traded previous season to trade up and take Tony Ugoh
    2009 – Donald Brown
    2010 – Anthony Castanzo

  • Ghost

    Im sure Manning would love Holmgrens horizontal passing game. :D

  • Deuce

    Well it’s official, Adam Schefter did his job and got everybody talking. This is a stupid “speculation” by Schefter, Manning wouldn’t come here.

  • stin4u

    This is way out of the realm of possibility. Too many other suitors with way too much more to offer. It is nice to postulate about but that is about it.

  • christiang

    I don’t know, Manning seems like the kind of guy that wants to build from the basement up. A lot of other franchises have good stories right now… minus the browns. He would be celebrated.

    A lot of people are “meh” on Dan Marino but I myself like Dan a little bit more because he stayed around killing teams with not great talent around him.

  • Jay

    Would he come here as QB coach and/or OC by any chance? If not, then there’s no way I want him here.

  • Roosevelt

    I can’t imagine this is more than speculation, but if anyone thinks it’s a bad move, they’re dead wrong. Look at what he did for the Colts, a team that was exposed this year as being as bad as the Browns ever were. Look at how an endless procession of forgettable receivers consistently had 6,7,8 catch games. Look at how they went to the playoffs every year, with a team that, outside of Manning, deserved to be 3-13. If he came to the Browns, they would be legitimate contenders, the same way the Colts were for the last eight years.

  • 216in614

    Does anyone really think the Colts would have made the playoffs with a health Manning?

  • oribiasi

    @ mgbode: Well played, sir. And, entirely possible.

  • oribiasi

    @ 216in614: Why not? They did last year with essentially the same roster. Shows you what one player can do, especially at the all important/encompassing position of quarterback.

  • ben

    @23: LOL!

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Craig Lyndall

    Yes. The Colts would have made the playoffs with a healthy Manning.

    The Browns would need to find a receiver or two, but they would be expected to make the playoffs in their first year if a healthy Peyton Manning was under center and running the Browns’ offense. He is that big of a difference maker.

    I also don’t think it will happen, but they would be instant playoff contenders if Manning was healthy, I think.

  • BisonDeleSightings

    I’d take Manning, even if he can’t move his neck.

    Especially if he has to wear one of those sweet Steve Grogan neck rolls.

  • http://www.clevelandsports360.com cs-360

    Hey your article keeps talking about the Browns trading Brad McCoy. When did the Browns get Colts dad under contract and who would want him. You really think The Browns can trade Brad McCoy and get something out of him?

  • oribiasi

    @ cs-360: Ladies & Germs, this is a troll. Approach with caution.

    (Albeit, a kind one from a nice, Cleveland-esque website which we should all read.)

  • BrownieBob

    LOl…Too Funny…..But trust me on one thing….If Manning is cleared to play and for some unknown reason cam to Cleveland…it would result in the following….

    Little…..87 catches…( plus at least 24 drops )

    Evan Moore….70 Catches

    Jordan Norwood…..60 catches…

    Cribbs….50 – 60 catches

    Hillis ….. 50 catches ….( providung he is here )

    Soon everyone would forget that we NEED a receiver cuz you have a QB that knows how to play the game at an elite NFL level…

    Of course thats just my opinion…I could be wrong..

  • http://www.lakecounty-sentinel.com Unbelievable

    I just love how people will believe anything that people put out there about the Browns. The sad part is when my website http://www.lakecounty-sentinel.com first reported that Grady Sizemore would be released by the Indians and then re-signed, we were ripped on this website for reporting it. Well it turned out to be the truth. Now this website puts a story like this on their website? WOW. If that isn’t being a hypocrite, then I don’t know what is. No one in their right mind would believe this. But of course Browns fans are not in their right mind, just ask the little kids they beat up for wearing the opponents jersey to games.

  • eldaveablo

    We all know Manning would never be QB of the Browns – he isn’t familiar with the WCO. Come on now.

  • Shamrock

    Tom Izzo is coming along too!!

  • stin4u

    @34 – Actually if you took the time to read the comments you’d realize most fans are saying this isn’t likely, but hey were crazy right? Also, I don’t recall anyone “ripping” your website but I do remember a lot of “what, who?” reactions.

    Way to go on the shameless plug though.

  • crobarred

    Manning isn’t coming here. I think when he retires and decides to be a coach he’ll be a very good one. I don’t want to see the Browns leverage picks for anyone with an injury history. Just go into the draft and select the best players on the board that fit a need.

  • Chucky Brown

    0 chance that Peyton would spend the twilight of his career here

    I say sign Flynn and draft blackmon

  • mgbode

    I agree with Chucky

  • bridgecrosser

    Sorry to miss this. Due to cap ramifications he will be cut. They have 5 days after the Super Bowl to do it. His neck is jacked up. Team that gives him the most guaranteed cash and a chance to not get sacked a ton will win.

  • NJ

    Lake County Sentinel guy is my favorite troll.

  • ClevelandFan14

    I am unsure of how I would feel about Peyton joining the Browns. I would love to have him since he has been the best quarterback other than Brady over the last 10 years. The thing that worries me is that I don’t think we could build a strong enough team to win here before he retires. And if we don’t, then we are left without a QB. I personally do not think the Colts would have made the playoffs with Manning this year. They likely would have went 16-0 in 2009 had their starters played in those last 2 games and then dropped off to 10-6 in 2010. The team is getting old and on the decline. They gave up after the Pittsburgh game this year which is why they looked so bad, but I still think they were 8-8 or 9-7 with Manning.

  • http://yardbarker Mark Y

    Sign Manning & Reggie Wayne (he’ll come if Manning comes), draft Richardson & someone else… anybody else to play on the O-line. I wouldn’t mind D-Jack flying down the middle too. We can all dream, right?

  • Chris

    Seriously what’s up with everyone and Matt Flynn, he had ONE game and resigning Hillis that’s also a screwup.

  • Beercan32

    Who is Brad McCoy? Cmon man!

  • Namvet

    Why would the Colts want Colt McCoy (sounds like Central Casting, doesn’t it?) if they’re drafting Andrew Luck? And why would Peyton Manning agree to play in Cleveland where he’ll be pulverized from the right side on almost every down? This is just a brain fahrt.

  • Tom Wynne

    i used to have these fantasies too…but i stopped smoking weed before writing about them…