Peyton Manning to Broncos Decision
By Walt - @walterfootball
March 20, 2012
If you somehow missed it amid all the coverage on ESPN and tweets on Twitter, Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos. I've posted my Peyton Manning signing grade here, which includes the repercussions for the 49ers, Titans and other teams.
But did Manning make the correct decision? Should he have gone elsewhere, or is Denver the best possible situation for him?
I'm going to take a look at all of the factors, such as supporting cast and coaching, and I'll rank each of the Manning contenders based on what they can provide in each category. The Manning contenders (throughout the whole process) are: Broncos, 49ers, Titans, Cardinals, Dolphins and Redskins.
Supporting Cast:
The 49ers have the best supporting cast with Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Mario Manningham and Randy Moss. Moss is a bum, but he toed the line with Tom Brady, so I imagine he'd do the same with Manning.
I selfishly wanted Manning to sign with the Cardinals so he could hook up with Larry Fitzgerald. As for the Titans, Kenny Britt, Chris Johnson and Jared Cook comprise a pretty good supporting cast. Britt is coming off an ACL tear, however.
The Redskins are next on the list because of Pierre Garcon and a strong running game. The Broncos and Dolphins don't have much to offer in this area. I like Demaryius Thomas, but that's the only skill-position player Denver has of note. Willis McGahee is running on fumes.
Offensive Line:
The Titans are the clear favorites here because they surrendered just 24 sacks in 2011. They also added Steve Hutchinson to improve the left guard position. Manning has played behind some terrible offensive lines over the years, so it would be scary to imagine how well he'd perform with lots of time to throw.
The Broncos, Redskins and 49ers are all close. They allowed 42, 41 and 44 sacks in the regular season, respectively. I slotted Denver ahead of Washington because the Redskins have two linemen coming off injuries.
The Miami and Arizona fronts are atrocious, ranking in the bottom three in terms of sacks permitted (52, 54, respectively).
Coaching:
Ken Whisenhunt has recently taken a future Hall of Fame quarterback to the Super Bowl. Mike Shanahan did the same, but a long time ago. It's close, but I'm giving Whisenhunt the edge because of recent history.
The 49ers and Broncos both have strong head coaches who have had postseason success. The Titans and Dolphins, meanwhile, have new, unproven head coaches.
Organizational Stability:
Tennessee once again gets the nod in this category because Bud Adams promised Manning a "contract for life." I thought Manning would go to Tennessee because of this.
The Broncos are next because of John Elway despite the fact that he completely botched the Tim Tebow situation. The fact remains though that Denver has a strong front office and ownership.
San Francisco and Arizona are next. I trust the Yorks slightly more than the Bidwells. Both, however, are infinitely superior to Daniel Snyder and Stephen Ross. Everyone knows about Snyder, but Ross is a complete joke. He's turned a respectable Miami franchise into a circus. No one wants to play for him and his B-list celebrity friends.
Environment:
Manning has never been as good outdoors, so I initially thought the Cardinals would be the team to sign him. They were the only suitor with a dome. The other NFC West team is next because they offer good weather, for the most part.
Denver and Tennessee are close in terms of the weather and fan base. I'm giving the latter the slight edge because of the altitude in Denver.
Miami seems like it should be higher on this list, but Manning reportedly hated the circus atmosphere that the city had to offer. Being married and entering his late 30s, Manning doesn't party like LeBron James, so taking his talents to South Beach wasn't as appealing.
The Redskins are last because Manning would have to deal with the media insanity while battling his brother twice per year.
Playoff Path:
Going to any of the western divisions would offer Manning an easy path into the playoffs. The AFC West is better than the NFC West, and San Francisco has the edge over Arizona because Manning would not have to deal with the 49er defense as a member of that team.
The Titans are next. The Texans are a great team, but the Colts and Jaguars wouldn't pose much of a challenge.
Going through the two eastern divisions would be brutal. Battling Tom Brady twice per year wouldn't be ideal.
Cap Space:
Figures as of March 11, per Pro Football Talk
Cap space is important because Manning wants his new team to bring in his entourage, which includes Jeff Saturday, Dallas Clark, and perhaps Joseph Addai and Dwight Freeney.
Recap:
Adding up all of the totals, we get:
1. 49ers - 19
2. Broncos - 20
3. Titans - 20
4. Cardinals - 22
5. Redskins - 27
6. Dolphins - 39
There it is. Manning should be a Niner. Of course, the top three numbers are so close that it understandably was a difficult decision. The 49ers, Broncos and Titans all made lots of sense, so we can agree that Manning made a good choice. At least he was smart enough not to go to Miami.
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March 20, 2012
If you somehow missed it amid all the coverage on ESPN and tweets on Twitter, Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos. I've posted my Peyton Manning signing grade here, which includes the repercussions for the 49ers, Titans and other teams.
But did Manning make the correct decision? Should he have gone elsewhere, or is Denver the best possible situation for him?
I'm going to take a look at all of the factors, such as supporting cast and coaching, and I'll rank each of the Manning contenders based on what they can provide in each category. The Manning contenders (throughout the whole process) are: Broncos, 49ers, Titans, Cardinals, Dolphins and Redskins.
Supporting Cast:
- 49ers
- Cardinals
- Titans
- Redskins
- Broncos
- Dolphins
The 49ers have the best supporting cast with Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Mario Manningham and Randy Moss. Moss is a bum, but he toed the line with Tom Brady, so I imagine he'd do the same with Manning.
I selfishly wanted Manning to sign with the Cardinals so he could hook up with Larry Fitzgerald. As for the Titans, Kenny Britt, Chris Johnson and Jared Cook comprise a pretty good supporting cast. Britt is coming off an ACL tear, however.
The Redskins are next on the list because of Pierre Garcon and a strong running game. The Broncos and Dolphins don't have much to offer in this area. I like Demaryius Thomas, but that's the only skill-position player Denver has of note. Willis McGahee is running on fumes.
Offensive Line:
- Titans
- Broncos
- Redskins
- 49ers
- Dolphins
- Cardinals
The Titans are the clear favorites here because they surrendered just 24 sacks in 2011. They also added Steve Hutchinson to improve the left guard position. Manning has played behind some terrible offensive lines over the years, so it would be scary to imagine how well he'd perform with lots of time to throw.
The Broncos, Redskins and 49ers are all close. They allowed 42, 41 and 44 sacks in the regular season, respectively. I slotted Denver ahead of Washington because the Redskins have two linemen coming off injuries.
The Miami and Arizona fronts are atrocious, ranking in the bottom three in terms of sacks permitted (52, 54, respectively).
Coaching:
- Cardinals
- Redskins
- Broncos
- 49ers
- Titans
- Dolphins
Ken Whisenhunt has recently taken a future Hall of Fame quarterback to the Super Bowl. Mike Shanahan did the same, but a long time ago. It's close, but I'm giving Whisenhunt the edge because of recent history.
The 49ers and Broncos both have strong head coaches who have had postseason success. The Titans and Dolphins, meanwhile, have new, unproven head coaches.
Organizational Stability:
- Titans
- Broncos
- 49ers
- Cardinals
- Redskins
- Dolphins
Tennessee once again gets the nod in this category because Bud Adams promised Manning a "contract for life." I thought Manning would go to Tennessee because of this.
The Broncos are next because of John Elway despite the fact that he completely botched the Tim Tebow situation. The fact remains though that Denver has a strong front office and ownership.
San Francisco and Arizona are next. I trust the Yorks slightly more than the Bidwells. Both, however, are infinitely superior to Daniel Snyder and Stephen Ross. Everyone knows about Snyder, but Ross is a complete joke. He's turned a respectable Miami franchise into a circus. No one wants to play for him and his B-list celebrity friends.
Environment:
- Cardinals
- 49ers
- Titans
- Broncos
- Dolphins
- Redskins
Manning has never been as good outdoors, so I initially thought the Cardinals would be the team to sign him. They were the only suitor with a dome. The other NFC West team is next because they offer good weather, for the most part.
Denver and Tennessee are close in terms of the weather and fan base. I'm giving the latter the slight edge because of the altitude in Denver.
Miami seems like it should be higher on this list, but Manning reportedly hated the circus atmosphere that the city had to offer. Being married and entering his late 30s, Manning doesn't party like LeBron James, so taking his talents to South Beach wasn't as appealing.
The Redskins are last because Manning would have to deal with the media insanity while battling his brother twice per year.
Playoff Path:
- 49ers
- Cardinals
- Broncos
- Titans
- Redskins
- Dolphins
Going to any of the western divisions would offer Manning an easy path into the playoffs. The AFC West is better than the NFC West, and San Francisco has the edge over Arizona because Manning would not have to deal with the 49er defense as a member of that team.
The Titans are next. The Texans are a great team, but the Colts and Jaguars wouldn't pose much of a challenge.
Going through the two eastern divisions would be brutal. Battling Tom Brady twice per year wouldn't be ideal.
Cap Space:
Figures as of March 11, per Pro Football Talk
- Broncos ($44.7M under)
- Redskins ($31.1M under)
- Titans ($28.1M under)
- 49ers ($21.8M under)
- Dolphins ($11.8M under)
- Cardinals ($16.4M over)
Cap space is important because Manning wants his new team to bring in his entourage, which includes Jeff Saturday, Dallas Clark, and perhaps Joseph Addai and Dwight Freeney.
Recap:
Adding up all of the totals, we get:
1. 49ers - 19
2. Broncos - 20
3. Titans - 20
4. Cardinals - 22
5. Redskins - 27
6. Dolphins - 39
There it is. Manning should be a Niner. Of course, the top three numbers are so close that it understandably was a difficult decision. The 49ers, Broncos and Titans all made lots of sense, so we can agree that Manning made a good choice. At least he was smart enough not to go to Miami.
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Birdman
03-19-2012
09:59 pm
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Walt, did you really write this?
The Redskins and Cardinals have a better coaching staff than the 49ers (coach of the year) and John Fox (Almost made the AFC Championship with Tim Tebow at QB)..? And the Cardinals (49ers in division) have an easier playoff path than the Broncos (Chargers, Chiefs, and Raiders)? #cmonman
Steve
03-19-2012
09:34 pm
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You're a complete tool if you think a senile, overbearing hack like Bud Adams offers the most "Organizational Stability".
He's also in no position to offer Manning a "contract for life", as he'll be in a casket in a few years.
Turkdumb
03-19-2012
08:08 pm
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@turk you moron the niners are not a qb away from being an elite team they are a punt returner away. Alex Smith played beyond well enough to win the NFC title game.The team is overrated anyway they play in a crap division where they should go 6-0 regardless of the QB i hope Smith leaves because the niners well see the grass is not always greener
Turk
03-19-2012
07:48 pm
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Are you crazy San Fran is a Qb away from becoming an Elite team on a regular basis and I dare you to put John Fox over Harbough as a coach Tebow saved Fox ass they stunk before Tebow was the starter and Denver are a long way fron being Super Bowl ready. Bad article
Nathan T
03-19-2012
07:38 pm
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@GongKong The problem with your idea, while good, is that it makes no sense for New England to give up Ryan Mallet. They drafted him last year while saying they had him rated at a late first round pick and the best thrower in the class. BB obviously has the intention of getting a first or early second round pick out of him. Mallet is farther along as a QB than Tebow is at this point, and probably will have another year to learn before being asked to be the backup when Hoyer leaves. BB has to think Mallet is worth more than a third at this point
Sketchy
03-19-2012
07:35 pm
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Aside from Larry Fitzgerald the Cardinals other receivers, TEs, and RBs are no better than anybody on the Broncos or any of the other teams listed under them.
Shanny has shown extremely sketchy decision making since John Elway left and Wisenhunt is massively overrated. I'd take John Fox or Harbaugh over either of them. Manning didn't go to the 49ers because there's no way Harbaugh was going to let Manning take control of HIS offense. Denver also has a better defense than all the above mentioned teams but the 49ers, which should have been a category.
GongKong
03-19-2012
06:54 pm
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Manning will be good again. Broncos will have at least two years of being contenders (and most likely not champs as so much luck and etc goes into winning)
Good for them. I still hope Elway Horse Teeth falls out of his louge drunk and dead, but f it, Denver has good fans and does deserve to win a bit. Shanahan sucks as a coach now and players hate hime and revolt. 49ers have the best coach, even if not for Manning I coach myself QB OC HC style. Ehh....Cleveland still blows and has no QB. My proposal: Broncos trade Tebow to NE, NE sends Ryan Mallett to Cleveland, Cleveland sends conditional 3rd rounder next year and this years 4th rounder to Denver McDaniels loves Tebow and he can be a great gadget, HBack, Goal line hammer for them. Cleveland finally gets a chance at a franchise QB for a cheap price, and Denver gets a couple of picks for someone they hate and don't want on their team. Its a win, win, win. Too good to be true. Adam Shefter will not report this. Start the rumor now. Tebow to NE, Mallett to Cle, draft picks to Den!!!!!!!!!!! Win, Win, Win
greg
03-19-2012
06:34 pm
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The Broncos have 2 very good wide receivers and a top flight offensive line. Their defense is better than any Manning had with the colts. They need a fresh running back but this is one of the easiest positions to fill. The Titans have about the same amount of talent as the Denver. The Redskins have a bunch of underachievers. The 49ers don't have the money (neither did Miami or the Cardinals). Plus the 49ers made Alex Smith look good, so I don't imagine they'll be aweful if Smith goes somewhere else.
Uhh ..
03-19-2012
06:25 pm
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How is defense not a category? Clearly isn't part of "supporting cast" because if it was, Broncos should be higher.
IMO the only teams in contention were the 9ers, Broncos, and Titans. Cards were out of it long ago, and the other teams never really had a shot. Titans and Broncos have the O-line, 49ers and Broncos had the defense. Coaching pushes the Broncos over the edge, cause if Fox doesn't work out, I'm willing to bet Elway has already told Manning he will find him a diff coach. 9ers on the other hand are married to Harbaugh (with good reason).
Your the Joke...
03-19-2012
05:21 pm
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AFC West.. Chargers (potential playoff team)
Chiefs if they had stayed healthy ie Charles, Moeaki, Berry.. probably would have won the division (playoffs) Broncos made the playoffs riding their D and power run game with Tebow, and beat the Steelers Raiders injury killed their season like the Chiefs.. Campbell was having a decent year, McFadden was lighting it up till he got hurt.. NFC Cardinals, they have Fitz and thats about it Seahawks, dont have a whole lot going for em.. looking at another mediocre season even with Flynn Rams, still rebuilding around Bradford, got the right pieces in play, only time will tell 49ers, that D will take em to the dance, almost did special teams killed their dreams.. lets see AFC west is a grab bag for anyteam in the division to go to the playoffs.. NFC West has one team steadily in the playoffs... even if Manning went to the Cardinals, i dont think they are in it for long, Cards dont have the D to compete
Andrew
03-19-2012
05:13 pm
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i can see how Garcon is plus for Manning, Garcon and Manning have been on the same team for a while and know each other.. they have chemistry... Garcon has no chemistry with anyone in Washington, and will consequenty drop in stats... Decker and Thomas will improve dramatically with Manning over Tebow, McGahee will thrive with a reduced role.. the broncos wont have to run it 50 times a game... McGahee splitting carries getting about 10-15 touches a game is a good recipe, he is still a decent not good but decent option if the broncos organization doesnt wear him down by the end of the season... if i were peyton im taking 49ers, but broncos is as good of a choice as any..
What a Joke
03-19-2012
05:05 pm
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AFC West is better than NFC West? I agree that neither is a top flight Division, but I don't think you watched any ball in 2011 if you think that. Your prejudices are showing again Walt!
adam
03-19-2012
05:01 pm
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this is absolutely stupid... this is your own criteria that you made up. the scoring system is yours not mannings. who says all of these categories are weighted the same in mannings head. this was a waste of time to read.
James
03-19-2012
04:52 pm
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Why would you include Washington, which is drafting Griffin to *start* day 1?
scumbag walt
03-19-2012
04:46 pm
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Grades Pierre Garcon signing bad for the Skins > Makes Pierre Garcon a "plus" player for the Skins when comparing supporting casts with the Broncos.
Biased much? Man, that's a whole lot of BS.. How is it that the supporting cast in Denver is bad? Thomas, Decker, McGahee and Moreno... Decker and Thomas produced with a bunch of bums at QB, how is this not a top combination with Manning at the helm? You don't make ANY sense Remember, Manning MADE Garcon and this stupid contract he earned.. Decker is better than him. |
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