Peyton Manning: 10 Teams the Star Quarterback Could Be Traded To

The Indianapolis Colts announced this week that vice chairman Bill Polian and his son Chris, the team's general manager were no longer welcome in 2012.  With this stunning news, it's anyone's guess as to what will happen with head coach Jim Caldwell and more importantly, their franchise quarterback Peyton Manning.

The news hit Peyton Manning very hard, who was actually meeting with Bill Polian when Polian was told to report to team owner Jim Irsay's office where he was let go.

This report said that Manning was "surprised, shocked and disappointed."

With the people who drafted him out of Indianapolis, the possibility of Manning wearing a new uniform in 2012 is greater than ever.  Who will be there to fight for Manning when new management may very well want to start a new era of Colts football by having Andrew Luck take the snaps next year?

Assuming his neck regenerates properly, Manning is sure to draw interest from several teams.  The Colts need to rebuild at many other positions besides quarterback.  Don't you think a new general manager would want to avoid controversy and gain more draft picks?

Here are 10 teams that could vie for Manning's services this offseason. 

Oakland Raiders

If there is anything we have learned with Oakland it is this....Expect the unexpected.

The Raiders finished 8-8 for the second straight season, which sadly is encouraging considering just how bad they were for nearly a decade.  Oakland spent a king's ransom to acquire Carson Palmer who was good but was at times too inconsistent.

The smart choice for Oakland is to focus on improving their offensive line, getting defensive players and trying to sign a veteran receiver.  But with Oakland, who knows?

Why It Could Happen:  Because Oakland is crazy enough to do it.  You don't expect it, but you read the ESPN news banner and find they traded most of their 2013 draft for Manning and cut Palmer.

Why It Won't:  They simply don't need a quarterback. 

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have been searching for a bona fide star quarterback since Jim Kelly retired in the 1990s. 

Buffalo thought they found their man in Ryan Fitzpatrick and they paid him handsomely this year.  Sadly, his play tailed off to the point there's a lot of uncertainty if Fitzpatrick is a true franchise quarterback, or someone  who is doomed to be in the Kyle Orton and Matt More mold.  Someone who can start, but can't truly lead a team to contention.

Peyton Manning would breathe in some life to this franchise that finds itself in danger of moving out of Buffalo in the next few years if something doesn't change.  The Bills proved they have some solid pieces in place and bringing in a guy like Manning could help them. 

Why It Could Happen:  Manning would bring the type of attention the Bills hoped they'd get when they signed Terrell Owens three years ago.   He also could lead the Bills to the playoffs.

Why It Won't:  Manning has never played outdoors consistently much less in a cold city like Buffalo.  The Bills ownership is also usually quite unwilling to pay big bucks to players. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars franchise is desperate to create attention for the media and fans alike as the franchise has toiled in mediocrity for years with no superstars except for Maurice Jones-Drew.  They've wasted a solid career out of Jones-Drew and look to be going nowhere fast.

Bringing in Peyton Manning would certainly bring attention to the franchise.  Also, while not outdoors, it's a warm weather city which should suit Peyton Manning.

Why It Could Happen:  Absolute desperation to get people to fill the stands.  The franchise may have to move soon if they can't.

Why It Won't:  Division rival.  The Colts don't want to see Manning line up against them twice a year for the next three or four years. 

New York Jets

The New York Jets are in a state of chaos right now with Rex Ryan crying at press conferences, Mark Sanchez literally throwing the season away on the field and Santonio Holmes seemingly buying himself a ticket out of New York.

I suppose this happens when you hype your team up for three years as the eventual Super Bowl winner and crash and burn to an 8-8 record.

The Jets need something to shake things up and Manning could be what the doctor ordered.  There aren't many Jets fans that would mind seeing Manning take snaps in favor of Sanchez, who is looking more and more like another USC bust. 

The Jets still have a roster full of good talent, but with a running game in shambles, they either need to get better running backs or rely more on the passing game.  Mark Sanchez doesn't appear up to the task for the latter.  Peyton Manning could fill that void.

Why It Could Happen:  Brings better talent to the quarterback position. Also, Rex Ryan could honestly see his job on the line next year.

Why It Won't:  The borderline obsessive belief Rex Ryan has that Mark Sanchez will be a star franchise quarterback.  Also, the Jets front office will likely be gun shy to do this experiment again, three years after Brett Favre coming and leaving. 

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks were a very curious team this year starting 2-6 but finishing the year with a 5-3 mark to go 7-9 overall, the same as 2010.  Despite horrid quarterback play at times from Tarvaris Jackson and a failed experiment with Charlie Whitehurst the 'Hawks started to show glimpses of the once dominant defense fans enjoyed watching for the better part of last decade.

Additionally, they saw Marshawn Lynch go from a disappointment to a human highlight reel and has guaranteed himself a nice pay day.

With a good defense, sufficient receivers and a strong running game, Peyton Manning could be someone to help make this team into a contender again.  This is one team that is drafting too late to get a franchise quarterback but is also in desperate need of one. 

Why It Could Happen:  Potential final piece in the puzzle to make the Seahawks into a legit Super Bowl threat.

Why It Won't:  Weather again is an issue as it's outdoors and damp, something Manning hasn't really had to deal with.  I also think, ultimately, Pete Carroll believes he can groom his own quarterback to stardom. 

Minnesota Vikings

In just two seasons, Vikings fans have seen their franchise go from being just a Brett Favre interception away from going to the Super Bowl to the 3-13 mess we all saw this year.

It was a disaster all around culminating in Adrian Peterson seeing his knee turn into chopped meat in a vicious tackle against the Washington Redskins.

Though Christian Ponder did OK for his rookie season, he didn't light up the field like other rookie quarterbacks this year. 

The Vikings are known for going after veteran quarterbacks.  Randall Cunningham, Jeff George and most recently Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb come to mind.  Is it that far fetched that the Vikings, who are desperate to create some excitement for the franchise as they fight to stay in Minnesota, would go and target Manning? 

Why It Could Happen:  They're a domed team desperate to get back into contention in a very crowded NFC North.  The franchise is in big trouble and could find itself playing in Los Angeles if there isn't a new stadium deal put in place soon, so the owners need to pull out all the stops.

Why It Won't: They have invested in Ponder and he didn't play poorly.  The odds are the Vikings will look to improve other areas on the team and hope Ponder becomes a franchise QB.

San Francisco 49ers

Head coach Jim Harbaugh has done an amazing job in his first year as coach, taking a team that underwhelmed for far too many years and transformed them into a 13-3 team that is a chic pick to go to the Super Bowl.

He's done this with Alex Smith, the much maligned former first pick in the draft who has been left for dead by numerous 49er head coaches. 

Seeing Smith have a solid if not unspectacular season has been a nice story to see.  But I doubt Jim Harbaugh will even argue that Smith is not the game changing franchise quarterback you see on almost every other team in the playoffs.

If San Francisco loses, it could very well be due in part by the fact they don't have the kind of quarterback that can go off for 350-400 yards.

Peyton Manning could be the kind of guy that can turn this team from a nice playoff team to a Super Bowl contender. One thing that is for sure; Manning has never had a defense like this in Indy

Why It Could Happen:  Manning could be a final piece in the puzzle for a 49er team that will have Super Bowl aspirations in 2012.

Why It Won't:  An outdoor stadium in a non-warm weather area.  Also, the 49ers look like a team that may try to draft and mold their own quarterback of the future. 

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are a team that hasn't found a stud quarterback since Dan Marino hung up the cleats.  Though the team looked downright competitive in the second half of the season, they're still looking for a new coach and likely a new quarterback even though Matt Moore statistically did pretty well.

With the franchise having huge issues bringing fans to the games, Peyton Manning would be an instant draw.  There are weapons on offense that are arguably better than what you see in Indianapolis right now. 

Towards the end of the year, the Dolphins went toe to toe with some very good teams.  If Manning joined them, it could put Miami back in the postseason.

Why It Could Happen:  There is ownership in place that would love to make a big splash and create headlines.  He'd improve the team and put the Dolphins back on the map.  Warm weather should also help.

Why It Won't:  While the ownership is willing to spend, it doesn't mean it's good ownership there.  The likelihood is Steve Ross would screw this up like he has with so many other things. 

Washington Redskins

The 5-11 Washington Redskins learned why Rex Grossman and John Beck were backup quarterbacks on other teams.  Though Grossman in particular was not horrid this season, he also didn't lead his team to many victories. 

The Redskins are starving for a quarterback as time and again they seem to screw up the position.  With an owner in Dan Snyder that routinely makes big if not controversial moves, Manning could be a very interesting choice here. 

He'd certainly be the best quarterback in Washington since they won the Super Bowl 20 years ago. With Mike Shanahan's ability to get the most out of a running game no matter who is carrying the ball, Manning would bring a balanced offense for a team that already has an above-average defense.

Why It Could Happen:  Redskin ownership routinely makes big signings and trades.  Bringing Manning to D.C. would almost fit the way the Redskins go about their business. 

Why It Won't:  It's quite possible the Redskins try to target Robert Griffin III or Landry Jones in the NFL Draft and don't go after any quarterback in the offseason.  Also one of the colder markets on this list. 

Arizona Cardinals

To me, Arizona is the perfect landing spot for Peyton Manning.

First, they have Larry Fitzgerald, one of the best receivers of his generation.  A Manning to Fitzgerald combination could be absolutely lethal.

Second, Kevin Kolb didn't exactly impress people last year.  They could trade or even cut him, bring in Manning and John Skelton who was actually impressive at times last year can be the backup.

The climate is good as it's a retractable roof, so Manning would get to play on a fast field again.

The offensive play set is still geared towards when Kurt Warner was the quarterback. Manning would come in and get to run a very quarterback happy system that can adjust to Manning's ability to essentially coach in the huddle.

The team nearly won a Super Bowl with Kurt Warner at the helm.  Inheriting a team that went 6-2 in its last eight games, Peyton Manning could put Arizona on the map again and would help fully utilize the amazing weapon that is Larry Fitzgerald.