4 Scenarios for 2012 Colts Roster with Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck

There is only one thing we know about the Indianapolis Colts' future right now—that they're in possession of the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

Other than that, it's impossible at this time to know exactly what the team will do with that pick, what quarterback Peyton Manning's future both with the team and in the league will be and whether Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is going to succeed him.

However, it's not hard to imagine a number of scenarios that could play out come spring.

Here are four ways things could play out for the Colts, Manning and Luck in 2012.

The Indianapolis Colts Keep Peyton Manning, Draft Andrew Luck

If Peyton Manning is healthy enough to play in 2012, then the Indianapolis Colts both keeping him around and drafting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is a very real possibility for the team.

The team definitely needs a viable backup for Manning as well as a dedicated quarterback of the future to take the reins of the team's offense once Manning hangs it up for good.

Should Manning be healthy enough to play in 2012, it doesn't seem likely that the Colts will follow up their 2-14 2011 season with a similarly bad performance, marking this the best opportunity for them to shore up the quarterback position for some time.

With Luck on the bench behind Manning for a season or more, he will be able to learn the pro game from one of the best to ever play it.

In this scenario, the Colts know they are set at quarterback for at least a decade, maybe longer.

The Indianapolis Colts Draft Andrew Luck, Release Peyton Manning

If the Indianapolis Colts don't believe quarterback Peyton Manning will be healthy enough to play in 2012, or if they're just ready to move on without the 35-year-old under center, then it's likely the team would draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and move Manning before early March.

That's when Manning is due a $28 million payment on his contract.

If the Colts don't pay him that sum, that means Manning is most certainly out in Indy, and the team will be moving forward with Luck.

Manning's health is most certainly an issue. If the team parts ways with him because they don't believe he'll be ready to suit up in September, then it's going to be harder for Manning to find a new home that will pay him what he'd desire, let alone appoint him the starter.

ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, speaking with 106.7 The Fan, thinks that the Colts won't be paying Manning in March, but that he won't go to another team, instead choosing to retire.

He cites the injury as the major reason for this, speculating that his health situation is more serious than has been reported.

Either way, if the Colts don't make that payment to Manning in March, then his time in Indy is over, and the Luck era will most likely begin.

The Indianapolis Colts Trade the No. 1 Pick, Stick with Peyton Manning

Should Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning be fully recovered from his two 2011 neck surgeries and is able to play in 2012, the team could consider trading the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

With the Colts having serious needs in a number of positions, the more draft picks and players they can acquire from trading the pick could help them shore up the deficiencies made so very clear by their 2-14 2011 season.

However, that still leaves the issue of Manning's backup up in the air.

Should Manning get injured again next season, the prospect of once again turning to Curtis Painter or Dan Orlovsky to lead the offense is a pretty bleak one, if this year was any indication.

Though the team has a number of holes that need to be filled, the most glaring one is at backup quarterback. The Colts need more than a marginal, stopgap backup with Manning turning 36 before the start of the next regular season.

They need to find a successor for Manning, and they're not likely to end up with such a solid opportunity as this year's No. 1 pick and Andrew Luck in the 2013 draft.

It seems unlikely, but possible, that the Colts entertain trading the pick if Manning is healthy.

The Indianapolis Colts Trade the No. 1 Pick, Draft Robert Griffin III

There is a way for the Indianapolis Colts to have their cake and eat it, too, when it comes to the 2012 NFL draft.

Should Peyton Manning not be the team's quarterback once the draft rolls around, the Colts may choose to trade their No. 1 overall pick to another team with a top-five pick.

They could then use that first-rounder to snag Baylor quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, and still have enough extra picks leftover to fill some of the most glaring holes on their roster.

Griffin is also projected to be an early first-round pick in 2012, and his skills are just slightly below those of Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

He's got the same amount of potential to be a long-term, successful starter in the NFL, and his mobility combined with a big, accurate arm could transform the Colts offense into something more dynamic that it was even with Manning under center.

Though this decision seems to be one of the more unlikely that the Colts could make regarding the future of their quarterback position, it does provide them both with a quarterback of the future as well as additional draft picks.

If any of the other teams picking in the first five spots in the 2012 draft are more enamored with Luck than the Colts, it might serve the team well to entertain offers for the pick. It could make all the difference for the team next season and beyond.