Peyton Manning: 5 Teams Possibly Foolish Enough to Pin Hopes on Injured Star

There are five NFL teams desperate enough to consider pursuing Peyton Manning in 2012, though it would be foolish to do so.

The 2012 NFL Draft is one that is short on elite prospects at the quarterback position, making Manning even more enticing than in years past.

Manning won't admit it, but the sad truth of the matter is that he might not even be able to suit up this year. He is in the middle of a complicated recovery, and one that isn't certain to assure that he returns at 100 percent.

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports wrote a post where he dove into the murky waters of Manning's dilemma. He spoke to two sources with knowledge of the rehabilitation process who said that it doesn't seem like his nerve is regenerating at a speed that would indicate he's going to be able to get his full strength back. One of them also said this:

"

Right now, Peyton is at about six months. He should have a much better idea by July or August just how far he’s going to get … even then, that’s only a part of it. You can tell about 80 percent of how the nerves and the muscles are healing by rehab. What you really have to see is how his arm holds up when he starts to throw. Does he have the same velocity on the 15-yard out? Can he throw the 60-yard pass? Can he throw for 30 minutes before his arm gets tired? Can he throw for an hour? It’s a very complicated process.

"

Even if his nerve does end up fully regenerating, it's not something anyone is going to know until probably after training camp starts up. 

I foresee Manning's ordeal stretching well into the beginning of next year, and the drama over his recovery will likely end up becoming more annoying and irritating than "Favre watch."

Still, there are a handful of teams that are needy enough to throw caution to the wind in the hopes that they can catch lightning in a bottle. 

Washington Redskins

The last two seasons have not been kind to Washington Redskins fans. First, you get a lazy, unmotivated Donovan McNabb, and then you were treated to one of the worst starting quarterbacks to have ever played in a Super Bowl and one of the most unreliable passers in the NFL, Rex Grossman.

It's a shame, too, because the Redskins have a strong team outside of this most crucial of positions.

Daniel Snyder has never shied away from making "bold" free-agent decisions. I don't think he'd think twice about trying to bring in Peyton Manning, even if there was a chance he wouldn't be able to play in 2012.

I mean, if you are willing to take an aging quarterback (McNabb) off the hands of your divisional rivals, even though they don't want him, then surely you wouldn't mind rolling the dice on one of the best quarterbacks of all time, right?

Mike Shanahan is desperate for a competent quarterback to run his offense, and the Redskins could get desperate enough to pull the trigger.

In the end, it would be one more bad personnel decision at the end of a long line of bad personnel decisions, and one I won't be surprised to see.

Miami Dolphins

The only way to win in the AFC East is with exceptional quarterback play. Chad Henne and Matt Moore don't qualify as "elite" quarterbacks, and you could even conclude that they don't even crack the top half of the quarterbacks in the NFL.

Brandon Marshall is a beast, but he's been held in check during his tenure in Miami. He showed what kind of player he is when he was in Denver, but he had Jay Cutler getting him the ball. Then, in the 2012 Pro Bowl, Marshall busted out for four touchdowns. I guess we don't need to wonder if he's still got it.

What the Dolphins and Marshall need is a strong-armed, accurate quarterback that will be able to dominate through the air when needed. 

Manning would seem to fit the bill...if he were healthy.

The Dolphins are just outside the range where it might be feasible to trade up for Robert Griffin III without selling most of their picks. That being said, I'm sure they will try to land Matt Flynn in free agency. There is no guarantee they'll win the bidding war, however, and that puts them in the spotlight again.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Stephen Ross make a strong push to acquire Manning, though it would be the wrong move.

Kansas City Chiefs

Romeo Crennel is the new head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. He will also be taking ownership of the defensive coordinating duties.

Crennel will be looking for a franchise quarterback, because neither Tyler Palko, Matt Cassell or Kyle Orton is going to be the answer to lead the Chiefs to the promised land.

On the surface, it might seem like Peyton Manning would be the perfect fit to come in and run the Chiefs offense. The Chiefs actually have a nice contingency of weapons on offense that an elite quarterback could have a field day with. 

The thing is, Manning wouldn't be available to truly even practice with the team until August or September, and he'd be starting over from scratch. Remember, he had the same playbook for his entire career in Indy, and he's coming off of not throwing for an entire year.

It would be disastrous for the Chiefs to bring in Manning, no matter how desperate they might be to upgrade the quarterback position. They would be better off drafting another quarterback and continuing their current rebuilding model.

Arizona Cardinals

I still can't get over the fact that Andy Reid got the Arizona Cardinals to give him a second-round pick and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for Kevin Kolb. 

The worst part about the deal is the next part: The Cardinals then gave Kolb a five-year contract for just under $64 million that includes $21 million guaranteed. 

Fail.

Kolb was hurt for most of 2011, and his replacement, John Skelton, looked more suited to run the team than him. 

Since then, the team has come right out and said that they are interested in acquiring Peyton Manning for 2012. 

Good grief! said Charlie Brown.

When will the madness stop?

Manning would get absolutely hammered if he ended up getting healthy and going to Arizona. The Cardinals were the second-worst team in the NFL in 2011, giving up 54 sacks. 

Manning to the Cardinals would be a total and utter disaster, but one I won't be shocked to see happen.

New York Jets

The New York Jets would be the likeliest landing spot for Peyton Manning. 

Nobody seems to be happy with Mark Sanchez these days, and even the most casual observer could tell you he regressed in his third season. Not good for a team that has been known to guarantee championships.

The Jets already tried this experiment once, when Brett Favre came into town on his white horse to take them to the promised land. 

They have also had some people inside the organization (who remained anonymous) that said unequivocally that the team would jump at the chance to take Manning and dump Sanchez. That's not cool, if you ask me.

My thoughts on the matter? Let them have him. It won't end well, and the Jets will grind yet another season into the dirt without accomplishing their desired goal. 

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