Peyton Manning Rumors: Pursuing Star QB Would Be Senseless Move by Eagles

With Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning seemingly on the trading block, there has been plenty of wild speculation with regards to where he might land. The most senseless suggestion by far, though, is that he could become a Philadelphia Eagle.

According to Eagles insider Ray Didinger of CSN Philly, he thinks it is a move the Eagles should consider. The topic came up when a fan made a comparison to the Eagles signing quarterback Norm Van Brocklin in 1958 and winning the championship shortly thereafter.

While that is all well and good, signing Manning makes little sense with franchise quarterback Michael Vick entrenched in a six-year, $100 million contract. There is little guaranteed money remaining on the contract following this season, but cutting bait with Vick would be a bizarre move for several reasons.

Both Vick and the Eagles as a whole obviously had rough seasons in 2011. Philadelphia was touted as a favorite to win the Super Bowl thanks to a slew of high-profile signings in the offseason, but stumbled out of the gates and ended up with a record of just 8-8.

Much of the Eagles' struggles coincided with Vick not playing up to expectations. He was hampered by nagging injuries for most of the season and was forced to miss a few games. When he did play, his numbers were subpar, as he had a touchdowns to interceptions ratio of just 18:14 and had only a single rushing score.

For some signal-callers that might be an adequate season, but Vick was expected to be extraordinary after his comeback season in 2010. Vick had 30 total touchdowns and nearly 3,700 total yards in that season and was widely considered to be one of the best players in the game.

In 2012 Vick will be just two seasons removed from one of the more incredible years in NFL history, so it would be a shock to see the Eagles bring in any sort of competition, let alone a future Hall of Famer like Manning. It wouldn't make sense from Manning's standpoint either.

The biggest reason why Manning is probably leaving Indianapolis is so he doesn't have to be embroiled in a quarterback controversy with likely No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck. If Manning allowed a trade or decided to sign with Philadelphia, he would be in the quarterback controversy to end all other controversies.

Unless the organization really isn't sold on Vick, it's tough to see the rationale behind this suggestion. Vick isn't owed much guaranteed money beyond the upcoming season, so it wouldn't kill the Eagles to release him, but there is inherent risk involved with signing Manning.

There is a great deal of uncertainty regarding his neck and whether he can play at or near the level he always has. If he makes a full recovery then he is obviously one of the best in the game, but that remains to be seen. Also, there is no telling how much longer Manning has to play, but it can't be much more then two or three seasons.

If the Eagles are desperate to win a Super Bowl right now and firmly believe Manning is healthy, there is an outside chance they could pull the trigger, but it would absolutely be the wrong move long term.

Philadelphia saw what Vick could do two seasons ago and he was rewarded with a fat contract because of it. It's only right that he is given the chance to prove that he can replicate that success.