Peyton Manning Rumors: Dolphins Best Fit for Aging Legend

The clock is ticking for the Indianapolis Colts to make a decision on Peyton Manning. Do they pay him $28 million and keep him in Indy for a few more seasons, or do they decline to pay him and cast him adrift?

For the record, trading Manning is out of the question. With a little help from Peter King and Bob Kravitz, Pro Football Talk pointed out that trading Manning is virtually impossible. If you hear somebody suggest that Manning will be traded, just ignore it.

The shaky consensus is that the Colts will ultimately come to the conclusion to part ways with Manning, making him an unrestricted free agent who can sign wherever he pleases.

One of the teams that is supposedly interested in signing Manning is the Miami Dolphins. A report in the Miami Herald claimed Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is "infatuated" with the idea of acquiring Manning, and ESPN's Adam Schefter opined last week that the Dolphins should be considered the "favorite" to sign Manning if he hits free agency.

A report from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel earlier this month claimed the interest between Manning and the Dolphins is mutual. Apparently, the Dolphins are on a shortlist of teams Manning would like to play for if the Colts cut him loose. It just so happens he and his wife have a condo in South Beach.

It also just so happens Manning could make a pretty seamless transition into Miami's offense if the Dolphins were to sign him. All of the necessary pieces are in place for Manning to step in and succeed right away.

It starts with head coach Joe Philbin, who is one of the top offensive minds in the NFL. He's coming straight from a Green Bay Packers team that was one of the top offensive teams in the league over the last couple seasons. They succeeded largely on the abilities of Aaron Rodgers, who is similar to Manning in many respects.

The Dolphins have the playmakers on offense too. Brandon Marshall is one of the most unappreciated and unfairly-overlooked wide receivers in the league, and the Dolphins have two solid running backs in Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas. The two of them would be a welcome sight, as Manning hasn't had the luxury of a top-flight rushing attack in years.

Manning would have to switch divisions, but moving to the AFC East wouldn't be difficult for Manning. He knows the New England Patriots and the New York Jets well enough, and mastering the Buffalo Bills wouldn't be too much of a challenge.

If Manning were to join the Dolphins, they would immediately become a playoff contender. And seeing as how they have more talent up and down their roster than any of Indy's recent teams have had, the Dolphins would also have to be considered a sleeper Super Bowl contender.

Now, this is all contingent on Manning getting a clean bill of health, of course. Even if he does, the Dolphins would still be gambling on Manning staying healthy. Given his age, his neck and arm problems wouldn't be the only concerns. A hard hit on Manning's aging body could have dire consequences.

Signing Manning would be a risk, but it would be a risk worth taking for the Dolphins. The only other intriguing alternative on the free-agent market is Matt Flynn, and the Dolphins don't have the assets to compete with other teams if they were to try and trade up to draft Robert Griffin III.

We still have a ways to go before Manning hits the free-agent market, if he does at all. But if he does, Manning would make sense for the Dolphins, and the Dolphins would make sense for Manning.