Should Washington Redskins Make Play for Both Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne?

If the Indianapolis Colts release Peyton Manning in the coming weeks like so many expect, the sure-fire Hall of Fame quarterback will likely join several of his former Colts teammates in free agency.

That list of Colts free agents would include receiver Reggie Wayne, who caught almost 700 passes for over 10,000 yards and 69 touchdowns from Manning in Indianapolis over 10 seasons.  

As ESPN's John Clayton pointed out yesterday, it's possible the Manning-Wayne combination could be a package deal in free agency. The one team Clayton mentioned as a fit is the Washington Redskins.

This was from Clayton's Monday mailbag:

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That depends on the team that wants to sign Manning. I can see the Redskins doing it. They have needs at wide receiver, and a Peyton-Reggie combo would work well. I'm not sold that would happen with the Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks or some of the other teams. If Dan Snyder and Mike Shanahan sell the idea of bringing Wayne, that could help Manning in his decision-making process. 

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On paper, Clayton's idea makes sense. But should the Redskins pursue the Colts' once-prolific duo?

I suppose that depends on what kind of thinker you assume Daniel Snyder is. 

The Redskins have obvious short-term and long-term needs at both quarterback and receiver.

Rex Grossman and John Beck were arguably the worst starting quarterback combination we've seen in the NFL over the past five seasons or so, and the talent at receiver—Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney—is aging rapidly.

If Snyder could get the two to sign on the dotted line, the Redskins could cross off two needs for the 2012 season. And if things fell right, you could make an argument that the Redskins could compete for the NFC East title in 2012 with both Manning and Wayne on the roster. 

However, long-term thinking—which you could argue Snyder lacks—tells you this move is only a stop-gap fix, and a risky one at that.

The Redskins have neglected addressing the quarterback position for more years than you can count. Signing Manning, who is almost 36 years old and coming off his third major neck surgery, certainly wouldn't count as a move to protect the future of the position in Washington. One hit on Manning and the Redskins could be restarting this process all over again next season.  

The smart move here would be drafting a quarterback early in April. There's simply no better way of turning around a floundering franchise than hitting on a quarterback high in the draft. Successfully getting a guy like Robert Griffin III or Ryan Tannehill might not make the Redskins a contender immediately in 2012, but it gives them the best chance to remain playoff relevant for years into the future.

Not surprisingly, Redskins fans are dying for a quarterback in Washington. I'm just not sure Manning is the best option.

Packaging Wayne with Manning makes it a touch more appealing, but the Redskins need to rebuild this roster through the draft. Throwing away money in free agency has not and will not work in making the Redskins a Super Bowl contender.