Peyton Manning Must Talk His Way to Miami for Shot at Championship

Peyton Manning is almost certain to hit free agency very soon and the four-time MVP quarterback should have plenty of options available to him. But if the long-time Indianapolis Colts signal-caller wants to compete for a championship soon, his best bet would be to convince the Miami Dolphins to bring him on board.

Sports Illustrated's Peter King reported this week that Manning and receiver Reggie Wayne would like to continue their partnership in a new city. Both guys appear headed to new cities and in a perfect world they'd end up working together again.

If Manning can sell the Dolphins on bringing his favorite receiver on board, Miami could have a dangerous, championship-level offense. 

The Dolphins opened the 2011 season 0-7 before winning six of their final nine games. The turnaround was largely prompted by an improved running game behind Reggie Bush, who finally appears to have found his stride as a No. 1 running back in the NFL. Backing up Bush will be young power back Daniel Thomas who could turn into a good one as well.

If Wayne joins the team he will give Miami a legit No. 2 receiver to go along with the incredibly talented but enigmatic Brandon Marshall. When Marshall is focused and dedicated he is capable of being one of the best wideouts in all of football. Bringing two serious competitors like Manning and Wayne into the fold would probably be very good for Marshall.

That would allow Davone Bess to slide into the slot receiver spot, which is where he is most effective anyway. 

Adding Manning and Wayne would allow the Dolphins to spend the No. 8 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft on an offensive lineman to bolster a unit that already boasts four-time Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long. Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff and Stanford guard David DeCastro should both be available when Miami picks on April 26.

Manning would then have one of the NFL's best receivers (Marshall), an explosive running back without a ton of miles on his legs (Bush) and a premiere blind side protector (Long), plus his long-time favorite target (Wayne) surrounding him. That is a scary offense. 

Miami's defense is solid and should continue to improve, and with that offense would certainly be a contender in the AFC.

If Manning wants to win a title, he should take his talents to South Beach.