2012 NFL Free Agency: Peyton Manning to 49ers Is Last Piece of Super Bowl Puzzle

Of the innumerable rumors surrounding the future of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning picking up steam as the March 8 deadline for his $28 million roster bonus approaches, one potential landing spot has generated very little buzz. But as co-host Mike Pisani of Kellogg's Komments posited Saturday night, should Manning somehow land in the Bay Area, the four-time MVP could be the final piece in a Super Bowl puzzle for the San Francisco 49ers.

A video taken at workouts over the weekend seemed to show Manning throwing well, and should it indeed be the case that the 14th-year pro's rehab is progressing well, then you can rest assured that his number of potential suitors is growing also.

Any number of teams have already been mentioned as potential landing spots for the future Hall of Famer, and the 49ers generally haven't been included on a list that contains the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Saskatchewan Rough Riders and just about every other squad you can think of.

But as Can Inman of the San Jose Mercury News points out, there are reasons why a Manning to San Francisco connection could work.

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The 49ers might be the most appealing option of any NFL team for Manning. The Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns are not on the short track to the Lombardi Trophy. The New York Jets aren’t far off and Manning might like Gotham’s bright lights like little brother Eli, but Mark Sanchez hasn’t been banished yet.

The 49ers ranked 29th in passing yards per game last season. Manning has thrown for over 4,000 yards in a season in 11 of his 13 campaigns. His smallest total was 3,379 yards as a rookie in 1998; Alex Smith threw for a career-high 3,144 yards this season.

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San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith is set to hit free agency coming off the best season of his seven-year career in 2011 after leading San Francisco to the NFC Championship game, however, and even Inman concedes that the biggest stumbling block to bringing Manning on board could be that the 49ers already have a capable, if not spectacular, signal-caller in the fold.

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This is Alex Smith’s job. Don’t you remember that comeback victory over the New Orleans Saints to open the playoffs? Or those five come-from-behind wins in the regular season, including four on the road? Or his wicked kinship with coach Jim Harbaugh? Or his five interceptions that set a franchise low in a season? Or Camp Alex? Smith, who made all 16 starts, is healthy, athletic and turns 28 on May 7.

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However, and this is meant as no disrespect towards Alex Smith—who seemed to "turn the corner" somewhat last year after six mostly disappointing seasons in the National Football League—comparing Peyton Manning to Alex Smith is a bit like comparing an Aston Martin to a Buick, even if Manning's only at 80 percent or so.

Bringing Manning on board could also solve one of the Niners' other most pressing offseason needs as well, as wide receiver Reggie Wayne has reportedly expressed interest in following Manning in a sort of "package" deal, which would go a long way towards filling San Francisco's gaping hole at wide receiver.

I'll readily confess that the San Francisco 49ers are probably a "dark horse" candidate to land Manning, but if the team were so gung-ho about re-signing Alex Smith, then the deal would have already gotten done. If Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco brass are looking for the player that could be the final component in getting the 49ers back on the NFL's biggest stage, then they would be well-served to make a phone call first thing Friday morning.