Peyton Manning: Why the Washington Redskins Should Not Pursue 4-Time MVP

Now that the Indianapolis Colts have released four-time MVP Peyton Manning, plenty of teams will be vying for his services.

One of the teams that should stay out of the Manning sweepstakes is the Washington Redskins.

Plenty of Redskins fans are beaming ear-to-ear about the prospect of abandoning the Rex Grossman experiment and signing a winning quarterback for the first time since they drafted Mark Rypien.

It seems like a good idea for the team, as they have the funds to bring the elite quarterback to FedEx Field, and Daniel Snyder is always willing to spend money.

But it's not a good idea. Not at all.

Peyton playing for the Redskins wouldn't work out simply because there's no way Coach Mike Shanahan can coexist with Manning. He's had problems with elite quarterbacks such as Donovan McNabb.

His relationship with Manning would be much more tumultuous.

Manning is essentially his own offensive coordinator. He unequivocally ran the offense during his tenure in Indianapolis. That won't work with Shanahan.

Shanahan has been a huge proponent of the running game since he was the head coach of the Denver Broncos. He's going to want to run the ball at least 25-30 times a game, which takes the ball out of Manning's hands for almost half the game.

He'll also want to call the plays for the offense, something Manning isn't at all used to.

The Redskins also have a weak offensive line that allowed 41 sacks last season. In Manning's last three seasons, behind a stalwart line, he was sacked just 40 times total.

If Manning's on his back, he can't throw the ball. If he's on his back, that means he got hit. If he got hit, that means his neck isn't being protected.

In his glory days, Manning relied on great receivers such as Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon.

In Washington, Manning would face the monumental task of maximizing the potential of mediocre receivers such as Jabar Gaffney, Fred Davis and Santana Moss.

Fred Davis could be a Dallas Clark-type guy for Manning, but he's had his share of off-field issues, something that Manning hasn't had to deal with in his 14 years in the league.

And he's certainly no Dallas Clark.

At his press conference, Manning told reporters that he hadn't yet considered where he would be playing next.

He might not know where he's going yet, but he's definitely been doing his homework. Throughout his career he's been known as a film-room addict, studying tape on every opponent for hours on end.

If he looked at any of the Redskins' tapes, he's probably realized that they won't be a winning team, even with him there.

If the Redskins are looking for a new franchise quarterback, they would be best served to send a treasure trove of picks or players to the St. Louis Rams for the No. 2 pick in the draft and nab Robert Griffin III.

But if by some chance Manning were to end up in Landover, it would not be a happy marriage for anyone.