AFC East: 4 Reasons Why Peyton Manning Will End Up in Miami

March 7th 2012 will be remembered by Colts fans for the rest of time, for this was the day that their long-time signal caller had been giving his walking papers. Manning will no longer walk the halls of the Colts facilities and he will also never put on a Colts jersey and play a football game representing Indianapolis again. The thought of Manning playing in another jersey is still a hard concept for Colts fans to accept, but now it will be a reality.

So now the question is, what uniform will Manning be wearing come September? 

If he is able to perform at a level similar to that of his pre-injury days, then a lot of teams will be inquiring and attempting to sign him. 

Who wouldn't want No. 18 playing quarterback for their team?

Having a good quarterback completely changes the fortunes of a team's season and Manning isn't just good; when healthy, he is the absolute best in the business.

Miami will certainly be among the teams vying for his services and will ultimately land the perennial Pro Bowler for these four reasons. 

Steven Ross and the Dolphins Need Peyton Manning

Not since the days of Dan Marino have the Dolphins truly had a true difference maker at the position. Sure, Chad Pennington had a couple of solid seasons and their current quarterback, Matt Moore, may still have a career starting for another team, but neither player inspires the same level of confidence that Manning does.

Signing Peyton Manning would send a strong message to every team in the league: a healthy Peyton Manning making them a threat to win every game they play.

As Dolphins fans can painfully tell you, it is difficult to be consistently successful in the NFL without a proven quarterback. 

Miami is also experiencing a sporting boom at the moment. With the success of the Heat and recent free-agent spending and increased expectations for the Marlins (who will be opening a brand new ballpark this year), the pressure is on the Dolphins to succeed. 

Steven Ross now has the chance to bring in a top five all-time quarterback, and you can bet he is going to do everything in his power to make Manning don teal and orange this fall. 

Manning Wants to Play in a Warm Weather City

Manning has played his entire career playing his home games in a dome. He has been able to avoid playing in bad conditions, with the exception being the occasional road playoff game. So why would Manning want to change that now?

Miami has beautiful weather in the fall and it will stay nice throughout the entire season. Playing in good conditions will help the passing game and that has to be appealing to him. 

He Would Prefer to Stay in the AFC

Could you imagine an Eli vs. Peyton Super Bowl? 

That alone may be enough to sway Peyton to stay in the AFC. If the brothers met in a Super Bowl, it would be monumental one that will never be forgotten. 

Manning has been in the AFC for his entire career and would prefer to stay there. If he signs with Miami, it would guarantee two annual meetings with Tom Brady. This is a dream for all NFL fans.

Miami Has a Good Football Team and Gives Him a Chance to Win

Ultimately the team that lands Peyton will land him because he thinks that he can win there. Throughout his time in Indy, Manning was a fierce competitor and did everything in his power to win football games. 

The Dolphins did not make the playoffs last season, but ended the year on a positive note. After starting 0-7, the Dolphins won six of their final nine, including a victory over the Jets in the season finale.

Reggie Bush had a career year on the ground averaging five yards a carry and accumulating 1,086 yards on the season. It appears as if Bush has found a way to produce like a top running back in the NFL. Manning has to love the idea of swinging the ball out to Reggie and watching his world-class play-making abilities take over. 

Manning would also be paired with one of the top wideouts in the NFL, Brandon Marshall. Marshall is one of the best possession receivers in the league and would more than likely be willing to take Peyton out to dinner to convince him to take his talents to South Beach. 

Anthony Fasano is a solid tight end and is a good red-zone option. Brad Hartline and Davone Bess combined to haul in 86 catches last year, but that number would certainly rise with Manning at the helm of the offense.