NFL Rumors: Peyton Manning to Decide on Team Quickly

Now that Peyton Manning is officially a free man, the sports world is sure to run rampant with rumors concerning his future destination. While a long, drawn-out spectacle would become tiring to hear about, we may not have to deal with that. It appears that Manning and his camp want to make a decision on where he plays in 2012 within the next week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

That means all the wild speculation about where the four-time MVP will end up could possibly be muted very soon. The article linked above claims that 12 teams have reached out to Manning's representatives already, and also notes that he would prefer to continue playing in the AFC.

I believe the Miami Dolphins are the perfect fit for Manning. The Dolphins are in need of a quarterback, have $10.2 million of salary cap money available and could even have more if guys like Jake Long, Brandon Marshall or Karlos Dansby agree to restructure their contracts. 

Miami has several key pieces on offense, like Long and Marshall, to go along with a solid running game led by Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas. The Dolphins also possess the No. 8 pick in the 2012 NFL draft, which they could use to acquire more help along the offensive line. 

It seems like a perfect situation for Manning to step in to, and I think that is where he will end up. Miami's supporting cast, location and position in the AFC all seems to fit what the 11-time Pro Bowler is looking for. 

Hopefully this gets sorted out quickly, so the rest of the free-agent market doesn't slow to a crawl waiting for the first domino to fall. If Adam Schefter's report is true, we won't have to worry about that happening.