2012 NFL Free Agents: Predicted Peyton Manning Landings Are Mostly Bogus

Over the last couple of months, there's been an overwhelming amount of talk about where former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will land in free agency.

Miami, Washington, New York, Seattle and several other cities have been mentioned.

But for the most part, all of these teams have huge drawbacks that make a Manning landing seem so unlikely that it's hard to understand why they are being mentioned in the first place.

Let's go down the list of some "potential" teams.

The Washington Redskins are dreaming if they think Peyton is coming to town. There is a laundry list of drawbacks about as serious as death that would keep Manning away from the capital.

First, let's go with the family factor. The 'Skins play in the NFC East, along with the Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants. The Giants' quarterback, of course, is Peyton's younger brother Eli Manning.

You think he wants to play against Eli twice a year? While very few people know what Peyton is thinking, outwardly they are an extremely tight-knit family.

Ironically, the Redskins' best bargaining tool might actually be Eli. There's no doubt that Peyton will consult with his family about his uncertain future, and that includes Eli. Maybe they actually do want to play each other more. Maybe Eli is goading Peyton to come into his division. Challenging him to a "best man wins" contest.

But even then, it won't happen. Washington's head coach Mike Shanahan is a control freak on the level of Manning. He is a Hall of Fame coach who built his reputation on innovating and executing successful offenses. He won't turn the reigns over to Peyton, and that's a deal-breaker for the ex-Colt.

The New York Jets as a potential landing spot for Manning has to be a joke. This rumor exists simply because it's New York and there are so many fans there that want to hear it. There isn't a single selling point to offer Manning from the Jets perspective.

And yet, there are so many negatives.

The head coach is a nut. The offense, particularly the offensive line, is average to mediocre. The team chemistry is hilariously poor. As Colin Cowherd recently mentioned on SportsNation, they have a lot of guys making anonymous negative comments in the media.

He's right.

Not to mention, he will be sharing not a division with Eli, but instead the city they live in.

How did this "rumor" gain any traction?

On to the Seattle Seahawks.

This one isn't nearly as bad as some of the others, but it still doesn't make a ton of sense.

In Seattle, Manning would enjoy one of the best home crowds in the business, an up-and-coming defensive unit, a solid run game and one of the least competitive divisions in football.

He would have to put up with terrible weather, being the most isolated team in the league and a group of receivers that aren't what he is used to.

Sidney Rice is not the consummate pro that the Colts receivers have been over the years. Doug Baldwin is not as talented as most of the No. 2 receivers Manning has grown accustomed to. And John Carlson is no Dallas Clark.

All in all, Seattle wouldn't be terrible, but Manning has better places to go.

The Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans will not have Peyton Manning next season.

Despite both being pretty good fits for him, Manning does not want to face the Colts twice a year. He is not angry with the organization, he is not seeking revenge (a la Brett Favre) and he certainly has no ill will toward the team.

And that's enough of a reason. Manning is the ultimate loyalist, and he will remain loyal to the Colts even having been cut by them. Anyone who saw Manning's press conference goodbye knows that the man loves Indianapolis, and surely doesn't want to do anything to change how people view that aspect of his career.

He'll stay away from AFC South teams for that reason.

Really, the only two teams that makes a great deal of sense for him are the Arizona Cardinals and the Miami Dolphins.

Arizona has a history of turning over the offense to veteran quarterbacks (Kurt Warner) and would be more than willing to do the same for Manning. They have a solid group on offense, including one of the premier pass-catchers in the league, Larry Fitzgerald. The weather is beautiful, the facilities are top of the line (not to mention they play in a dome) and the division is weak, giving him the best chance to win. Arizona has few, if any drawbacks.

Miami also seems to be a good fit for Manning. He already owns a second home there, and the team sets up nicely for a few runs into the playoffs.

Brandon Marshall is a freak, and Manning saw him break the NFL record for catches in a game against the Colts in 2009. Reggie Bush had a coming-of-age year at running back. The offensive line has quality players, highlighted by Jake Long at left tackle. The defense struggled at times last season but also showed a lot of promise.

The main difference between Arizona and the Dolphins has to be consistency. Fitzgerald has been the model of professionalism and on-field success for years. Marshall has been arrested multiple times, as well as being involved in off-the-field injuries that were clearly avoidable. Cardinals running back Beanie Wells has been running hard for the past few season, while Bush has only seen one season as a true tailback.

Arizona is the next team to visit with Manning, after the Denver Broncos do so today. Manning has said he wants to make a relatively quick decision, so we will see what happens very soon.