Peyton Manning Is Throwing, Should Indianapolis Colts Still Draft Andrew Luck?

Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell told the media on Wednesday that quarterback Peyton Manning has began throwing with his teammates although he has yet to schedule an official return to practice. 

Easily the best news Colts' fans have heard all year, right? 

Definitely. 

But Manning's status should have absolutely no bearing on the Colts' decision to draft Andrew Luck.

None.

I don't care if No. 18 is ready to put the helmet and pads back on tomorrow or doesn't grip a football one time before the 2012 draft.

It's a no brainer.

Andrew Luck has to be the selection for Indy. 

Listen, I'm not putting down Manning, (how could I?) and don't know if he's played his final down as a professional quarterback (although there's a distinct possibility he's done).

But he'll be 36 before next season begins and Luck is a once-in-a-decade prospect.

I also don't care that Robert Griffin III, another outstanding college signal-caller, has received all the recent headlines and the Heisman trophy. 

Was his season that tremendous and Luck's that unimpressive that RG3 should jump the Stanford quarterback or are we just prisoners of the moment? 

I don't understand what the worry is, really.

Manning's been the cornerstone of the franchise for 15 years, won a Super Bowl and Indianapolis was "lucky" enough to be abysmal the season before Luck entered the league.

Even if Manning can play for say, three more years at a high level, what's wrong with the Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers approach to grooming your future franchise guy?

That turned out pretty well in Green Bay, didn't it?

And something tells me Peyton would embrace the mentor role a little better than Favre did.

Thankfully for the Colts, because of the new CBA, they won't have to pay a ridiculous amount for Luck at No. 1 overall.

Bill Polian has said Indianapolis can pay Luck and Manning in 2012. 

So do it.