Andrew Luck Sweepstakes: Every Draft, Trade Scenario for Indianapolis Colts

With just two games left in what has turned into a nightmare 2011 season, the Indianapolis Colts (1-13) are on the verge of securing the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

It isn't a foregone conclusion, especially if the Colts beat the 4-10 Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend (read this for more on tiebreakers). But for all intents and purposes, getting the first overall selection still looks like a pretty sure bet for the Colts this season. 

If Indianapolis is awarded the No. 1 pick, the Colts will have some options to ponder. 

Certainly, some are more attractive than most, and the Colts have even tipped their cards on what they want to do. But let's run down all the Colts' options surrounding this April's draft.

1) Draft Andrew Luck, Keep Peyton Manning

Luck is the most highly regarded quarterback to enter the draft since Manning back in 1998, and the consensus is that the Colts will take him with the first pick. If the Colts went down that path, they'd have a choice to make with Manning. 

Do they keep him on the roster to help groom Luck? There may be no better quarterback to learn under than Manning, and we've seen how sitting can help turn a good player into a great one.

Not only would you avoid the drama of getting rid of Manning, but you'd also be setting up for franchise for success at the quarterback position for years to come.  

2) Draft Luck, Trade/Release Manning

The Colts also have this option if they want Luck to take over as face of the franchise from day one, like Manning did in '98. He's ready for that role, so it's not inconceivable that the Colts would at least entertain the idea of ridding themselves of Manning. You'd also have to think that Manning would have to request such a move for the Colts to actually act upon it. 

But is trading or releasing Manning even a feasible option? There's so much money involved (Manning signed a five-year, $90 million deal in July) and both options bring on penalties on the Colts' cap number. Manning's $28.8 million roster bonus that comes due in February of 2012 makes a trade almost impossible unless Manning agrees to alter that date.

3) Trade Down

Bill Polian said recently that he can't imagine the Colts trading the No. 1 overall pick if they obtained it, but you can't trust everything that's said by management, especially regarding the draft. If the right offer came in, the Colts would have to seriously weigh the option.

We've seen in painstaking detail how many holes the Colts have on their roster sans Manning, and the draft is the best place for replenishing a team's talent pool. More picks equal more chances to catch fish, even if you're throwing the biggest fish back into the lake. 

There's plenty of teams (Washington, Miami and Seattle, to start) who have needs at quarterback, so it could be plenty possible that those teams attempt to make a move up. With extra picks, the Colts could address a number of different areas to help Manning take another shot at a championship.

4) Draft Luck Then Trade Him

If the Colts decide Luck isn't the answer but don't want to lose their bargaining rights over the top pick, they could draft Luck then trade him. We saw this to a certain extent with Eli Manning and the Chargers in 2004. If Luck wants to play right away or Manning cries foul, this scenario has a small probability of happening. 

5) Draft A Different Player

While very unlikely, the Colts could choose to pick a different player other than Luck. It would take something completely unforeseen right now for this scenario to play out.