Where should Manning go?

Where will Peyton Manning go? That question has been talked about more than anything else going on in sports for the last week, and for good reason. A surefire hall of fame quarterback is a free agent. He could change a franchise by signing with them. There are currently 4 teams where he could end up, Denver, Miami, Tennessee, or Arizona. Reports say Manning is choosing between the Broncos and the Titans, but reports have been wrong before and so I will consider the Dolphins and Cardinals as well. So,which of these is the best fit?

Manning has to go somewhere that can contend the second he signs his contract. He is too old to waste the last few years of his career waiting for a team to find the right pieces. He also needs to go somewhere where he can be protected. With his neck injury, how many hits can he really take? Arizona and Miami are two of the worst teams in the league in allowing quarterback sacks, they rank 2^nd and 3^rd with 54 and 52 sacks allowed, respectively. Manning cannot afford to be hit that many times in a season. Granted some of those sacks may be the quarterbacks fault for holding onto the ball too long, a mistake we know Manning will rarely make. However it is still too many sacks for a 35 year old, coming off of 3 neck surgeries, to take. Denver was also ranked 9^th worst in sacks allowed, with 42. Although in this case, I think we can put a lot of the blame on Tebow for not being a great quarterback (I had to take a Tebow shot somewhere, right?). This is where the Titans are a cut above the rest; they allowed the 2^rd fewest quarterback sacks in the league, with 24. This team is built to protect quarterback, even though Chris Johnson probably wishes it could cut him some lanes as well, but that’s a different story.

The Dolphins just gave away their top receiver for basically nothing; Brandon Marshall was traded to Chicago for two 3^rd round picks. Unless the Dolphins can get another great wide receiver, I don’t see any reason why Miami would be an option anymore. If they want a top wide receiver to entice Mannnig, the only ones left on the market worth talking about are Mike Wallace and Brandon Lloyd, so they better hurry and get one of them. Even though Miami allowed the 6^th fewest points per game, because of the Brandon Marshall trade and the number of sacks they allowed, I think Miami is out of the running.

Arizona has Larry Fitzgerlad, one of the best receivers in the league, an up and coming receiver in Early Doucet, and a 1000-yard running back in Beanie Wells. They definitely have the offensive weapons to be a factor, but their defense and offensive line aren’t good enough. They were ranked 17^th in points allowed per game, which isn’t good enough, and as stated before, they allowed the 2^nd more sacks in the NFL. Manning can’t afford to get hit over 3 times a game, and needs a defense that can step up in the playoffs. Neither of these go in Arizona’s favor, and I don’t think he will sign there.

Denver has some great, but underrated receivers, mostly due to the fact that Tim Tebow rarely threw to any of them. With Macgahee and Moreno they have a vulture and an explosive back who can catch the ball. In Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas they have receiver who can not only catch the ball, but have great yards after catch ability. But their defense was ranked 24^th in points allowed, 20^th in yard per game allowed, and they also allowed the 9^th most sacks in the league. Their defensive showing against the top offenses in the league is proof that their defense is not ready to be a great factor yet and will not be able to step up in the playoffs.

That leaves Tennessee. This is where Manning should end up. First off, they allowed the 2^nd fewest sacks in the league. This point cannot be overstated. Manning needs protection, he can’t afford to be hit with his recent injuries. Secondly, the Titans were 8^th in points allowed per game. Although they were 18^th in yards allowed per game, the disparity comes because of their red zone defense. While they may allow a lot of yards, they allowed the 9^th fewest red-zone TD’s. Offensively the Titans have Nate Washington, Chris Johnson and Kenny Britt. They also have some young guys who have the potential to be decent players in the NFL. If Britt can stay healthy, which is big if, this has the makings of a championship team.  The big play potential on offense, along with the great defense gives the Titans the best chance of being a championship team with Manning. This is where he can be protected, this is where the offensive weapons are, this is where the defense can step up, and this is where he can seamlessly step in and bring home the title.