Colts Reportedly to Release Manning

[geschinger]

I'm as big a Colts fan as anyone, but I'm scratching my head at this. Give me the Packers organization over the last five years. Their drafting, development, and performance has been better than anyone in that span.

Thinking back to the good old days prior to the nepotism creeping in and Chris Polian being named GM. Patriots and Colts had to be 1 and 1a as far as best run organizations top to bottom for about a decade prior to that.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Can you imagine if he signs with Denver? I bet ESPN would offer to pay his entire salary for that to happen.

[OFFNY]

Time will tell. But as was the case with OFFNY, would you really care if the Colts move again? I mean, you're in NY, so do you even care if they are in Indy? Nothing is bigger than the horseshoe after all, maybe even Indy.

Now that you brought me (unsolicited) into your conversation, Sean ....... yes, I would care if the Colts left Indianapolis. I didn't want them to leave Baltimore in the first place, and now that they have been in Indianapolis for almost 30 years, I wouldn't want them to leave there, either. If the Ravens left town next year and were replaced by yet another Baltimore expansion franchise, I'm sure that a lot of Raven fans would not be thrilled with that. They very well might simply switch their allegiances away from their beloved Ravens and onto the new Baltimore franchise ......... but I doubt that they wouldn't care.

You wave your pom poms however you want to waive them, and I'll waive mine the way that I want to.

[PrivateO]

I think Chiefs are the best fit and they have the cap room to get it done.

[VeveJones007]

Thinking back to the good old days prior to the nepotism creeping in and Chris Polian being named GM. Patriots and Colts had to be 1 and 1a as far as best run organizations top to bottom for about a decade prior to that.

You can't overlook the bad moves of the last five years. The drafts have been pathetic since 2007.

[Sports Guy]

Thinking back to the good old days prior to the nepotism creeping in and Chris Polian being named GM. Patriots and Colts had to be 1 and 1a as far as best run organizations top to bottom for about a decade prior to that.

Why? Because they won a lot of games?

Baltimore, Pitt and Philly are every bit as good as those 2.

[Hooded Viper]

Why? Because they won a lot of games?

Baltimore, Pitt and Philly are every bit as good as those 2.

And as much as I hate to say it, Pittsburgh!

[NewMarketSean]

The Colts were a well-run organization, and drafted well to get pieces to fit around Peyton, but let's face it, if ever there was an organization that benefitted from one player making them great, it was the Colts. We talk a lot about the Nats benefitting from sucking the years prior to drafting Strasburg and Harper with the #1 pick, well, the same should be said of the Colts. If they'd drafted anyone other than Manning, they'd probably be in another city right now. Credit needs to be given to them for getting as much as they could get out of 1 player -- I think they should have probably had 1 or 2 more rings than they have -- but thats the way I see it.

So I don't know if one player makes them "the best organization in pro sports". They were probably in the top 5.

[BaltimoreTerp]

The Colts were a well-run organization, and drafted well to get pieces to fit around Peyton, but let's face it, if ever there was an organization that benefitted from one player making them great, it was the Colts. We talk a lot about the Nats benefitting from sucking the years prior to drafting Strasburg and Harper with the #1 pick, well, the same should be said of the Colts. If they'd drafted anyone other than Manning, they'd probably be in another city right now. Credit needs to be given to them for getting as much as they could get out of 1 player -- I think they should have probably had 1 or 2 more rings than they have -- but thats the way I see it.

So I don't know if one player makes them "the best organization in pro sports". They were probably in the top 5.

Here's the problem with that: Harrison, Wayne, James, Addai, Glenn, Saturday, Clark, Freeney, Mathis, Brackett, Sanders...

They were very, very good at finding quality talent in the draft, even with later picks. The struggles in that regard are what doomed the Colts over the past few years.

Hell, even with Manning they took the chance that he would be better than Leaf.

[NewMarketSean]

Here's the problem with that: Harrison, Wayne, James, Addai, Glenn, Saturday, Clark, Freeney, Mathis, Brackett, Sanders...

They were very, very good at finding quality talent in the draft, even with later picks. The struggles in that regard are what doomed the Colts over the past few years.

Hell, even with Manning they took the chance that he would be better than Leaf.

Who knows how much Manning made the offensive players better, but judging by the results last year, it was a lot.

Other teams have similar quality players, and a QB not as good as Manning, and have never made a SB. Hell, you could say that about the Ravens right now.

The Colts did draft well but Manning is without a doubt the player that put them over the top.

Let's say this...the Colts without Manning went 2-14 last year...a season removed from being in the SB.

How do you think that same team would have done had Manning been 100% healthy? Now how good would all those 1999-2010 Colts teams have been without Manning?

[SouthRider]

Thinking back to the good old days prior to the nepotism creeping in and Chris Polian being named GM. Patriots and Colts had to be 1 and 1a as far as best run organizations top to bottom for about a decade prior to that.

It helps when you have the best two QBs in the last 15 years. Manning and Brady have made a lot of players look better than they are. I think more credit goes to Manning than the GM. The Colts are going to miss Peyton more than they realize, imho. Now they are just another organization.

[EddieMurrayfan]

Who knows how much Manning made the offensive players better, but judging by the results last year, it was a lot.

Other teams have similar quality players, and a QB not as good as Manning, and have never made a SB. Hell, you could say that about the Ravens right now.

The Colts did draft well but Manning is without a doubt the player that put them over the top.

Let's say this...the Colts without Manning went 2-14 last year...a season removed from being in the SB.

How do you think that same team would have done had Manning been 100% healthy? Now how good would all those 1999-2010 Colts teams have been without Manning?

You have to take into consideration that the lock out really hurt the Colts. Teams with more returning players who had played together in years past seemed to play better. Teams that made big personnel changes seemed to struggle more.

While Manning obviously made a huge difference on that team the lockout had to hurt them substantially. Lets face it, they had nothing positive at the QB position. And when a team gets off to such a horrible start it typically continues throughout the season. Manning may be getting too much credit as the lock out was certainly a factor for the team not being able to prepare for life w/o him. Yea, he's good, but is he that good?

Just a thought to consider and I haven't heard anybody anywhere take the lockout into consideration.

[VeveJones007]

Who knows how much Manning made the offensive players better, but judging by the results last year, it was a lot.

Other teams have similar quality players, and a QB not as good as Manning, and have never made a SB. Hell, you could say that about the Ravens right now.

The Colts did draft well but Manning is without a doubt the player that put them over the top.

Let's say this...the Colts without Manning went 2-14 last year...a season removed from being in the SB.

How do you think that same team would have done had Manning been 100% healthy? Now how good would all those 1999-2010 Colts teams have been without Manning?

Come on now. I know this is primarily backlash to geschinger calling the Colts the best organization, but you're going too far in the other direction. The truth is in between.

You can't really use the 2-14 season as an example because 1) most of the other talented Colts are old, and 2) their drafting has been abysmal for the past 5 years. The 2-14 season has been in the making for a while and it has nothing to do with how good Harrison, Glenn, Edgerrin, Wayne, Saturday, Sanders, etc were in their prime.

I will say this in support of your statement, though. There is a reason that Peyton has won 4 MVPs. He has consistently been the most important player to his team. However, a lot of that has to do with the fact that the Colts ceded all that offensive responsibility to him because it gave them the best shot to win by having a true field general.

[ccbird]

Gesch and Colts fans in general can't have it both ways. All I heard for the longest time was Polian was the best GM in the game and Peyton was the GOAT. Well let me tell you, if you have the greatest QB of all time and the best GM in the league how do you end up with 2 SB appearances and only 1 ring. Sure, you had a reg season dynasty but far from it when the games really counted. It tells me either Peyton or Polian was overrated. You decide for yourself which one??


BTW....Trick question. Since Peyton Manning came into the league who has more playoff wins Baltimore or Indy??? Exactly right, Baltimore. Both franchises have a ring, both have been to 3 AFC Championship games, the only difference is Indy won 2 of those AFC Championship games while Baltimore lost 2 of them.

[MikeAD]

Why? Because they won a lot of games?

Baltimore, Pitt and Philly are every bit as good as those 2.

Yeah I'd put it as New England as 1 and Pittsburgh 2. The Ravens aren't up there if you just consider overall wins and success. Ravens are in the top 4 though, and so are the Colts. The thing with the Colts is that, what moves or non-moves have they made? They have drafted well but what makes the Steelers and Pats so well run is they make tough decisions constantly and almost always get them right. Pittsburgh gave out some questionable contracts in the last year or two but they let players walk, they have brought in good players at the right price and have drafted well. They have let quality players walk and have replaced them with cheap effective replacements. Nobody does that better than NE and Pitt.

The Colts have had a great foundation but they are a bit behind the two best, although still in the top 4-5.