The Case For Peyton Manning (aka: I Can't Believe What I'm About To Write)

For months we've been hearing that Peyton Manning could be a free agent this Spring, and for months we've had to endure Seahawk fans clamoring for him to resume his career in the Pacific Northwest. 

I heard the cries, and I tuned them out.  Hell, I HATED the idea.

No way, would Peyton Manning want to come to Seattle.

No way, would Pete Carroll and John Schneider shelve their rebuilding plan to hitch their wagon to a guy who's too old, too expensive, and too much of an injury risk.

No way, did I want him.

But I'm here to tell you I'm coming around. 

Fuck that, I'm all in.

What changed my mind?  First of all, some of the sports writers I respect the most are saying they have knowledge of the Seahawks legitimate interest in Manning.  Secondly..... I'm a lifelong Seahawks fan, and I want to win. 

And.... it's Peyton Freaking Manning!!!!

For those of you who don't know me, or haven't read my stuff, you know that I'm usually a big-picture kind of guy.  Don't sell the farm, don't bet the house, don't eschew long-term sustained success for short-term gain born out of panic or impatience. 

It's now my opinion that signing Manning would NOT be a sign that Carroll and Schneider are doing any of that.  I believe they thought it would take longer to reshape the roster the way they wanted to; younger, bigger, faster, stronger, more physical.  They're ahead of schedule.  So much so, that the stage could be perfectly set for Manning to A) Succeed in Seattle and B) Want to come here.

The defense is young, and well on it's way to being one of the league's best.  The offensive line was reshaped last year and looked like a solid unit the last 8 games of 2011, and together with Marshawn Lynch can provide something Manning has never enjoyed in his storied career, a bruising running game. There are weapons at WR and TE.  But most of all I believe that once Manning has done his research on potential landing spots (and does anyone think for a minute that he hasn't already?) that he'll see a rising, young General Manager who is proving himself to be a premier finder of talent. 

Are you ready for me Seattle?

And that might just be the factor that turned me around on this issue as I tried to wrap my head around the reality of it all.  Would a Peyton Manning contract be seen as a potential albatross by some?  Of course it will, but it shouldn't be.  Franchise QB's cost money, lots of it, but the Seahawks under Schneider have proven they can find talent anywhere; late rounds of the draft, off the streets, Canada.  It would be crucial for any team signing Manning to be sure they also identify and acquire a young QB to groom as a successor should his career end prematurely, but as for the rest of the roster, the Seahawks have depth, balance, and talented youth.  They have an owner willing and capable of spending whatever is needed to win, and they're smart, extremely smart in how they structure contracts and manage their salary structure.  Worst case scenario is Manning comes here, isn't 100%, doesn't take us to a Super Bowl, and we have to move on.  But I am convinced the rest of our roster would still be in great shape even if that were to happen. 

We can talk later about other scenarios; what to do if we sign him and he doesn't pan out, how to back him up if he does, or Plan B if we take a shot at him and he goes elsewhere. 

For today, I'm going to entertain the possibility that Manning to Seattle really could happen, tune out the cynics and the naysayers, and just sit back and watch it all unfold.