With plenty of back and forth battles between Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay and Manning, one has to wonder about the future of the quarterback. Should he stay with Indianapolis, a team that is expected to draft top college prospect quarterback Andrew Luck? Or should Manning move on to another home in the NFL, somewhere he can be the man and the only man?

Regardless of the decision of Manning (which doesn’t have to be made yet), there are plenty of reports surfacing already that discuss potential landing spots for the soon-to-be 36 year old signal-caller. One of those teams is the Miami Dolphins. Should the Dolphins make a play for Manning?

The talent level that Peyton Manning possesses is undeniable as he is a Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP and four-time NFL MVP. He’s been elected to the Pro Bowl 11 times and has consistently led the Colts to 10-win seasons 11 of 13 times. However, after suffering an injury that kept him out last season and has altered his throwing, the questions on Manning could prevent him from being the same quarterback he has been.

There are contradicting reports coming out from multiple sources that say Peyton is both improving and throwing steadily or that he is completely lacking the arm strength that he once had. The latter reports also state that Manning is having a hard time throwing to his left and getting velocity on his throws past 25 yards.

For a team in need of a quarterback, those are troubling thoughts.

For Miami, it leads one to believe that the evaluation process of Manning will be a very cautious one. The question, however, is whether or not the Dolphins should sign Manning?

The signing of Manning would present both pros and cons for the Dolphins, who are coming off a 6-10 season that resulted in the firing of head coach Tony Sparano. Of course, assuming that Manning is healthy, the signing would be a great way for the Dolphins to push towards the next level and into the playoffs. Manning has proven that he can play the game and lead teams to Super Bowls and win them, there is no denying that.

However, is he healthy?

A risk on Manning when he is not completely healthy could potentially set back the Dolphins as well. Current quarterback Matt Moore played well down the stretch for the Dolphins who started off the season losing seven straight games. Signing Manning effectively shows less confidence in Moore, which could hurt that relationship.

The potential signing of Peyton could also alter the future should the Dolphins and new head coach Joe Philbin decide not to use a draft pick on a quarterback this year. This could prove problematic should Manning get hurt again, or retire within the next few years.

Regardless, it looks as though the Dolphins will be adding a new quarterback at some point going into next season whether it be Manning, Matt Flynn (who worked under Philbin in Green Bay), or a rookie draft pick. At this point, it appears the Dolphins will be at the center of the quarterback whirlwind this off-season.

By Brandon Williams
Brandon Williams is a freelance writer and currently the lead blogger at Sports Reviews. He is a member of the Football Writers Association of America.

ESPN's Adam Schefter believes #Dolphins are early front-runners for Peyton Manning. "Make Miami the favorite for now." http://t.co/yp8wklSW

February 7, 2012 11:36 am via Seesmic DesktopReplyRetweetFavorite

@evansilva

Evan Silva

The Dolphins are going to have between $5 million and $10 million in cap room this offseason and can expand that by restructuring the deals of high-paid players like left tackle Jake Long. Miami can also release quarterbacks JP Losman and Pat Devlin to create more room and possibly even Chad Henne. Of course, that would only happen if the Dolphins agreed to firm deal with Manning, which Schefter suggests is possible and even likely at this point.

Manning would bring a passing game to Miami that hasn’t been seen since Dan Marino retired. The Dolphins have an excellent group of receivers led by Brandon Marshall and running back Reggie Bush is great at catching passes out of the backfield, which suits Manning perfectly. Obviously, this deal is a long way from getting done, but the eldest Manning in South Beach is a big possibility at this point.

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Flynn, a fourth-year player out of LSU has spent his career on the bench backing up quarterback Aaron Rodgers, is widely perceived to bolt Green Bay as a free agent and take his proverbial talents elsewhere.

Is Miami—thanks to the hiring of his former offensive coordinator in Philbin—in the mix?

Flynn has been linked to quarterback-needy teams such as Cleveland, Washington and now Miami, while the Dolphins currently have Matt Moore as their projected starter for the 2012-13 season, does the hiring of Philbin signal the end of Moore and the inevitable arrival of Flynn?

Flynn, who would rise to prominence while filling in for Rodgers—who would suffer a concussion against Detroit—would throw for 177 yards and one interception in a 7-3 loss to the Lions.

Flynn would see his stock rise with a 24-of-37, 251 yard, three touchdown performance on the road against the New England Patriots during a nationally televised Sunday Night game 31-27 loss.

During a Week 17 game against the Detroit Lions, Flynn would start in place of Rodgers—who was rested for the playoffs—and throw for a Packers franchise-record 480 yards and six touchdowns in a 45-41 win over Detroit.

In two starts, Flynn has thrown for 731 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 67.7 percent of his passes for a QB rating of 118.3

Based on two starts, Flynn sounds like a quality back-up, but is he the former Buffalo Bills quarterback Frank Reich or the second coming of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb?

In so many ways, Flynn sounds like a shoo-in to go to the Dolphins based on his familiarity with Philbin’s West Coast offense, but thanks to the precedent that Kolb set after being acquired by the Arizona Cardinals from the Philadelphia Eagles—who would sign Kolb to a five-year extension worth $63 million

In seven starts with the eagles in 2010-11, Kolb would throw for 1,197 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions before being traded for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick.

In his first full year as a NFL starting quarterback, Kolb would throw for 1,955 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games, and be involved in a quarterback controversy with second-year quarterback John Skelton.

For Flynn, there is also the issue of possibly franchised by Green Bay, which would detract possible suitors and means that Flynn would be paid $14.4 million to sit the bench behind Rodgers.

The thinking in Green Bay is that they can tempt either the Dolphins, Browns, Redskins or any other team into giving up a first or second round pick for him.

The price of $14.4 million for a quarterback that has two NFL starts under his belt may be a bit steep—even for Philbin—and his new team to pay.

Follow me on Twitter, @Dawgfather_76

He replaces Tony Sparano, who led the Dolphins to one postseason berth in his four seasons as head coach. Sparano was fired on December 13th and is now the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets.

New Dolphins coach Philbin, 50, had been the offensive coordinator for the Packers since 2007. He had been a member of the team’s staff since the 2003 season.

He led the team to a Super Bowl victory following the 2010 season. The Packers won 15 games in 2011 and scored 560 points, the second most in a season in NFL history.

Philbin is also remembered as the coach whose son disappeared and was found dead in a Wisconsin river during the 2012 NFL playoffs. His Packers were upset by the Giants, 37-20, in the divisional round.

Reggie started 15 games this season, second most since his rookie year.  He showed that he can be an every down back, that many thought he was too frail for.  While his knee injury is a concern at this time, he’s expected to be fully healthy for 2012.

Daniel Thomas, the Dolphins rookie 2nd round pick, will make the start on Sunday.  Thomas has rushed 153 times for 553 yards (3.6 ypc).  Thomas showed flashes early, but it was evident that he took the back seat to Bush as the season went on.  Through his first 2 games Thomas had over 200 yards.  Injuries and the lack of a full offseason have clearly slowed the rookie’s progress, but he has shown flashes of potential.  With a full offseason this year, he should only get better.  The Dolphins look to have a potent 1-2 punch in the backfield moving forward with Bush and Thomas.

Thomas should get a bulk of the carries against the Jets with Lex Hilliard filling in when Thomas needs a breather.  I’d expect to see Lex in on 3rd down or obvious passing situations, as Thomas struggled at times this season in pass protection.  Hopefully, Thomas can pick up solid gains on 1st and 2nd downs, which will create more manageable 3rd down opportunities.  I’m anxious to see how the rookie responds to his first shot at getting a bulk of the carries for the Dolphins offense.

Previous 18 Super Bowl Winning QBs: Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Big Ben, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Big Ben, Tom Brady, Tom Brady, Brad Johnson, Tom Brady, Trent Dilfer, Kurt Warner, John Elway, John Elway, Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, and Troy Aikman. Out of the last 18 Super Bowls there are 2 (Dilfer and Johnson) that were game managers as their defenses were ferocious.  Of those 18 Super Bowls, 6 were won by QBs that are in the Hall of Fame already.  4 of those Super Bowls were won by guys named Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.  The other 6 Super Bowls were won by QBs that can be considered top 5 QBs in the NFL.

See what I mean?  Winning the Super Bowl, the ultimate prize for any NFL team, is done so by having an elite player at football’s most important position, quarterback.  So, whoever the Dolphins next coach is, he must decide how to get his hands on an elite qb.  Maybe it’s making a trade up for Andrew Luck, if that’s even possible.  It might cost 3 first round picks, but isn’t that worth it?  Wouldn’t you trade the last 3 Dolphins 1st round picks (Pouncey, Odrick, Vontae Davis) for a young Tom Brady?  Yes, they are all promising young players, but an elite QB is worth so much more.  RGIII, if he comes out, isn’t as sure a thing as Luck, but he could develop into a franchise QB.  Actually, there are some ‘experts’ that think RGIII has a higher ceiling than Luck (I don’t agree).

Another option that could be available to the Dolphins is to trade for or sign Peyton Manning if the Colts end up with Luck.  Peyton will be 36 and is coming off of a neck injury.  However, if he’s healthy, he could be the missing piece in Miami.  I mean, look at how awful the Colts have been this year without him.  They went from being a playoff team to a team that is battling for the #1 pick in the draft.

It will be interesting to see what the Dolphins do.  They realize the need for a franchise guy as much as we do.  Stephen Ross is said to be enamored with Luck, but he might not have the chance to draft him if the Colts get the #1 pick.  He and the Dolphins might have to look elsewhere to find their elite QB…but trust me, they’ll be looking….

The Jets motivation for Sunday’s game is clear, win and finish 9-7 and keep fleeting playoff hopes alive.  For the Dolphins, their motivation comes from a hatred for arguably their biggest rival.  The Dolphins are 5-10 and will have a new coach in 2012.  The players want to prove that they can play and want to be the ones that end the Jets hopes for the playoffs.

As Kendall Langford said: “We’re fighting for pride, they’re fighting for a playoff spot. We’re going to see who wants it more comes Sunday.”  He’s absolutely right.  The Dolphins are playing for pride in what is the closest thing they’ll have to a playoff game this season.  The Jets NEED to win to have any chance at moving on.

The Jets have looked awful the last 2 weeks, getting trounced by the Eagles and were then beaten in the Battle of New York by the Giants.  Having lost 2 straight games, the Jets have put themselves behind the 8 ball, so to speak.  Rex Ryan has been running his mouth since before the Lockout STARTED.  Even before he knew what teams’ rosters would look like, he proclaimed his Jets were going to the Super Bowl.  Well Rex, it’s getting old and your fans and the NYC media are getting tired of your bark (with no bite).  This Sunday, the Dolphins can make the Jets playoff dreams a nightmare….and they can shut Rex Ryan up for the foreseeable future as well.

It should also be noted that the Dolphins players and fans will be extra pumped on Sunday.  Sunday’s game will be Jason Taylor’s last game as an NFL player (unless he pulls a Favre!).  Expect the Dolphins and their fans to be juiced for the game.  Everyone wants to see JT go out on a high note.  What better way to go out than to crush the playoff dreams of Jets fans…Fans he once said take the ‘cl’ out of ‘class’.

Marc Colombo, who missed practice Wednesday, returned on a limited basis on Thursday.  Clyde Gates and Brandon Marshall were both limited in Thursday’s practice, but both are expected to play on Sunday.  I’m not sure anything could keep Marshall out of this game, as he relishes the chance to take on Darelle Revis again.

One positive sign is that Anthony Fasano appears to be on his way back to the field.  Fasano, who missed last week’s game against the Patriots, was cleared yesterday to return to practice.  Fasano passed all concussion tests and looks to be on track to play against the Jets.

The Dolphins may be injured, but they are motivated to knock the Jets out of the playoff hunt.  The Jets need to beat the Dolphins and get losses by the Titans and Bengals and a loss by either the Raiders or Broncos.  Simply, they need a lot of help…but they must win to have a shot.  The Dolphins, whose playoff hopes were extinguished a few weeks ago, would love nothing more than to shut Rex Ryan up until September.  In a season that has lacked ‘big games’, this is one that the Dolphins most certainly want to win.  A win on Sunday would make the Dolphins 6-10 and will probably net them the #10 pick in the NFL Draft.  Oh, and it would ensure that their hated rivals finish the season at 8-8 and home for the playoffs.

Brandon Marshall was also selected for a trip to Hawaii, along with wide receivers Wes Welker, Mike Wallace, and AJ Green.  Marshall is having a good year, production wise.  He has caught 76 balls for 1,164 yards and 6 TDs.  Those numbers are just about in line with his career stats, although he’s used to catching more balls.  What doesn’t show up in those numbers are some of the key dropped passes Marshall has had this season.  He’s dropped about 7 TD passes, along with various 3rd down passes that could’ve kept the Dolphins offense on the field.

Mike Pouncey, the Dolphins rookie center, was named as a Pro Bowl alternate at Center.  While it’s unlikely that Pouncey will make this trip to Hawaii, it’s likely that he will make many trips over the course of his career.  Hopefully, he makes those trips as a member of the Dolphins!  He’s had a great rookie season and has helped to stabilize the Dolphins offensive line.  Considering there were no offseason practices and a rushed training camp, Pouncey has played very well.  He’s making line calls and has been a force maintaining blocks and getting to the second level of the defense.

Congratulations to Jake, Brandon, and Mike for their solid seasons and achievements!

1. Dan Marino accumulated 5,084 passing yards on 58 FEWER attempts and 78 FEWER completions than Drew Brees.  So Marino got more yards with fewer passes.

2. Marino’s average yards per attempt in 1984 was 9.01 compared to Brees’ 8.18.

3. Marino also threw for 48 TDs that season compared to Brees’ 41 this season.  Yes, Brees still has one game left, but can he throw for 7 more TDs?

4. NFL Rule Changes.  This is the biggest difference in my opinion between Marino’s and Brees’ record breaking years.  Marino played in an NFL when defenders could actually hold receivers, deliver vicious hits, and do more than play patty cake with the quarterback.  Brees has had the luxury of receivers running more wide open, against coverage that is more loose.  To show you what I mean, read this article.  It’s conceivable that Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers could ALL break Marino’s record this season.  Yes, they are all Hall of Fame QBs….BUT, the current NFL rules are helping to make it MUCH easier on offenses.  So the numbers put up recently are inflated…similar to the way that home run totals in baseball are because of many changing variables (field size, juiced balls, juiced players, lower mound, etc)

This is by no means a slight at Drew Brees.  He is a tremendous quarterback who is having a phenomenal season.  BUT, it’s important to realize that just because he now owns the record, his season should be viewed through realistic goggles.   If there was ever a player that I’d like to see break Dan’s record, it’s Drew Brees.  He’s a great guy and by all accounts a role model for children everywhere.  I congratulate him on the record and hope he continues his solid play.  But just remember, 1984 was a magical season…not just because Marino was a Dolphin…But because he did something that no one had ever come close to, in a time when the rules, and the NFL as a whole, was much different.