Report: Dolphins chances of getting Manning are ‘dwindling’

Mar. 09 News and Notes 17 comments ---Bill

The Miami Dolphins have not met with Peyton Manning yet.  At least, that’s what they are saying publicly.  Joe Philbin said he hasn’t spoke with Manning, but is eager to see how things develop within the next week or so.  This news comes at the same time that we hear that the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and Kansas City Chiefs are now in on the Manning Chase.  The truth is, no one really knows other than Peyton or is agent.  Maybe the Dolphins have met with Manning?

This morning, Adam Schefter threw some cold water onto Dolphins fans that hope to get Manning.  He said here, that the Dolphins chances of signing Manning appear to be ‘dwindling’.  He points out that a certain helicopter chase on Wednesday might have been off-putting to Peyton.  Chris Mortsensen said last night that he expects Manning to make his decision within the next 3-4 days.

I will say this, there are a lot of rumors being thrown out.  Some true, many not true.  While it’s possible that Peyton could have been upset about 1 helicopter following him from the airport, it seems highly unlikely.  Would 1 helicopter prevent Peyton from signing with the Dolphins, if they are the team he feels most comfortable with?  This is Peyton freaking Manning!  He’s been in the spotlight since his time in Tennessee.  He’s done commercial after commercial and was the face of Indianapolis.  I have a hard time buying this, which is why I believe Peyton’s camp let this slip out so that the Dolphins (and fans) would get antsy, which will cause them to increase whatever their initial offer would have been.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?  And you will continue to see teams linked to Manning as potential landing spots….this is part of the negotiation process.

Manning will want as many teams interested as possible to: 1. increase the guaranteed money he’s offered and 2. decrease the chances of him needing to actually throw to prove to a team that he’s healthy.  I’ve seen it suggested on Twitter that the Dolphins are so ‘all in’ on Manning that they might offer him a contract, sight unseen.  This is not a wise move….BUT, keep in mind that the Dolphins could very well have more info than the 4 throws we saw from Manning at Duke.

If the unthinkable happens and Manning signs with, say the Cardinals, all is not lost Phin Nation!  There ARE other QB options available to the Dolphins.  Matt Flynn is about to become a free agent on Tuesday…..RG3 is still available via a trade-up scenario…..Ryan Tannehill will still probably be there for the Dolphins at #8…..Brandon Weeden is still entering the draft.  The Dolphins may be making a very hard push for Peyton Manning, but there are other options if they do not reel him in.

[Update 3:00pm - The Dolphins are one of the 3 reported finalists for Peyton Manning's services, click here for the story]

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  • steveo

    Iv’e said this before, you do not need a college degree to know you should go all in on Manning, and if that isn’t enough you sell the farm. Mr. Ross you really need to get this one right, you know how big, no not big, freaking huge this could be for us, now do what ever it takes to get our man.

  • http://FIU URIDOLP2012

    I agree that Payton can overturn the Dolphin chances to go all the way and that is why Mr. Ross need to be aggressive and beat any other offer from other teams. If the Dolphin gets Payton, other caliber players may fallow him and that will be great for Miami. Is Mr., Ross really serious about Payton or he may please his new coach with Flynn? Wait on that it can be too late. No because Payton, but because there are other teams that are not willing to let pass this opportunity. See most people don’t realize that with Payton as a QB on any team, you don’t need really an offensive coordinator. Payton is the best on running the offense game by game. He is a very smart QB with a lot experience reading defenses and his real skills had accomplished great records and success. What a combo? Dolphin gets moving fast.

  • Squalleyhead

    Peyton Manning is fools gold, let some other team be the fool. The right side of the offensive line could barely protect a mobile qb and you want to put a statue there. Teams will blitz every down and hammer him. If you want to sign an ex-Colt get Dallas Clark. Pairing him with Anthony Fasano would bring us in line teams that exploit the middle of the field.

  • Pennsitter

    Squally, foolsgold? You must be mistaking Manning for Flynn! Here is the thing, Manning is the type of QB that, even at 85%, is better than what has been in south beach since 13! What better option is there?! Flynn is unproven (of course he did have 1 career game in snowy weather against a highly overrated defense), reports are the skins have aquired the #2 pick for Griffin, it would be a reach for Tennyhill at #8 and he isnt great, and Matt Moore was great from the 1st thru the 3rd quarters, but when he needed a game winning score (ie @ New England) or and 1st down to ice the game (@ Dallas) he couldnt do it. What better option is there than Manning to finally give us hope?! Because we havent had that in almost 15 years!!!

  • Dave

    Get Peyton period! I agree. Griffin is going to the Redskins at #2. Yes other QB’s out there but none like Manning. We will be in playoffs every year he’s around. Plenty of yrs. to find a young QB. Just get him here, and go from there. Yes, he will attract other players to come to the best team ever! Com ‘ on Man!

  • Squalleyhead

    @ Pennsitter, I agree, he is better than 85% of the starting qb’s right now. But I still must remind all Dolphin fans who are as into the team as me. I loved Chad Pennington for the 1; let me repeat; the 1 year he was able to give us before getting hurt again. This was just a shoulder. Our team has too many other needs to be saved by 1 player, as great as he was. What he is is yet to be determined. The Colts released Dallas Clark, Clark and Fasano with Clay in the mix would follow NE’s 2 headed TE formula and allow us to address other needs, like the revolving door on the right side of the o-line.

  • kell

    I think the great organizations do not act like this. They are patient and develop their teams slowly, patiently through the draft and fill holes in free agency. We, the Miami Dolphins do it the opposite way, we build through free agency and fill holes with rookies through the draft. To me this is backwards.

    I would much rather slow down, get Flynn, if not draft Tannehill or even Weedon and build the team slowly. I am starting to dislike my fellow Miami fans very much because of their impatience and ignorance. It’s always, WIN NOW NO MATTER WHAT and then when it never works out we sit and complain and we want to fire everyone from the top down.

    We perpetuate a losing system so we keep losing. Manning was losing his mojo the year before he got hurt. We should move on if it’s about football. If it’s more about entertainment and selling tickets like the Heat, well then without a doubt, get Manning.

  • kell

    Also, Peyton never ran a west coast offense, LOL. One good hit and we are done for the year and maybe years to come. Do we really want to put it all on a 36 year old QB with horrific neck surgeries, LOL? Are we kidding?

  • Sonny

    Manning is signing with the Cardinals! Dome+Fitzgerald+Mannings QB coach in Arizona = Peyton in a red uniform

  • Pennsitter

    Ummmm…..Arizona led the league in sacks given up last season=Manning out rather quickly! Kell, what are you basing your Flynn or Tannehill comments on??? What have either 1 of those guys done? I mean you are judging Flynn by 1 game! To me there are 2 Qb’s in this in this draft, Luck and Griffin, you are reaching for anyone else (ie Chad Henne, Pat White, etc.) My thoughts are Manning first, if not the starter should be Matt Moore, who is already signed. I agree they should draft a Qb, but the RIGHT Qb, don’t draft 1 just to draft 1. And Peyton Manning is not just another Qb, ifs hes healthy hes easily a top 5 Qb and a certain leader, which this team really needs…

    • Dave

      You are correct. 100% agree with you.

  • Dave

    If Manning comes to Miami then the front office has promised a up grade on the OL for sure.They have a great defense and have receivers he can throw to. Manning does not need to sign by Tuesday. He can listen to as many teams that are contenders in his mind. manning would not screw a team by showing up not 100%, he has to much pride and I am sure Manning will have things put in his contract to protect the team. This is not about money for Manning, this is about picking a team that by adding him can win a SB. manning has the motivation to become better then he has ever been. He will I bet on it and who ever gets him will win at least one SB and maybe 2 then Manning rides off into the sun set saying take that Irsay.

  • Squalleyhead

    The Dolphins were not far behind in sacks given up, 52 I believe for a franchise record. I will do my best Nancy Regan and just say no to Peyton.

  • Pennsitter

    Any time you have Marc Columbo on the right side that can happen, if they sign Manning I’d look for that #8 pick to be spent on someone to help with that side, the Fins have a pretty darn good guy in place to protect his blind side. I respect your opinion Squally, all I’m saying is Peyton is the best option out there, there is a reason Flynn was a 7th round draft pick, hes no Tom Brady. In respect to Arizona, Marshall is on the same level as Fitz, with Long and Pouncy and I’m sure more help on the way, the O line is better, the running backs with the addition of Messum is better and the D is already better. If Moore can go 6-3 with this team theres no telling what Manning could do…

    • Phinfan4sure

      I gotta agree with with Pennsitter, we have a better chance with Manning than anyone else excluding Luck and possibly Griffin. I say we gett Manning, give him a 2 year deal see if we can get him for incenctives rather than guaranteed money, it’s not like he’s hurting in that department. Use our number on pick and draft Riley Reiff out of Iowa to solidify our right tackle situation. Long and Reiff with our solid center Pouncey and guards. If we can’t get Reiff we can get Coples to compliment Cam Wake. If we get Peyton then we get Reggie Wayne too, possibly Dallas Clarke. And our offense should be ok to make a playoff push. We can get a QB in the 2nd round Weeden, maybe even Kirk Cousins. But I think it would be a major reach on Flynn he had one good game…. is that enough to make him the franchise QB? I don’t think it is, no where close. If that;s the case we could stay with Matt Moore (which isn’t a bad option) but neither can walk a day in Peyton’s shoes, no disrespect to Moore. But I think Ross and Ireland need to pull the trigger and try to get Mr.Manning.

  • dolphan5372ref

    Manning is fool’s gold. There’s a reason why they never announced his surgery he had before the one in September, which made it # 3 but no one knew about it until last month. WHY? He’ll do fine until that one good shot that will put him in a wheelchair and hopefully he’ll be able to use his hand to manuever it around. Like all good things his time is done. He’ll make a great Offensive Coordinator but in a wheelchair he won’t be doing nothing.

    Stay with Matt Moore, get Flynn or another FA QB an Offensive Tackle with the first pick a QB with second, groom him for the future, then fill the holes that we need filling. But we don’t need to get some one who we’ll be carting off the field and hopeing he’ll be able to walk again.

  • gustavo orozco

    plain and simple peyton needs to come to miami or we aint competing with the pats till at least next year when we draft barkley…. but that doesnt too bad… barkley would be better fit then overpaying matt flynn…. so if we miss out on manning so be it we miss re all just daydreaming of peyton to marshall touchdowns and i must admit its something to dwell on…..but reality is we are not landing him…. sorry to burst anybodies bubble including my own ..lol