Sam Mellinger | Chiefs must do everything to get Manning
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Stuff Peyton Manning full of Boulevard Pale Ale and a Z-Man sandwich. Show him pictures of Arrowhead Stadium on a crisp fall Sunday, play video of Jamaal Charles rushing through the line and Tony Moeaki’s catch against the 49ers last year and — put this one on loop — Dwayne Bowe’s circus grabs in Indianapolis.
Whatever it takes.
Scott Pioli has a hard job. Being general manager of the Chiefs means an endless string of decisions on a razor’s edge, the wrong answer bringing losses and criticism and ultimately bad news from the boss.
Which is why he should be ecstatic, skipping down the halls of the Chiefs’ offices and bear-hugging Romeo Crennel to celebrate the easiest decision of his professional career:
Pursue Manning with everything the franchise has.
Do this, and a disproportionate amount of the common criticism — cheap ownership, unwilling to make bold moves, too much commitment to Matt Cassel — goes away. Vanishes.
This makes too much sense for the Chiefs not to make signing one of five greatest quarterbacks of all time priority No. 1, 2 and 3 this offseason.
Pioli’s Chiefs have made do with a mediocre quarterback. Their vision has been clouded by Cassel’s limitations. With rules stacked in favor of passing, the Chiefs have built around running. In three years, it’s produced a one-and-done playoff appearance in one of the NFL’s weakest divisions.
This is their chance to fix all that, a gift from the football gods of circumstance.
The best part? Every indication is that Pioli and the Chiefs are absolutely doing this.
Crennel talks openly and specifically about Manning, almost certainly violated the NFL’s tampering rules in the process. Pioli talks openly and specifically about improving the quarterback position. Clark Hunt talks openly and specifically about the enormous gap between what the Chiefs currently spend and what they’ll be required to spend in 2013 not being an issue.
So the talking points from the three most powerful men in the organization all point toward signing Manning to what would almost certainly be the highest annual salary in franchise history.
Manning will be able to choose virtually any franchise he wants. He is in a great spot. One projection says he’d make the biggest impact in Arizona, adding four wins. The Dolphins could use him. Seattle, too. And Washington. The list goes on and on, so the Chiefs will have to make their case.
They’ll have to show Manning more than the money. His first question might be how the Chiefs plan on fixing their broken offensive line, because he always had one of the league’s best in Indy. The Chiefs will also have to accept a significant risk.
Manning hasn’t thrown a meaningful pass in more than a year. He had three neck surgeries in 19 months. Nobody can be certain when or even if he’ll fully recover. Bringing him in means overhauling the existing system for Manning’s.
Even forgetting the neck, Manning turns 36 this month. Only five starting quarterbacks at that age have ever had higher passing ratings than Cassel’s 93.0 mark in 2010. Only three — Johnny Unitas, Jim Plunkett and John Elway — have won a Super Bowl after their 36th birthday.
It’s just that the Chiefs are terrifically positioned to absorb the risk and accentuate the potential reward.
The last five years or so of frugal spending mean they can make the money work. The franchise tag on Bowe, Moeaki’s presumed healing and Jon Baldwin’s presumed development mean Manning would have one of the league’s best group of receivers. Charles’ presumed healing means he’d have one of the best running backs.
As for the offensive line, the right moves can fix that this offseason. Besides, Manning would make the line instantly and significantly better.
And if it turns out that Manning can’t play, or is only a vague representation of his former self, then Cassel becomes a workable insurance policy.
The Chiefs are in a unique spot where the rewards of signing Manning mean more, and the risks mean less.
Pioli will have missed a franchise-altering opportunity if he doesn’t pursue this. NFL decisions never come this easy.
To reach Sam Mellinger, call 816-234-4365, send email to
[email protected] or follow twitter.com/mellinger. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.
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