Yoda and Luke Should Unite In Denver

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Luke Skywalker battled many stormtroopers and worse for two "Star Wars" movies before meeting Yoda and becoming a Jedi Knight. Tim Tebow did well in his second year to lead the Broncos to a playoff win last season, but having Peyton Manning mentor Tebow for two or three seasons would be the best thing to extend Tebow's career and have him emerge a "Jedi Quarterback", able to do far more than he would be able to do if he just keeps doing it the way he is now. The Broncos know they cannot win regularly enough in the fashion that they played the second half of the year and although Tebow is extremely durable and tough, his bravado won't hold up year in and year out in the NFL. And it is much easier to find QB's that fit the standard model of pass first, run if necessary, versus ground and pound with the QB and slip in a play-action now and then for a big play. Finding another player like Tebow to run his style offense is actually impossible, because there is only one Tim Tebow. So, no matter how much you love Tebow, you can't blame the Broncos brass for hedging their bets on the long-term health of their battering ram signal-caller. Of the teams seemingly in the Manning sweepstakes, the Denver Broncos seem to be the best fit for Manning to have the most success. Beating the intra-division Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers seems to be the easiest road to the playoffs and a possible run to another shot at a Super Bowl. For Tebow, he would develop his mind and probably his throwing techniques more in this scenario than any other. Unlike when Brett Favre said it was not his job to help develop Aaron Rogers, Peyton Manning wouldn't feel threatened by Tebow's presence and would probably welcome the mentoring situation. It would also be easy and fun to develop a special package for Tebow to be involved in the offense on some special plays that would help him stay involved and probably be a real "X Factor" like he was his freshman year at the University of Florida that coincidentally ended in a national championship

Manning's Next Stop?

Jim Irsay and Peyton Manning kept it classy while making the decision to part ways official. The money that Peyton Manning commands and deserves is just too much for a team holding the #1 overall draft pick and a player like Andrew Luck at the top of the collegiate list. The Colts were the worst team in the NFL without Manning and were one of the best every year with him as their signal caller, but the intersection of the player's best interest and the team's best interest crossed, just as it has for many teams that have had to make tough decisions on their star players. The Peyton Sweepstakes odds-making are in full swing and I was saddened to read the report that says Manning is not interested in playing for the Washington Redskins. For those dreaming of an All-Manning Super Bowl are just that, dreaming. No QB has left his team this late in his career and taken the next team to the Super Bowl, although Brett Favre did come close and probably would have if it wasn't for those darned New Orleans Saints and their bounties. If Manning played in D.C., the Manning brothers would be guaranteed to play twice each year, and since the divorce is ultimately about money, everyone could cash in on those matchups. Imagine tons more of those Oreo commercials! Also, moving to D.C. now would give Peyton more time to find a nice place to stay before he moves into the White House as President of the United States in 2016 or 2020.

What Should Peyton Do?

Joe Montana did it. Johnny U. did too. Namath tried it as well and I don't think it helped any of them or their legacies. Quarterback icons that leave the teams that made them icons hasn't worked out all that well in the past and I don't think it will be very good for Peyton Manning either.
The teams that will be interested in Manning's future greatness probably aren't nearly what was predicted earlier this year. Even though Manning isn't over the hill when healthy, his current health status makes him older than his real age and puts him closer to retirement than the single year that he lost this past season. Nerves are funny things and they either take a long time to regenerate or don't regenerate and the teams that will be in the bidding for his services are taking a real and risky gamble on what he will be able to do and for how long he will be able to do it.
I for one would like to see him work things out in Indianapolis or simply rest on his incredible laurels and ride off into the broadcast booth with his head held high and his Super Bowl ring shiny.
Brett Favre was the ultimate tough guy and although he still played at a high level and the Vikings wouldn't have competed into the NFC Championship without him, he should have finished with class, instead of something far less. The teams that were interested in Favre are the same kinds of teams that will be interested in Manning. A small few that think they are one year and one formerly great arm and mind away from the Big Game. Those would be this year's wildcard teams or one win out of the playoffs and ones without young superstar QB's. It isn't a big list and the history of that working well isn't super, so let's hope that Irsay and Manning can stay classy and get it done for everyone's sake.

R G III Better Than Vick?

Michael Vick has an MVP trophy and took the Atlanta Falcons to the NFC Championship game early in his career and even got himself back to the top of the league after taking some time off in solitary, but Robert Griffin III, the most recent super-fast QB to hit the NFL, who is just as fast as Vick, a little bit bigger and a more polished QB at this point in his career. Hit potential is off the charts!
Sub 4.4 40's at the combine get scouts and everyone else drooling when the player is a wide receiver or a defensive back, but when it is a QB, it unchartered territory, sans Michael Vick. With Cam Newton's phenonemenal rookie year, offensive coordinators are letting their minds run wild with the options available with that kind of passing and running ability. Newton's Carolina Panthers did not win many games last year, but they are arguably one of the most exciting tickets for next season. RG III could make a lackluster team at the top of the draft, an extremely exciting ticket for next year as well.
Vick, Newton, RG III and Tim Tebow (if Tebow can improve his passing skills and reduce his abusive running style) really are the new breed prototype for the future of the league. I don't ever see the NFL not interested in great pocket passers and I'm not sure Andrew Luck's 4.59 40 make him simply a pure pocket passer or not, but great passers with great athletic ability are certainly the future as well as the NOW!

LUCK WITH LUCK

Andrew Luck has been the consensus #1 overall pick in the NFL draft for more than a year now. Last year he decided to do the college thing one more time and Cam Newton took the top spot and the millions that go with it. With the NFL's new CBA following the long lockout, Newton's millions were far less than the previous number one's for quite a few years, so Luck didn't miss out on nearly as much as usual.
He didn't disappoint in the college ranks and continues to be way out in the lead as the front-runner for the Indianapolis Colts come April.
With Newton's success, the mania surrounding Tim Tebow's ascension in Denver and Robert Griffin's Heisman Trophy win, some wonder about changes to the long-held model of the prototype NFL quarterback. While there may be a subtle shift to more athletic QB's at the game's highest level, passers will remain the most coveted, especially as less and less pro style QB's are being developed from Pee Wee to college.
Next to the Manning brothers, Andrew Luck looks to be the most well prepared player to successfully transition to the NFL. Cam Newton may be the most exciting player to watch over the next decade and very well may make the Carolina Panthers a very successful team on the way, but Luck's demeanor and understanding of the game should make him a super solid performer and probably less likely to get injured during the same time frame.