The questions and conjecture surrounding Peyton Manning will not rest until he signs on the dotted line for some team, and yet he hasn’t even been released yet. That’s the flurry around one of the best quarterbacks of all time as the Indianapolis Colts just might be preparing to release him. Tyler Nickel over at Revenge of the Birds, SB Nation’s Arizona Cardinals blog, takes a look at a few NFL teams and wonders whether they are good or bad for Manning to consider.
For the Chiefs, he comes up with the following list of pros and cons:
Pros- The Chiefs have a bunch of young receivers that make for great targets to whatever quarterback is starting there next season. Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin are one of the better trios in the NFL. Throw in the return of tight end Tony Moeaki and you have a very formidable group.
Cons- The Chiefs are coming off a poor season and a lot of turnover looks to be headed their way. They already fired head coach Todd Haley, so Manning will be walking into an offensive system that not only is unfamiliar to him, but also to the players he will be throwing to. The Chiefs also had the worst right tackle in the league with Barry Richardson according to Pro Football Focus, so that position will need to be addressed.
The unfamiliarity with the scheme and players is the most viable option there since the team is going to upgrade from Richardson for sure this off-season. That said, will Manning want to go to what is familiar? Jim Caldwell is now in Baltimore as an assistant there. The Redskins have been rumored to be willing to bring in other former teammates of Manning if that helps. So there are some other places if he wants that.
That said, the Chiefs have several offensive playmakers at every skill position. The main receiver is set if they re-sign Dwayne Bowe. They have a dynamic young tight end with Tony Moeaki. They have a running game anchored by Jamaal Charles. They have a slot receiver in Steve Breaston. They have a new young receiver in Jon Baldwin waiting in the wings. They also have Dexter McCluster in a jack-of-all-trades role. All of this, of course, comes before the Chiefs do anything in the off-season as well.
In other words, it’s going to be hard to find a team as ready for a quarterback to come in and succeed as Manning will find in Kansas City. Those pros certainly outweigh the cons.