Reports started emerging yesterday that Peyton manning would in fact be released by the Indianapolis Colts, which means the pursuit of him is ready to begin in earnest. As expected, the Redskins are going to make a "strong push" for Manning, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. But there was a little tidbit towards the end of the article that I found interesting, in regards to their backup plan should Manning fall through.
One person with knowledge of the Redskins’ planning said the team intends to go after Manning aggressively and, if Manning signs elsewhere, turn its attention to strongly pursuing a trade for the Rams’ pick. But two others familiar with the Redskins’ intentions said signing Manning would not preclude the addition of a young quarterback in the draft--either Griffin or Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M, who could be selected with the sixth pick.
So that means that Manning, who was made expendable in Indy by the presumed pick of Andrew Luck, would join another team that would then bring in a rookie for him to compete with. it doesn't sound like this is actually their plan, and they may be posturing while working on what their real plan is. Either way, it should be an interesting next couple of months.
Stay tuned to SB Nation DC for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. And all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.
Introducing the SB Nation YouTube Channel | Subscribe Now | Follow @SBNStudios