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TLG
03-11-2012, 11:55 PM
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Peyton Manning had another marathon session during the second stop in his search for a new team.

The free-agent quarterback spent nearly 6 1/2 hours at the Arizona Cardinals' headquarters and training facility on Sunday in meetings designed to lure the superstar to the desert.

The session was even longer than the nearly six hours Manning spent at the Broncos' facility in Denver on Friday night.

Manning waved and smiled at cheering fans as he walked from the building to coach Ken Whisenhunt's white SUV. With the coach at the wheel, Manning waved again as the SUV pulled through the security gate and past the loud supporters.

He was expected to return to his home in Florida.

It was unclear whether the four-time MVP planned to meet with the Dolphins.

Cardinals president Michael Bidwill left immediately after Manning and Whisenhunt did. No one involved in the session spoke to reporters.

Larry Fitzgerald, one of the best receivers in the game and considered a prime reason why Manning might choose Arizona, arrived a few minutes ahead of Manning, then left after about three hours. He had a scheduled flight to Australia for a vacation later in the day.

General manager Rod Graves and most of the members of Whisenhunt's staff, including offensive co-ordinator Larry Miller, offensive line and assistant head coach Russ Grimm and defensive co-ordinator Ray Horton also were there. Wide receiver Andre Roberts spent several hours there, as did Lisa Manning (no relation), the Cardinals' vice-president for marketing.

Bidwill arrived about an hour and a half after Manning did.

"Get it done, Michael," a fan yelled. "Come on, buddy."

Among the earliest fans to arrive was 26-year-old Jarred Light, an Indianapolis Colts fan who moved to the Phoenix area 1 1/2 years ago.

"I pretty much grew up around him," he said. "When I was 12 is when he came to Indy. Now I'm 26, so pretty much ever since I've been interested in football he was my favourite everything. I've seen him a couple of times in Indy from living there so many years, and now I just wanted to come out here and see if he will come to the Cardinals."

A couple of fans wore Broncos jerseys and were loudly booed when they were interviewed by television crews.

Manning, who turns 36 on March 24, reportedly wants to make a decision in the next few days. Time is of the essence for the Cardinals, who are scheduled to pay quarterback Kevin Kolb $7 million if he is on the roster Thursday.

Manning was released by the Colts as the lead move in the team's massive restructuring of its roster. With Manning out the entire season while undergoing a series of neck surgeries, Indianapolis had the worst record in the NFL and is expected to select quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Manning has reported good progress as he works to regenerate nerves in his neck and regain his throwing form.

In addition to Fitzgerald as bait to lure the quarterback, the Cardinals have a coach who is flexible in his approach to the game. He built a team around Kurt Warner and gave the veteran quarterback free rein to change the plays at the line of scrimmage. As a result, the long-suffering Cardinals franchise made a surprise run to the Super Bowl in the 2008 season and captured the NFC West title again the next year.

Manning is familiar with Whisenhunt from the coach's work as offensive co-ordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Cardinals also have a state-of-the-art stadium with a retractable roof and a natural grass field. The addition of Manning might prompt the franchise to follow through on earlier plans to build a practice bubble so players can escape the stifling heat during summer mini-camps and early season practices.

A concern could be Arizona's inconsistent offensive line that could lose left tackle Levi Brown, who is expected to be released because he is due a big payday and wouldn't return unless he signed a new contract.

Less than a year ago, shortly after the lockout ended, Arizona traded cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick to Philadelphia for Kolb, then signed the quarterback to a big contract. But Kolb had trouble adjusting to the new offence and missed eight starts with injuries. Second-year pro John Skelton wound up starting half the games and having more success than Kolb did.

If Manning doesn't come to Arizona, the Cardinals will be faced with assuring Kolb that his services are still coveted, that the pursuit of the star was nothing personal.

KIDWCKED
03-12-2012, 12:09 AM
Thanx for the update,just caught it on espn..Arizona is suited for Manning as mentioned prevouisly.A superbowl team without a QB.Since favre retired..Kolb is not the best thing niether is Skelton or Anderson..

The Cobra
03-12-2012, 12:22 AM
I know you`re praying for it Todd...just hope the Cards have some savings put aside for the likes of Wayne and Clark cause it won`t just be Manning they`ll be bargaining for....I`m thinking the threesome.

The Cobra
03-12-2012, 12:34 AM
Just another thing I forgot to mention...Kevin Kold IF still rostered on Thurs is due to make $7 mill.......Manning is a decent guy and won`t mess this up for another player especially when he was on the receiving end of the same type of screw job he got from Irsay.

KIDWCKED
03-12-2012, 12:47 AM
I know you`re praying for it Todd...just hope the Cards have some savings put aside for the likes of Wayne and Clark cause it won`t just be Manning they`ll be bargaining for....I`m thinking the threesome.

Nice post cobra.Kolb is a wounded duck.Heck Skelton played better than him lol..But the defence won the games..Hopefully this deal can happen,and hopefully Arizona will bankroll it for the fans bro..

The Cobra
03-12-2012, 12:57 AM
Nice post cobra.Kolb is a wounded duck.Heck Skelton played better than him lol..But the defence won the games..Hopefully this deal can happen,and hopefully Arizona will bankroll it for the fans bro..

Well your chances are getting better at least bud......Washington is pretty much out of the race with them acquiring #2 overall from the Rams. The Jets also now are committed to Sanchez which really surprises me...so they are pretty much out of the Manning run. I don`t think Manning would go to the NFC esp the North but the Vikes just freed up 13 Mill in cuts so there is going to be some movement from them for something this year.

TLG
03-12-2012, 01:12 AM
The question now is, where will Manning end up next?

There are several teams that have been linked to Manning over the past few weeks including Washington, the New York Jets, Miami, Arizona, Denver, Kansas City, Seattle, and even San Francisco and Jacksonville.

Let's make the case for some of the contenders.

Washington Redskins: The quarterback carousel in Washington just keeps on turning under Mike Shanahan. Rex Grossman, John Beck, Donovan McNabb etc... Shanahan tends to like more mobile quarterbacks than Manning but let's face it a less mobile Manning is a heck of a lot better than Beck or Grossman. Also, owner Dan Snyder loves to bring in big names to fill the seats. The Redskins have an above-average offensive line featuring tackles Trent Williams and Jammal Brown. Not having to worry about protection would likely be attractive to Manning given the neck history.

New York Jets: Rex Ryan has always praised Manning and the Jets current starter Mark Sanchez has been very inconsistent throughout his first three seasons in the NFL. The Jets struggled to a .500 record last season, but still has some solid pieces in play. The team has a good offensive line, a very good defence and a couple of solid receiving options in Santonio Holmes and Dustin Keller. There's also the New York factor in play here and the battle for its supremacy that would take place between Peyton and brother Eli. The Jets don't have much room under the cap though.

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are thought to be one of the frontrunners for Manning's services and it's easy to see why. They have an attractive mix of receivers in Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess to go along with Reggie Bush catching balls out of the backfield. What they don't have is a great quarterback to get them the ball. Ownership would love to get themselves a star to market around and they have the cap space to afford it. The offensive line however had its struggles and allowed sacks on a league-worst 10% of quarterback drop backs last year.

Arizona Cardinals: Do the Cardinals really want to have a different quarterback at the helm for a fourth consecutive season? They might if it's Manning. Kevin Kolb never lived up to expectations struggling with injuries and performance in his first season in Arizona. He would also be guaranteed $7 million if he's on the roster March 17 so the team needs to make up their mind on whether they still think he's the man to lead them forward. If they decide Kolb isn't you have to think Manning would love to throw balls in Larry Fitzgerald's direction in the warm Arizona weather. The Cardinals O-line and Manning's neck wouldn't make nearly as ideal a match though.

Denver Broncos: John Elway hasn't exactly sung the praises of Tim Tebow in Denver. A quarterback with Manning's pedigree meanwhile would likely be right up Elway's alley. If Manning was able to come back healthy he would instantly transform Denver into a favourite in the weak AFC West and could also be an ideal mentor for Tebow who still has a long way to go in his development as an NFL quarterback. And if Reggie Wayne could piggy-back his way to Denver too it might give the Broncos a better shot at Manning.

Kansas City Chiefs: The Kansas City Chiefs have more cap space than anybody meaning they could definitely afford Manning. Head Coach Romeo Crennel also said publicly that he'd be interested in Manning should he become available. The Chiefs also have a good history with this type of move - Joe Montana made it work in his post-49ers days. The question for the Chiefs would then be what to do with Matt Cassel whom the team committed to as their starter.

Seattle Seahawks: Tarvaris Jackson has hardly entrenched himself as the man in Seattle and has just one year left on his deal leaving Josh Portis as the only other quarterback on the Seahawks' roster. To say Manning would be a major upgrade is an understatement. A move to Seattle would also give Manning the most talented running back he has played since Edgerrin James in Marshawn Lynch.

San Francisco 49ers: A move to San Francisco would put Manning on a team that was one win from reaching the Super Bowl a year ago. They have a dominant defence and a solid offensive line. The 49ers also have the cap room to afford Manning. However, San Francisco has not openly expressed any interest in Manning and Alex Smith, despite his deficiencies has had the support of head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Could the Jaguars come out of nowhere and throw a huge amount of money at Manning to upgrade their quarterbacking. Maybe, and well, money talks. However there really isn't anyone to throw to in Jacksonville nor is there a promise of great protection from the O-line. It would have to be A LOT of money.

The Cobra
03-12-2012, 01:23 AM
Jets are out by giving Sanchez an extension although I can`t recall for how long.
Washington is out because they just traded the farm to St Louis for the #2 pick, probably Griffin III.
Can`t see Harbaugh giving away an ounce of power so it would mean a war with Manning from the get go.
Jags????? The money would have to be staggering.
Miami is my bet...lots of cap $$$$ to sign Wayne and Clark....already locked up Bush out of the backfield.......and get some protection for Manning on the "O" line.

starter
03-12-2012, 01:29 AM
heard today on the golf course that it's Denver who get's the prize, we'll see

TLG
03-12-2012, 01:44 AM
The thing about Miami is that it's to close to New England and Manning won't want the manning - Brady thing
It would draw to much attention and be a distraction to the team,,

That's why Denver seems obvious