Joe Theismann said last week that the Redskins signing Peyton Manning would be a “horrific idea.”
We thought Joe’s analysis was horrific, but there are a lot of folks in Washington that agree with him.
Jason Reid of the Washington Post wrote a column saying the team must avoid the temptation of going after fading stars like Manning. Tracee Hamilton of the same paper agrees, writing the team needs to “build their own quarterback.”
The Post’s beat writer Mike Jones makes the case that signing Kyle Orton would make sense instead of Manning.
We’re a little surprised by the reaction. Mike Shanahan has shown absolutely no ability in Washington to evaluate and develop the quarterback position.
He bet big on Donovan McNabb and lost. Shanahan staked his reputation on John Beck and Rex Grossman. Why does anyone trust Shanahan to find something better than Manning behind door No. 2? This franchise hasn’t built their own quarterback in twenty years.
Manning is a massive risk, but his upside is far greater than any other alternative. The Redskins can still draft their own young quarterback to develop if they want. The downside for Washington is the same mediocrity that has plagued the franchise since Dan Snyder took over. That will get Shanahan fired.
Manning threw for over 4,500 yards with 33 touchdowns in both of his last two seasons. Manning is worth rolling the dice for a team like the Redskins, even if there is only a 50% chance he resembles that player in 2012.
And if it doesn’t work out, there’s always Rex.