Fins Are Antici"Peyton"
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Miami Dolphins got their chance to make a pitch to free agent quarterback Peyton Manning Monday night over six hours of talks with coach Joe Philbin and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman.
Now, the Dolphins have to hurry up and wait.
Manning has met with the Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, and the Denver Broncos since being released by the Indianapolis Colts last Wednesday. The Tennessee Titans will also get a chance to make a pitch to Manning in the near-future.
Given the bumbling way Fins owner Stephen Ross and general manager Jeff Ireland have pursued coaches; it's probably a good thing neither were likely heavily involved in the Manning talks.
But, with free agency set to open Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m., time is quickly collapsing on teams hoping to land the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
For the Dolphins, the wait is especially tenuous given the free agent and NFL Draft quarterback market. After Manning, the only other quarterback said to be worth anything is Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn.
The former seventh-round pick was taught by Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin and spent the last four years learning under Aaron Rodgers. The Dolphins have long been thought to be the logical landing spot for Flynn, but with Manning on the market, Flynn has been an afterthought in Miami.
If the Dolphins continue to hold out and wait for Manning; it could give Flynn ample opportunity to sign with another team when free agency begins. The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly interested in bringing Flynn in to take over for Tarvaris Jackson next season.
It all comes back to the teams waiting for Peyton.
Remember, he has yet to publicly throw the football for any team, so they may have to sign him sight unseen as far as arm strength goes. Manning has crossed a few teams off his list so far, but not the Dolphins.
So the Dolphins have to walk a fine line between being patient for Manning, while also doing due diligence on possibly acquiring Matt Flynn.
Of course, if the Dolphins aren't interested in Flynn, that should tell you all you need to know about his ability; given Philbin's background with Flynn in Green Bay.
If the Dolphins make the wrong move starting at 4 p.m.; they could walk away with Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn, or have to start over again with Matt Moore as the starting quarterback in 2012.
