Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) passes against the New England Patriots in the first quarter of the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

$20 million isn’t an arbitrary number. It also happens to be what Peyton Manning will earn in in 2013, when he will be the highest paid player in the NFL. Flacco and his agent clearly believe that Flacco deserves the same type of money, but is he the same quality of QB? It’s tough to make a case that he is.

The regular season numbers certainly don’t favor Flacco’s claim. Flacco’s 87.7 rating was the 12th best by NFL QBs (Manning was 2nd). His QBR was the down at 25th (Manning was #1). Pro Football Focus has Flacco’s season at #20. (Manning is again #1.) From that point of view, the two quarterbacks should definitely not be paid similar money.

The playoff numbers are a different story. Flacco’s 114.7 rating is the highest of any QB this season. His QBR is the 3rd in the league even though he’s the only QB to have played in three playoff games so far. PFF also has him 3rd among playoff QBs. Plus there’s the fact that Flacco and the Ravens beat Manning and the Broncos in Denver.

That has been the case over his entire career. While Flacco isn’t a particularly good regular season QB, he does seem to dial it up to a whole different level in the post season. The question then becomes, is that enough?

Does being able to play well in the playoffs make Flacco worth the same contract money as players who play at a much higher level over the course of the regular season?

I guess we’ll see this off-season. It’s going to be an interesting story line to watch over the next couple months.

Jan 28, 2012; Honolulu, HI, USA; NFC quarterback Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers (1) hands off to NFC running back Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks (24) during the NFC practice on Ohana Day at the 2012 Pro Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Six Seattle Seahawks are headed to the Pro Bowl this year. The big question that everyone is asking is, “Does anybody care?” Last year’s players were accused of not competing, not playing hard enough, and basically playing a boring game. It resulted in a 59 to 41 AFC victory. Earlier this season, when asked about his Prow Bowl snub, Seattle’s own Richard Sherman seemed indifferent. He stated only that he wanted to be listed on the all-pro team.

In fact, criticism of the NFL’s all star game has grown so strong that there has been speculation that Roger Goodell may cancel future Pro Bowls if this year’s game is a flop. If he did, it would be a shame for the NFL’s youngest fans, the kids, who really believe that watching their heroes in an all star game is an exciting event.

My strongest memory of the Prow Bowl was in 1995. That year, Seahawks’ running back Chris Warren broke the Prow Bowl record for yards in a game at 127. Soon after that, his own AFC teammate, Marshall Faulk (then of the Indianapolis Colts) broke Warrens record by gaining 180 yards. Yes, the same record went down twice in one game by players from the same team.

I was young that year, and knew more about NCAA football than I did about NFL football. Maybe that was why I was so excited to see a Seattle player take a record in a bowl game. Then, when Marshall Faulk topped Warren’s record, I felt like I would feel years later when Shaun Alexander lost his share of the single season TD title to LaDainian Tomlinson the next season.

Jan 24, 2013; Honolulu, HI, USA; Seattle Seahawks center Max Unger (60) at NFC practice for the 2013 Pro Bowl at Hickam air force base. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday, Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson, Earl Thomas, and Leon Washington all have chances to put their names in the record books. All though, for Russell Wilson to get in the record books, he would have to put up impressive individual numbers. Peyton Manning owns most quarterback career marks. Perhaps playing behind his linemen Max Unger and Russell Okung will work to Wilson’s advantage.

It is true that some fans may be turned away from the Pro Bowl by the lack of hard hits, the no-blitz-allowed rule, mandatory 4-3 defense, Maddenesque scoring, and overall lack of competitiveness. There is still potential for some good performances by the best players that the NFL had to offer this season; at least the players not playing in the Super Bowl. In a way, the next two weeks are like a curtain call. The supporting cast coming out to take their bow first, and the biggest stars coming out to play one more game for the title.

In addition to the game itself, the event has always been a nice event for the city of Honolulu, and the State of Hawaii. If Seattle fans feel isolated having their team playing in the northwest, imagine how Hawaian fans feel being so far removed from the rest of the country as to not have a team.

Not only is the Pro Bowl a good chance to involve Hawaii in the world of professional football, this year, the league is reaching out across the pacific. The NFL is using the Pro Bowl weekend to help promote American football in Japan. To help strengthen the bond between American Football and Japanese American Football, the Pro Bowl squads will feature practices at Pearl Harbor, and coaching exchanges with Japanese coaches.

Jan 24, 2013; Honolulu, HI, USA; General view of NFC practice for the 2013 Pro Bowl at Hickam air force base. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Believe it or not, football is actually played in Japanese high schools, colleges, and they have a semi-pro league that features a mix of Japanese and international players. Their championship is now called the X-bowl, and dates back to 1987. For the big picture of the growth of American football, building this international connection can only be seen as a positive.

While the Ichiro of football still may be a few generations away, this weekends prow bowl is dominated by American players. At the end of the day, the bloated statistics, and fanfare in Hawaii may not be as exciting as the Harbaugh brothers playing chess in between rounds of million dollar commercials. However, it is still football, and I’m going to watch it. Let’s hope that the players put on a good show, and that our Seattle Seahawks players give us something to cheer for.

Jan 12, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) against the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC divisional round playoff game at Sports Authority Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton missed all of 2011 after multiple neck surgeries, and then led the Denver Broncos to the #1 seed in the AFC, amassing some great stats in the process.

Peterson suffered a major ACL injury last December, and injury that usually takes a year before the player can get back to full strength. He returned for week 1 of this season, and ended up just 9 yards short of the single season rushing record, leading the Vikings to the playoffs as a wild card team.

The voting came out exactly even, with 1 voter choosing to split his vote between the 2. No other player received votes for his award.

My vote was was Manning. I know that wont be a popular choice, as it seems that the public opinion leans heavily towards Peterson for this award. Both players were deserving, but I voting for Manning because of the spirit of what this award is supposed to be about.

Dec 30, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) rushes against the Green Bay Packers in the second quarter at the Metrodome. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The award is meant to be given to a player was had been out of the league for some time, whether because of injury to other reasons, and then returned and made a positive impact on his team. Manning missed then entire 2011 season, and then came back and was among the best in the league. Peterson only missed the last couple games in 2011. It’s was tough for me to say that he had been out of the league long enough to qualify.

Ya, it’s splitting hairs a bit. I’ll admit that. but for e it was the only way to decide beween 2 deserving candidates.

August 18 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Tyrell Sutton (30) is congratulated for his performance by offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell following the preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. The Seahawks defeated the Broncos 30-10. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

After finally getting to watch Seattle’s second preseason game (it didn’t air in Los Angeles until last night), I figured I’d throw my two cents out there.  I think Seattle looked a lot better as an entire team this game and the defense held Denver in check while our offense failed to score touchdowns.  The “death by a million field goals” offensive reality makes me incredibly uneasy, though.  I focused in on Matt Flynn and Russell Wilson’s play this week and tried to put them both in context since stats can get distorted in preseason.  All the Wilson advocates should look at his numbers and cut them back a little considering what he is generally playing against – third and fourth stringers.  That being said, Wilson is showing in every game why Pete Carroll and John Schneider picked him and I couldn’t be happier.

First up is Matt Flynn.  I thought he did a very good job against Denver’s defense.  For the most part he took the plays that were available to him and did not turn the ball over or make costly mistakes.  He even cranked it up a couple of times and threw some nice deep throws, one of which should have been caught by Terrel Owens for a touchdown.  We did fail to score a touchdown in the first half which left me with a queasy feeling.  Granted we didn’t have Sidney Rice, Zach Miller, or Michael Robinson, but I would really like to see more touchdowns.

Tyrell Sutton made a strong case for himself with several good runs.  Kregg Lumpkin also looked good.  Seattle certainly appears to have solid depth at the running back position which is nice to see.  It will be interesting to see who gets cut over the next two weeks.  Tai Vaua also looked good at fullback.  However, Vuau has the unfortunate circumstance of competing against Seattle’s only offensive Pro Bowler from last season for a roster spot he is most likely not going to get.

Our defense kept the game manageable but our offense needs to provide more support.  In general, I was once again not overly impressed with our receivers and tight ends.  There were some good moments, but in general, it seemed pretty lackluster.  Leon Washington and Robert Turbin both looked good, however.   When Lynch takes a rest, the defenses won’t get one as Turbin will come in and continue to pound.

Russell Wilson once again looked very good.  His poise and decision making were very impressive.  The camera missed one play (I was getting the Denver broadcast) where Wilson somehow found an open receiver in a broken play and tossed it to him for an easy reception in a very ugly scenario.  Wilson shows a lot of potential and I can see why he has such strong advocates.  To me, though, he runs out of the pocket too much for me to feel comfortable.  He can make something out of nothing but I don’t want that to be the de facto game plan.  I also don’t want him to get hurt.  I would like to see him to be able to read defenses better, as well.  This all comes with experience which I have no doubt he is going to gain.

The best metaphor I have for thinking about Wilson is a high fastball.  For those of you that have never played baseball (those that have will get this), the high fastball is one of the sexiest looking pitches a batter can see.  It comes in at eye-level and your brain automatically thinks you’re going to crush it out of the park.  Most of the time when the pitch is swung at the batter misses underneath.  Once in a while, it may get crushed.  The experienced players know this and force themselves to lie off and take the ball, which it almost certainly will be.  Wilson is that sexy pitch.  The brain sees it and thinks he’s going to crush opposing defenses, and there is a small chance he might, but the downside is a lot greater.  If he starts and misses, it could set him back for years or permanently.  I’d rather have him “over-ready” to start instead taking an unnecessary chance.

Lastly, our defense once again was very imposing.  Three turnovers on a Peyton Manning offense, preseason or not, is always impressive.  You could tell Manning was frustrated because he played the whole first half which wasn’t likely Denver’s plan going in.  The Seahawks did not get to Manning as much as I would have liked (Irvin did blast him once) but Seattle’s defense did make it hard for Denver’s offense to be effective.  In the second half, Bruce Irvin made a very impressive rundown of Brock Osweiler that I replayed many times.  A guy that fast and that tenacious is going to be a force.  Chris Clemons also was a solid anchor that couldn’t be moved by Denver’s offensive line.  With speed to the outside and a massive interior, it’s going to hard to get much going against Seattle’s defense.

That’s my quick and dirty breakdown of thoughts and reactions I had during the game. I’m sure there are many that will disagree with me on the quarterback issue, but I keep telling myself “lay off the high fastball.”  “Play the odds.”  Over time, I have no doubt Wilson will move himself into the waist-high strike zone, in which case Seattle might have an offense as fast, dynamic, and potent as it’s defense.

Also, a quick update on a previous post I had written regarding Tarvaris Jackson being traded.  That is now official and Jackson has also said that he is willing to restructure his contract in order to facilitate a trade.  I’ve also heard rumors that Green Bay could be an interested party considering their backup situation is horrible for a Super Bowl caliber team (since the Seahawks now have their former backup) and a generally good relationship between the two franchises.  Seattle is requesting  a fifth round pick but could receive less.

It’s still preseason, and the questions asked reflect that. We’ll get more in depth when the teams actually take shape and the games actually matter.

I’d like to thank Kim Constantinesco from Predominantly Orange for graciously agreeing to participate.

Aug 9, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) signals against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

1) How has Manning looked in camp? Any signs of lingering effects of the injury that kept him out of all of the 2011 season?

Manning has looked like the Manning of old in camp. People have been questioning his arm strength coming off of the injury. The funny thing is if you look back to the ’09-’10 season when he threw for 4,500 yards, he had a 30% completion rate for passes over 21 yards. What that tells us is that he can still be very effective even if only in the short game.

Manning’s passes have had good zip on them all over the field. The only question remains is how he will bounce back after taking his first NFL hit in over a year.

2) Which Bronco defense should we expect to see in this game, the one that gave up all those points early in 2011, or the one that was oh-so-dominant down the stretch, or perhaps something completely different?

This Broncos defense has improved greatly because of the changes made to the secondary. Now that the team has the pass rush up front and the great coverage in back, look for a defense that won’t give up many points. The starters are expected to play into the second quarter, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they held the Seahawks to zero points in the first half. After that, who knows.

3) Are there any young players that have really surprised so far in camp and the first preseason game that we should be watching for?

Keep an eye on our first draft selection in 2012, defensive tackle Derek Wolfe. Wolfe’s success this early on has come as a bit of a surprise considering he missed most of the team’s off season program. He stepped up big in the team’s first preseason game with 2 sacks against the Bears. With an season-ending injury to starting DE Jason Hunter, Wolfe is the top candidate to take over his job.

4) The Seahawks have played the Broncos more than any other team throughout their history. Do you have a favorite memory you’d like to share of the rivalry before the Seahawks were exiled to the NFC?

I have to go with the December 19 game at Mile High Stadium. The Broncos had been leading the entire game up until the final minutes of the fourth quarter when Seahawks kicker Todd Peterson nailed a 45-yard field goal to tie the game 30-30 and force overtime. It was then that Ray Crockett sacked Jon Kitna, forcing him to fumble. Glen Cadrez returned the fumble 37 yards for the touchdown. A 36-30 score in overtime against the longtime rival Seahawks doesn’t get much better for a Bronco fan, especially when the team was 4-9 at that point in the season.

1) The Matt Flynn / Russell Wilson Show – Take 2
- After a solid showing against Tennessee at home (23-29 for 195 and 2 picks combined. 59 rushing yards and 1 TD for Wilson) both QB’s showed efficiency and poise in their first snaps as Seahawks. While the interceptions are concerning, overall play for both men showed pocket presence and a knack for finding open receivers. Flynn and Wilson look to share a similar work load on the road in Denver. A strong Broncos pass rush will answer further if either one is ready to take the reins for the ‘Hawks. Flynn will again start, and play the first half, while Wilson will take the 2nd. If there’s a repeat of the success shown against the Titans by either player, the trade rumors surrounding Tarvaris Jackson could be validated. Bottom line, the Seahawks could answer the biggest question surrounding the team coming out of this game. Stay tuned…

Aug 11, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; NFL: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) passes against the Tennessee Titans at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

2) ‘The Sheriff’ vs. The ‘Hawks Pass D
- It can be argued that the Seahawks have the best collective Defensive Backfield in the NFC, if not the NFL. How will the new Denver offense and a healthy Manning operate against such a solid group? While he wasn’t stellar in limited action against the Bears (4-7- 44 yds-1 Int) he did show great zip and his trademark accuracy at times. With extended playing time, and another week to gel with his new Receivers, this will be agreat litmus test for the ‘Hawks Pass D as well as for Denver’s newly built high-octane O.

3) ‘It All Starts Up-Front…’
- No surprise that it’s paramount the Seahawks can solidify an Offensive Line depleted by a couple key injuries to its starters. James Carpenter is looking at a Week 6 return, and that may be a generous outlook, while John Moffitt is out with an elbow injury until at least Week 1. Paul McQuistan, and Deuce Lutui are sturdy replacements and the surprise rookie J.R. Sweezy is ascending nicely. Whether the Seahawks are left with as many questions as answers, against the likes of Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller, Ty Warren, and D.J. Williams, will reveal itself Saturday.

4) Will the Real Bruce Irvin Please Stand Up?
- Since Day 1 in mini-camp, and into Training Camp, fellow writers, teammates, and coaches have raved about the speed, and explosiveness Bruce Irvin had shown. Against Tennessee he kind of disappeared. Mindful that the Titans do possess one of the games tougher Offensive Lines, it still begs the question for Game 2. Can Bruce Irvin unleash that disruptive, lightning quick force he’s shown us flashes of? Against Denver’s up-tempo pass attack he will get his chance.

5) Looking for Clarity at the Wide Receiver Position
- With the recent additions of Terrell Owens and Braylon Edwards, the Seahawks find themselves with a bit of a log-jam at Wideout. Add in Kellen Winslow, and that football seems to be getting stretched mighty thin. Ben Obomanu and Golden Tate are set to start the game, but let’s see how quickly T.O. and Braylon can get involved. A large question looms as to whether the ‘Hawks keep both of the vets.

10) The stupidity that is the bounty scandal

While the bounty scandal probably doesn’t count as an offseason move for any one team, it does count because I said so, and because no list of stupid things that the NFL did this offseason should be without it. I don’t even need to get into any of the specifics here. If you’d heard anything at all about it up to this point, then you know enough to realize just how stupid the whole thing is.

9) Randy Moss to the 49ers

The 49ers needed receivers, so they went out and signed a player who’s last productive season was in 2009. Moss was once one of the greatest receivers in the history of the game, but those days are long past. The 49ers now need Moss to be something he no longer is, a dynamic playmaker. At least they didn’t break the bank to do it.

8) Saints dragging out the negotiations with Drew Brees

I expect this deal to get done, but this never shouldn’t have taken this long. You now have a franchise, and the face of that franchise at odd with each other and extremely unhappy. How is this good for the team exactly?

Granted, Brees will likely soon have 150+mil reasons to get over his unhappiness  with the team, but think about the precedent that’s set here. It was likely pulling teeth to get the team to take care of it’s best player. I just can’t see how this was a good idea.

7) Denver’s huge contract for Peyton Manning

Don’t get me wrong, I wanted Manning in a Seattle uniform. I think he’ll be fully recovered from his neck injuries and ready to go for week 1. But there’s a difference between offering him a big contract to come lead your team, and offering him THAT contract.

The Broncos essentially wrote Manning a blank check, making him one of the highest paid players in the history of the sport. And this is for a player hasn’t played in a year, has legitimate durability issues now, and is old enough that his skills should have begun declining even if he was healthy.

6) Mario Williams getting a truck load of cash from the Bills

Williams is one of the league’s premier players at his position, but taking the extra cash to go from a legitimate Super Bowl contender to a perennial bottom feeder is always a questionable choice.

On top of that, I’ve always got the feeling that Williams was one of those players who’s motivation comes partly from his desire for a bigger paycheck. Now that he’s got that paycheck, there’s reasons to worry that he wont be nearly as productive for his new team.

5) No one signing RB Ryan Grant

I get that Grant isn’t a perfect RB. He does have an injury history, and he’s not a great blocker receiver which means he wont play much on third down, but he’s still one of the best runners in the NFL. He’s got the combination of power, speed, and elusiveness that give him the potential to carry an offense.

With his injury history and age, I can see why no team would be willing to break the bank to sign him, but the fact that he can’t even seem to get a modest 1 year contract is downright crazy.

4) The Dolphins giving away Brandon Marshall for next to nothing

Marshall is one of the best receivers in NFL. There is simply no way to argue that the sentence before this one is a fact. The Dolphins traded him for 2 third round draft picks, a paltry sum for such a good player. It wasn’t too many years ago when the Seahawks traded Joey Galloway, a lesser player compared to Marshall, away for 2 first round picks. When you consider it that way, you’ll see just how little the Dolphins received for Marshall.

3) The Giants releasing Jake Ballard

Jake Ballard had become a solid target for Eli Manning. The TE had improved to the point that he was one of the key contributors on the team’s run to the Championship. Then he suffered a major injury, and he was likely to start the season on PUP list, so the Giants tried to slip him through wavers to open up a roster spot. The Patriot snagged him, leaving the Giants with nothing. It’s like the Giants didn’t think anyone would notice, which is pretty stupid if you think about it.

2) Tampa giving the Seahawks Kellen Winslow for absolutely nothing.

As bad as the Brandon Marshall trade was, this one was even worse. The Seahawks gave up only a 7th round pick for one of the league’s premier receivers at the TE position. Regardless of what you think about Winslow’s attitude off the field, giving up such a talented player for nothing just doesn’t make any sense.

1) Jets trading for Tim Tebow

The entire idea of using a roster spot for a QB who can’t throw the ball is a mind boggling proposition. But to give up draft picks for the right to waste a roster spot on that type of player? really? not to mention the circus he brings with him, and to a team at already has more circus than they can handle, the entire thing just seems like one of the worst ideas in the history of football.

That's right Tebow, trading for you was the worst move by any team this offseason. Well done. Credit: Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE

Am I the only one who wants to see Manning run Tebow's read-option just once for the comedy factor? Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

Over the next month, I’m going to be previewing all of the NFL teams in preparation for the 2012 season. I’ve decided to start things off with the Seahawk’s old rivals from the AFC West. From the emails I receive, it seems that very few of still you share the feelings of rivalry for the these teams like I still do, but that’s ok. Seattle’s been in the NFC for some time now. But for me, the Broncos will always be team I enjoy watching beat the most, even if they only get the opportunity to do so every few season.

Helping me out with this is Kim Constantinesco, the awesome editor of Predominantly Orange.

Key Free Agents Retained: Britton Colquitt, Lance Ball, Joe Mays

Key Player Additions: Peyton Manning, Jacob Tamme, Tracy Porter

Key Players Leaving: Brian Dawkins, Tim Tebow

Quick Thoughts on Draft: The Broncos got arguably one of the meanest and toughest defensive tackles in the draft in Derek Wolfe. It was the team’s biggest need. The team went all out in the second round when they picked QB Brock Osweiler to develop under Manning. Good move, but he will be holding the clipboard for a long time.

Quick Thoughts on 2012 schedule: The Broncos have the second most difficult schedule in the league. A season opener at home against the Steelers on Sunday night kicks things off the right way. It will be exciting to see Manning in the AFC West.

Most Interesting Roster Battle: Knowshon Moreno vs. rookie Ronnie Hillman. Willis Mcgahee is undoubtedly the team’s go to guy, but the battle for the complimentary back is down to Moreno and Hillman.

Biggest Strength Heading Into 2012: Look no further than a more composed offense under Peyton Manning Having him man the ship will in turn aide the defense.

Biggest Weakness Heading Into 2012: With Brian Dawkins gone, the safety position is the team’s biggest question mark. The Broncos acquired Mike Adams in the offseason to bring in some experience, but there’s still a lot of youth there.

Biggest Question Still To Be Answered: Can Manning stay healthy? That’s everyone’s biggest question and the issue that has the most impact obviously. The funny thing is everyone is talking about his arm strength. In ’09-’10, when Manning attempted a throw from beyond 21 yards, he had a 30.5% completion percentage. What that means is if Manning never regains his arm strength, he can still be effective.

2012 Prediction: 11-5. AFC Division Champs.

How are the fans reacting to the Tim Tebow-Peyton Manning exchange? I know that getting Manning is a dream come true for some fans, but aren’t other heartbroken that Tebow is gone?

The true fans are excited about Peyton Manning’s arrival. We haven’t had an elite QB since John Elway and the team has won just two playoff games in the last 13 years. It was time to bring greatness back to the Mile High.

As for Tim Tebow, it was difficult to see him go. The team caught lightning in a bottle last season with him at the helm. In a perfect world, he would have stayed and developed under Manning’s eye. However, that’s not how the business side of things work. Many Broncos fans will become secondary Jets fans.

The Broncos play in what is probably the easiest division in the NFL. As long as Norv Turner is wasting the talent that they have in San Diego, the Broncos should control this division. Kim’s 11-5 prediction seems about right to me.

Their defense was real reason that they won the division last season (not Tebow and his 46% completion percentage). Combine that great defense with a Peyton Manning offense and the Broncos are legitimate superbowl contenders. All that remains to be seen is whether or not Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning.

Jan. 08, 2011; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (18) passes the ball against the New York Jets during the 2011 AFC wild card playoff at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory credit: Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

The final teams with a chance including San Francisco and  Tennessee. All along Manning talked about wanting to stay in the AFC, so I’m not surprised that he avoided the Niners. The Titans are also a team in transition, so while there’s talent there and I can see that it would be a fit, I’m also not surprised that he decided to pass on the chance to join them at this stage.

This moves makes for both the Broncos and Manning. Denver has an elite defense that’s built around rushing the passer. Giving them a QB like Manning gives them a chance to make a run at the Super Bowl. I’m a little skeptical of their offensive weapons, but they still have the draft to address that and give Manning some more tools to work with.

As an added bonus, Manning is good enough, and a big enough name, to allow the Broncos to get out from underneath all the stupidity of the Tim Tebow hype. Tebow is not an NFL caliber QB, and his presence as the team’s starting QB was going to waste that elite defense and ruin any chance the team would have had to make a Super Bowl run. Manning is one of the few players that will allow the Broncos to remove themselves from the Tebow story without angering their fanbase.

I just always assumed Alex Smith was returning to San Francisco, and why not. The Niners are coming off a 13-3 season, Smith wants to return, the 49ers want him back, why wouldn’t this happen, right? Even once free agency started, Smith wasn’t visiting other teams, and the 49ers had reportedly offered him a fairly hefty contract.

But then the strangest thing happened. Nothing. Here we are over a week later and Smith still remains unsigned. So what gives? It turns out that Smith is looking for a long term commitment from the 49ers, and that isn’t the contract that has been offered. The 49ers have apparently offered a 3 year contract, but it is apparently a 2 year contract with a tacked on 3rd year that there is no way that he actually gets to keep unless he turns into Tom Brady.

It turns out that the 49ers see Colin Kaepernick, and not Smith, as their QB of the future. They aren’t going to give Smith a long term contract when they believe that Kaepernick is going to be taking over soon. Complicating things further is the revelation that the 49ers were the “mystery team” that were vying for the services of Peyton Manning. Clearly they aren’t committed to Smith.

Enter the Seahawks, desperate for a QB, and wouldn’t be all that against screwing over their division rival if they are able to. Now we’re hearing rumors that the Seahawks are interested and have been talking to Smith’s people. Connecting the dot isn’t too tough here.

The thing is, I just don’t buy it. Smith isn’t a top QB. That’s why the 49ers aren’t willing to commit to him long term, so why would the Seahawks? While Smith is a small upgrade over Tarvaris Jackson, there’s no reason for the Seahawks to commit to him any more than the 49ers would want to.

Which is why I don’t think it will ever happen. Smith is looking for a long term deal. The Seahawks are looking for a 2 year stop-gap upgrade to give them a chance to draft and develop a long-term solution. So while it might be nice for the Seahawks to try and hurt the 49ers, this just isn’t a fit for either player or team.

• Seahawks re-signed Red Bryant. Very good move.
• Seahwks also re-signed Heath Farwell, who plays mostly on special teams. Not sure why this had to happen this early. ST players like Farwell are available after the draft.
• The Seahawks have made an offer to James Jones, though it appears he’s headed to the Rams instead.
• Peyton Manning is now off to Tennessee. Still no trip to Seattle planned. Makes me wonder if Matt Hasselbeck will be available soon, not that I’d be interested in signing him.
• Jason Campbell signed with the Bears, so he wont be coming to Seattle to compete with Jackson.
• Matt Leinert was cut. This was expected, as is his connection to Seattle. I only expect him to come here if the Seahawks draft a major project at QB in April, and that QB wont be ready to be backup in 2012.
• Matt Flynn to Miami will likely be done later today. Sadly, an already “meh” Dolphin roster got worse when they traded Brandon Marshal to the Bears.
• Mario Williams was offered what is reportedly the largest contract for any defensive player in the NFL by the Bills, but he still isn’t signed. While it’s still possible, I don’t think he’s coming to Seattle either.
• WRs Vincent Jackson and Rober Meechum are now both off the market, so an upgrade at WR is no longer an option via free agency.
• Of the 16 remaining unsigned Seahawk free agents, none of them received interest today. This includes Michael Robinson and David Hawthorne, so it’s possible that either or both could still return.

Oct 23, 2011; Cleveland, OH, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Red Bryant (79) celebrates after blocking a Cleveland Browns field goal attempt in the fourth quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

Mar 7, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning speaks at a press conference announcing his departure from the team at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Manning choices of teams is quite confusing. Denver has a decent defense, but is weak up front and doesn’t have good weapons for him to work with. This is a team built around the Tim Tebow offense, and it really doesn’t fit Manning’s skill set.

Miami is similar in that it really lacks talent. The defense isn’t good, and neither is the offense. This is a team that even with Manning under center might be the 3rd best team in it’s own division. I just don’t understand why Peyton would be interested in playing to the Dolphins.

Arizona is the only team on this list that makes any sense. The Defense isn’t great, but it’s good enough to win with if they have Manning under center. The idea of a Manning to Fitzgerald combination is a bit frightening.

Manning’s agent has also told the Seahawks that they have not been ruled out, but it is clear at this point that they are not at the top of Manning’s wish list. If none of the other 3 teams wow him, then he’ll likely schedule a visit to the Pacific Northwest.

Miami signed Matt Flynn. This deal makes the most sense. The new coach in Miami was Flynn’s offensive coordinator.

Could Garrard be the next QB to flourish under Mike Shannahan? Credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE

Washington DC signed David Garrard. This is just a really good fit. Garrard in Mike Shannahan’s offense is a really great match. Just look at what Shannahan was able to do with Jake Pumber.

Cleveland drafts Robert Griffin III. Griffin is the only NFL ready QB in this year’s draft that wont go #1 overall. Cleveland also has the best draft position to be able to move up and enough to get Griffin.

Seattle signs Peyton Manning. This will either exciting or infuriate just about every Seahawks fan. Signing Manning will be a polarizing move, but it will allow the Seahawks compete for a Super Bowl right now, while slowly developing a potential replacement over the next couple years.

Arizona signs Kyle Orton. The Cardinals need someone who can step in and lead that team in case Kevin Kolb never becomes what they thought he was when they signed him a year ago. I know Skelton showed from promise when filling in 2011, but Orton offers a degree of security that the Cards really need.

Denver Signs Chad Henne. Henne is capable of leading the Broncos if Tebow gets hurt. He’s also young enough that he offers the potential to be a long term solution once the Broncos finally admit that the Tim Tebow experiment is a mistake.

NY Jets sign Jason Campbell. The Jets aren’t ready to pull the plug Mark Sanchez just yet, but signing Campbell will hopefully light a fire under their QB and get him to take the next step forward.

KC Chiefs Draft Kirk Cousins. The Chief have one more year of Matt Cassell, so drafting a player like Cousins now will allow them to use 2012 as a transition year. Cousins isn’t ready to start right away, but should be ready by some point around mid-season.

The big loser in this scenario is Jacksonville. the Jags need an insurance policy in case Gabbart continues to struggle, but in this case they are unable to find one.

RG3 and Luck is the only QBs in the draft who are ready to start right away. Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The next step is to look at the QBs available. You should also remember that we’re only talking about QBs who are good enough to counted on as an NFL starter, and will be ready in week 1. Unfortunately, there are only 3 in my opinion, and 1 wild card:

The Franchises

Peyton Manning – Assuming that his arm strength continues to return, and that he’s released as expected, Manning is the premier QB available. He’s one of the best QB ever to play the game, and while he’s near the end of his career, there’s no reason to doubt that whatever team he signs with will be an instant Super Bowl contender.

Matt Flynn – Aaron Rogers’s understudy in Green Bay. is a free agent and looking for his chance to shine. In his limited opportunities, he’s looked very good. He still not a sure thing by any means. Whichever team signs him better hope that he’s closer to Matt Schaub and less like Kevin Kolb.

Robert Griffin III – Griffin is the only QB in the draft who’s ready to start in week 1, and isn’t already set on which team he’ll end up with. I don’t think Griffin is quite as good as all the hype surrounding him, but I don’t doubt that he’ll be an above average NFL QB.

The wild card in the QB market is David Garrard. It’s debated whether or not Garrard is really a franchise QB, but that might not stop a team from scooping him up in order to fill a void at the QB position. Garrard should be especially interesting to Washington. Mike Shannahan’s offense is built for a QB like Garrard. Just looks at all the milage he was able to get out of Jake Plummer when he was with Denver.

I haven’t included Andrew Luck on this list, because I didn’t include the Colts on the list of teams needing a QB.

The 2nd Tier

The 2nd tier QBs are those that too good to be content as a backup, but not good enough to lead a franchise to a Super Bowl.

Kyle Orton – After struggling in Denver in 2011, Orton moved on to KC and played reasonably well. A year ago, Orton was considered to be a borderline franchise QB, but now the shine has faded off his star. Orton isn’t likely to get interested as a long term answer at QB, but he still offers a significant upgrade for many teams looking for a QB.

Jason Campbell – Was having a tremendous season before landing on IR. Like Orton, Campbell is an upgrade over a number of starting QB in the NFL, but isn’t someone teams will look to as a long term answer at the position.

Chad Henne - Henne never really got a chance in Miami. He worked his way past inferior players only to get injured. Henne is still young, so it’s possible that a team will take a chance that he will continue to improve with more playing time. The problem is that he never looked quite like a franchise QB even when he was healthy.

Matt Schaub is very good, but will he ever stay healthy? Credit: Troy Taormina-US PRESSWIRE

Free Agency is about to begin, which marks the beginning of the “football year” for the NFL. Sometime between now and the start of the 2012 season, the Seahawks have many holes to fill, and none of those holes are bigger than QB.

The QB market is one of many buyers and very few available players. So to truly get a feel for what the market looks like, I decided to go through the league, team by team, and examine every team’s QB situation one at a time. After working on this for a while, it’s clear that there’s too much information here to put into one post, so I’ve decided to break this up.

Below you’ll find a list of teams that wont be in the market for a starting QB. Sure, a bunch of them will be looking for a veteran backup with some starting experience, but that isn’t the same thing. I’m talking about teams that are looking for a franchise QB to lead their team.

Now obviously, there’s some room for debate here. I’ve read quite a few accounts that the Viking wouldn’t be afraid to grab an instant upgrade rather than waiting for Christian Ponder to fully develop. The problem with that is that there aren’t enough QBs to go around, and one of the desperate teams will likely outbid them should such a player become available.

Another variable here is Peyton Manning. There are a few teams on this list that would consider signing Peyton since he represents an upgrade over what they have, and because they think they have a chance to win a Super Bowl. Houston would be at the top of the list of such teams. While Matt Shaub is a very good and underrated player, he cannot seem to stay healthy. Perhaps the Texans swap in Manning and jettison Schaub in an attempt to “go for it.”

The reason why I decided to to separate out these teams into a separate list is because, if do sign Manning, then that means that another top QB will become likely become available. So while the names are different, the number of available QBs would remain the same, so it doesn’t really change our discussion.

I should also add that there are legitimate questions about quite a few of the players listed. I’m not trying to start a debate about what QBs are elite and which ones aren’t. This is just an attempt to determine what teams will and will not be in the market for a QB this offseason.

Here are the teams that I believe are set at QB before we even start this process: