That is the mantra that Peyton Manning needs to take into his negotiations with the Colts' brass when they attempt to nail down his new contract. They was a meeting over the weekend and it has been reported that the Colts are ready to make him the highest paid player in the history of the league. What's the point? Does being the highest paid player ever put another ring on your finger? No, putting quality players around Peyton puts another ring on his finger. After all, winning is the ultimate goal, right? Or is that an antiquated notion now?
Perhaps it's easy for me to sit here and say that I would take less money in order for the rest of the team to improve, but is it really that crazy? Would you really be less content with 20 million dollars a year instead of 25 million dollars a year? I'm not sure what figure is being floated to Peyton, but I'm sure it's north of 25 million a year. Peyton should be set for life at this point in his career. Money should never be an issue for him if he's financially responsible.
The Colts could do a lot to help their cause by getting rid of Bob Sanders. I believe Sanders will also be in a contract negotiation this off-season. He and Peyton share the same agent, but that really should not have any affect on either negotiation. Sanders, the 2007 defensive player of the year, has missed 16 more games (64) than he has started (48) in his short career. Yes, he is a great player and probably falls under the category of "game changer," but there comes a time when you have to accept reality. Bob Sanders is never going to make it through an entire season. He played one half of one game in the 2010 campaign. He tore both of his biceps and what looked like an innocent play. Some guys are just jinxed and he's one of them.
Maybe a change of scenery will change Bob's luck. It's a shame to see such a talent sit on the sideline all season, but let him do it somewhere else. What's the point of sitting at your desk and saying "what if" every season? Thank Bob for all that he has done and send him on his way. It is a business after all. A regular business would not keep an employee who is only at work 43% of the time.
People are paid, in any business, to get results. Athletes are a lot more scrutinized because they are in the public eye. I just do not see how you can justify keeping an injury-prone safety. Other teams make moves to improve their team all the time. The Colts seem like the one organization that are content to keep what they have and try to get different results with each new season. I'm sorry, but you cannot expect different results when you keep using the same [flawed] ingredients.
Perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The Colts' President/GM, Bill Polian, wants to pursue some free agents in the off-season in an effort to put a better supporting cast around Peyton. However, as stated before, Peyton will have to take less money. Manning seems like the one guy in the league who might be able to put his ego aside in order to win another championship.
Take a look at the league's premiere organization, the Steelers. They always get rid of players before it is too late. You will not find a weak link in that chain. Getting rid of Santonio Holmes, for a fourth round pick, looked a tad insane when they did it. Why on earth would you set an example with your Super Bowl MVP? Well, the Steelers proved their point when they won the AFC Championship last night; no one player is bigger than the rest of the team. The Steelers, of whom I am not fond, are all about team work. That is something you have to love in this period of selfish individuals cobbled together to look like a "team." Sure, the Steelers have a couple of stars on their team, but they are no more important than the next guy. If one of those players gets out of line, it's "bon voyage!" Though the slack cut for Roethlisberger has raised plenty of eyebrows. Nevertheless, the Steelers are definitely a model organization for the rest of the league. Winning is the most important thing to that franchise and that is how it should be.
So, why don't the Colts take a page out of the Steelers' book? Get rid of Bob Sanders, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, and Pierre Garcon. I've already made the case for getting rid of Sanders, but the other three might come as a surprise. Reggie Wayne's issues started with the horrible route he ran in Super Bowl 44 that led to the game sealing pick six. It's no secret that Reggie Wayne has a bum knee and that it is affecting his play. Yes, he was the Colts' go to guy last season, but they refused to even look at him, save for one completion, in the Wild Card round. The Colts need to deal Wayne if they feel he is not a serious contributor anymore.
Joseph Addai is also plagued with injuries these days. He is one of the best pass blocking running backs in the league, but they need a more explosive back. Can you imagine what Peyton Manning might do with Reggie Bush? Bush is a free agent and could be enticed to join the Colts, I think. His speed and quickness would take that offense to a whole new level.
What about Pierre? He is the classic example of that one receiver that makes ridiculous catches when it doesn't matter, but drops the easy passes in big moments. Do you remember the 3rd and 14 toward the end of the first half of Super Bowl 44? Garcon dropped what would have been a huge first down. The drive would have continued, they probably would have scored, sucked all the life out of the Saints, and won the game. But he dropped the pass and the Saints made a game of it before half. The rest, as we know, is history. Garcon has dropped way too many passes in key situations for somebody who is supposed to be a number two receiver. I certainly don't remember John Taylor dropping passes like that. The Colts might be able to get some good players, or draft picks, for Garcon.
I would like to believe that the Colts are going to make some smart moves this off-season, but I have no reason to believe that. They have proven over the past decade that they are happy with the status quo. They do not like to make radical moves in the off-season and they don't want to put the right players around Peyton. He has never had a speed receiver in his time with the Colts and probably never will. I know that guys like DeShawn Jackson are extremely rare, but there are guys out there with fairly comparable speed.
Unfortunately I know that all of my opining is in vain. The Colts are going to sit on their thumbs per usual. They will go into the season with a few rookies from the draft and the same old crap at RB and WR. Dallas Clark will be back and hopefully it won't take too long for him to return to form. But they can't get it done with Dallas Clark alone. Austin Collie is probably messed up for the rest of his career. The dude had three concussions last season and two of them were devastating. Players usually suffer more concussions after they have one or two. Just ask Troy Aikman and Stan Humphries about that.
I am going to root for the Colts like I do every season, but I'm not getting my hopes up. They are not going to win another Super Bowl until they get a better, more physical defense. They need a better offensive line and better running backs; then they can tear teams apart with a speed receiver.
Pessimism is the name of the game until the Colts prove me wrong.
