Look, I care an awful lot about strangers thinking I'm cool, and since everyone seems to be talking about Peyton Manning and his feasibility in San Francisco, I'm obviously eager to jump on the bandwagon and be cool, too. There are reports coming out saying that Manning is done in Indianapolis, but it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to see that he was on his way out, regardless. As per Indy housecleaning, they're getting rid of everything including the kitchen sink.
I don't know about you guys, but it really seems to me like the 49ers already have a kitchen sink. Manning being gone almost seems like an afterthought given the casualties in that building right now, and I should know, because I've been on the Indiana newsdesk writing about this stuff since it began. Sure, I'm not an expert with the inside slant, but it was glaringly obvious some time ago that Manning was on his way out.
You need a kitchen sink. The Colts, with their high-flying and precise offense needing Manning to be that sink. The 49ers have one in Frank Gore. They're not a high-flying team and they don't need to make a move for him. Sure, San Francisco needs to be energized offensively, but that's more something they should address by bringing in, say, a wide receiver. Manning throwing to Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan doesn't excite me all that much, even given the fact that Manning has been able to turn seemingly bad receivers into Pro Bowlers.
It's all about risk vs. reward, in more ways than one. Not only would the 49ers have to commit a lot of money to Manning due to the other teams involved, but they'd also need to commit more money to him before we even know if he's healthy, given the fact that such a clearance isn't likely to be granted until near the start of next season.
Even if he is cleared to play, Manning's neck is held together by office tape and rubber bands, or as the Bay Area Sports Guy put it (much better, I might add), his neck is made out of recycled pieces of Mark DeRosa's wrist and Steph Curry's ankle. Why in the world would you want to take this young and talented team, give them a quarterback who is basically ancient after having multiple neck surgeries, and potentially set them back?
If you don't think Alex Smith is the answer, that's fine. The 49ers would be much better off trying to roll with a green Colin Kaepernick or, really, someone else as opposed to Manning. It's just not something they should pursue, in my opinion. What are your thoughts?