Report: Manning met with Dolphins in Indy
Mar 13, 2012, 4:25 AM | Updated: 1:41 pm
Peyton Manning continued his search for a new employer
Monday night in the city where the veteran quarterback
spent the previous 14 years of his heralded NFL career.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting
Manning and the Miami Dolphins brass met for approximately
five to six hours in Indianapolis.
One source described it as a “good meeting” that focused
on many of the same football topics that the quarterback
discussed with the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals
during the weekend.
Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman, who recruited
Manning as a Texas A&M assistant, also took part in the
meeting with the former four-time MVP. Manning ultimately
chose the University of Tennessee.
But another ESPN insider didn’t hear such warm, fuzzy
reports about Manning’s meeting with the Dolphins.
“You get the feeling that it didn’t go as well as the
weekend meetings with the Broncos and the Cardinals,” John
Clayton said Tuesday.
Clayton also discounted Miami’s chances to land the
coveted free agent quarterback, based on their meeting.
“The meeting wasn’t in Miami, it was in Indianapolis,”
Clayton said. “Secondly, Miami is in a division with Tom
Brady at quarterback, so that might not be the most
attractive thing.
“And it’s not totally sold that Peyton is going to buy
into the organizational structure that’s in that’s there
for the Miami Dolphins as opposed to what he might like
out of Denver, with John Elway, and Arizona, with Kurt
Warner kind of being in the background giving his support
to Ken Whisenhunt.”
Manning’s strong ties to Tennessee are apparent as the
former Indianapolis Colt still plans to visit with the
Titans on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Titans coach Mike
Munchak will have a few offensive assistants take part in
the meeting, as well. Munchak was also a former teammate
of Manning’s father, Archie, when the two played for the
Houston Oilers in 1982-83.
Manning’s travels have already been well-documented with
the acclaimed quarterback making stops in Denver and
Arizona over the weekend. The Broncos and Cardinals are
believed to be the favorites in the Manning sweepstakes.
Arizona Sports’ Vince Marotta contributed to this
report
