Peyton Manning or not, Cardinals have decisions to make

Let’s assume for a second Peyton Manning chooses to
go to a team that is not the Cardinals.

Sorry.

Unfortunately for Arizona, that is a distinct possibility,
though there is little reason to think it’s a
certainty at this point.

Without Manning on board, you’d think the Cardinals would
have to make do with some combination of Kevin Kolb, John
Skelton and Richard Bartel, as those are the QBs currently
on the roster.

But with the team owing Kolb a $7 million roster bonus
this weekend, the team would appear to need a decision
from Manning soon, one way or another.

Maybe not.

“If they believe that Skelton can get the job done,”
former Colts GM and current ESPN NFL analyst Bill
Polian told Colin Cowherd on Arizona Sports 620. “Then
they can fail to pick up the option, put Kevin Kolb out
there on the market and then go ahead and see what
transpires relative to Peyton and some of the fallout that
will come — the dominoes that will fall after he makes a
decision.”

Cutting Kolb without a commitment from Manning would be
risky, because at that point you are leaving the franchise
in the hands of a third-year pro who won six games for the
team last season, but completed just 54.9 percent of his
passes and threw more interceptions than touchdowns.

But if the team goes that route it would mean there is
quite a bit of confidence in the young signal caller.

“Do you, as an organization, believe that John Skelton can
make the jump from Fordham University, division 1AA, to
the National Football League and be a starting
quarterback,” he said. “If you can, you might not pick up
the option, you might not spend the money.”

For now, though, the focus is still on trying to land that
Manning guy.

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