At almost every turn, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning knows the right thing
to say.
He respects his opponents. He expresses a cautious confidence. He lauds the
accomplishments of his teammates.
Sure, some people thought he slipped when he made a remark about "pass
protection" following the Pittsburgh game, but only because they twisted it
into a personal attack on his offensive line -- and it wasn't.
And now, while preparing for the Pro Bowl, he's been asked again about his
thoughts on the Colts re-signing Edgerrin James in a year where it's going to be
very difficult. Ironically, Manning is part of the reason it's going to be tough
for the Colts to bring James back with a tightening salary cap situation in
Indy. While he has a very cap-friendly salary of $1 million, he will receive a
$9 million roster bonus. And few would argue that he deserves it.
Manning is obviously hoping that the Colts will find the way to bring James
back. Just listen to him "talk the talk" regarding this subject.
"He's been a great teammate, and I'm personally indebted to him,"
he said this week. "I actually pray for the Colts to find a way to keep
him. I mean, I don't normally ask for stuff like that. I'll pray for my family,
things like that, but I've actually found myself praying about Edge.
"We were sitting by the pool the other day, talking about what might
happen, and I got semi-emotional about it."
Manning sounds like a man who is totally helpless to toss his sinking
teammate a life preserver, and that's just not the case. If he want's to
"walk the talk" and get serious about James being in Indy, he could --
and should -- offer to restructure his deal to help make it happen. He's already
made more money in his pro career than most people could spend in a lifetime.
Or he should stop losing sleep over it and expressing such angst in the
press, and move on.
And Manning's not alone in this. Marvin Harrison will actually hit the cap
for more than Manning, and Corey Simon will deal it a hefty blow as well. That
trio of handsomely paid Colts could pull together and help keep "The
Triplets" in Indianapolis for another Super Bowl run or two.
Maybe that's already in the works or at least being bantered about. I sure
hope so. Because James deserves to be treated with the same respect that the
other two "Triplets" have received in recent years with their new
contracts.
Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner was recently lobbying publicly on the
radio for his team to make a play for James during the offseason. In a column at
FoxSports.com, Al Bogdan and Vivek Ramgopal tossed out some possible scenarios
for big-name free agents. They speculated that with New England's growing
concern over Corey Dillon's productivity, perhaps Bill Belichick would go for
the Colts' jugular and try to sign James away to pair up with Tom Brady. Now
wouldn't that be a real kick in the teeth for the Colts?
In any case, James seems convinced that he will be wearing another uniform
next season. And despite all the flowery, heartfelt words from his teammates, he
obviously has little confidence that any of them will be a factor in helping
resolve the problem that some of them are contributing to. And yet, he doesn't
sound the least bit resentful towards them or Colts management.
"I'm just a realist, that's all," he said. "And I think I know
what the reality will be."
The Colts have developed a real "good guy" image over the past few
years. They've shown character in the face of adversity and class at practically
every turn. Well, it's time for Manning, Harrison, Simon -- and anyone else who
can afford it -- to form a posse and walk right into Colts
president Bill Polian's office and tell him what they're willing to do regarding
the Edgerrin James contract issue.
The Colts are an extraordinary team, and this situation calls for an
extraordinary resolution.
They have a chance to set yet an example of how teammates can truly become
family and do all that they can to keep the core of that family intact. Or they
can be like every other team, hang their heads and lament what "could have
been" had they just not been held hostage by the notorious salary cap.
If they haven't already been laying the groundwork for those discussions, I
sure hope they reach down inside themselves and find the fortitude to do it --
and soon. Because the days are passing and it will soon be too late. And they
will lose a teammate who certainly increases their likelihood of completing
their quest for the Lombardi Trophy.