The Tennessee Titans have reportedly scheduled an interview with Peyton Manning, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Titans head coach Mike Munchak is expected to meet with Manning shortly after free agency begins on March 13, 2012.
The Titans joined the extravaganza when owner Bud Adams was interviewed by The Tennessean. The belief is that Mike Reinfeldt, Ruston Webster and Munchak aren't in favor of signing the former quarterback of the Tennessee Volunteers. Regardless, Adams has informed the fans that he'll do everything that he can to persuade Manning to return to Nashville.
A Super Bowl championship has eluded Adams for nearly half a century. At 89-years-old, one can understand why he doesn't want to exude confidence on the development of Jake Locker. Adams had spent the past two decades on quarterback projects such as Steve McNair and Vince Young. They brought him one conference championship.
What happens if Manning signs? The general thought is that Matt Hasselbeck will be traded or released. Hasselbeck probably won't have much trade value since he's turning 37-years-old this upcoming season. Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Matt Flynn and Manning are some quarterbacks who'd seek far more attention than Hasselbeck.
But what about Locker? Locker turns 24-years-old this offseason. Locker will be approaching 27-years-old when he becomes a free agent in 2015. Manning could also play three seasons. In that scenario, Locker would be blocked from getting on the field unless Manning gets injured.
Here's my point: the longer that Locker waits for his opportunity, the older that Adams gets. The older that Adams gets, the less likely that he wants his team to go into battle with an inexperienced quarterback.
Adams wants to win now. Having Locker sit on the bench doesn't fulfill this objective. Locker was the eighth-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Titans were competitive in games when he replaced Hasselbeck after he suffered in-game injuries. However, Locker has never started a game nor has he completed a comeback victory.
The Titans may eventually consider trading Locker for assets that could help them in the short term. They could trade him for a quality draft pick and use it on a player who could produce immediately (e.g. defensive lineman, offensive lineman, wide receiver). They could trade him for anybody who isn't expected to sit on the bench for the next two or three seasons.
Not to say that's what I want; it isn't. However, I do question this organization's commitment to Locker. The Titans essentially missed the playoffs in 2011 because they started a one-legged Hasselbeck against the 0-13 Indianapolis Colts. They could barely move the football more than five yards downfield. The Titans fell to 7-7 and missed the postseason at 9-7.
Whether you're anti-Manning or pro-Manning, there's one thing that we can all agree on: this excitement is much better than what the NFL was doing on March 12, 2011.
Joshua Huffman graduated from Middle Tennessee State University as a marketing major in 2009. He's been a Middle Tennessee resident from 1986-88 and 2001-present. He lived in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin from 1988-01 and for approximately eight months in 2009-10 as he completed a 20-game volunteer position with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers. His favorite sports organizations include the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs, Nashville Predators and Tennessee Titans. He can be found on Twitter HERE.
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