Even If Manning Is Healthy, Colts Must Take Luck

[reddmmann]

It doesn’t matter how well Manning throws the ball during the offseason because it won’t be until the preseason games that he will get hit.

The Colts need to know(but can't know) what will happen the 1^st, 3^rd, 5^th time Linkenbach or Costanzo wiffs on a DE/LB and Manning get hit it the back and his head snaps backwards. What will happen to that surgically fused cervical spine? Can it withstand all that abuse?

Thsese are questions that can not be answered before the draft and will not be answered before the season starts.

Therefore: “With the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts pick……”

[doogansquest]

First of all, how often did he get hit in a way that you are describing? Yeah, fewer than anyone else in the league.

What will happen to that surgically fused cervical spine? It will hold up better than it did 3 years ago, because that's the neurosurgical consensus. Like a broken bone that heals stronger following a callous of the osseous tissue, the same effect applies here. Manning will have a stronger spine than before, and will now be playing without pain.

Learn something about the surgery before you make such ridiculous comments. There isn't one iota of proof to suggest that Manning will some how end up weaker than before. All of the evidence points to exactly the opposite effect.

[BProland85]

Completely agree. We have to take Luck with the 1st overall pick.

And I still support my statement when I say that we CAN still trade Peyton. I have heard many espn analysts say it would simply just take a restructure of the contract which I could see very likely since Peyton has done that before. And since he missed all of 2011 and was still paid 20 million or so dollars, I could see him restructuring in his way of showing appreciation for the Colts taking care of him.

With that in mind, my hope is that we do restructure with Manning and get a good offer from a team that would give us at least a 2012 1st round pick to give Luck more talent around him.

[FireJimCaldwell]

Completely agree. We have to take Luck with the 1st overall pick.

And I still support my statement when I say that we CAN still trade Peyton. I have heard many espn analysts say it would simply just take a restructure of the contract which I could see very likely since Peyton has done that before. And since he missed all of 2011 and was still paid 20 million or so dollars, I could see him restructuring in his way of showing appreciation for the Colts taking care of him.

With that in mind, my hope is that we do restructure with Manning and get a good offer from a team that would give us at least a 2012 1st round pick to give Luck more talent around him.

We will not trade Peyton Manning.

He's not going to restructure in a way that will make his NEW team weaker, when they can just sign him as a free agent. He did it before because it benefited his CURRENT TEAM! huge difference.

With that said, his contract and the terms along with health concerns prevent him from being traded as it is, and there is no benefit to him to push the date back, because we will know in Jan/Feb exactly where he stands physically.

It is a rather simple concept!

[Happy2BeHere]

First of all, how often did he get hit in a way that you are describing? Yeah, fewer than anyone else in the league.

What will happen to that surgically fused cervical spine? It will hold up better than it did 3 years ago, because that's the neurosurgical consensus. Like a broken bone that heals stronger following a callous of the osseous tissue, the same effect applies here. Manning will have a stronger spine than before, and will now be playing without pain.

Learn something about the surgery before you make such ridiculous comments. There isn't one iota of proof to suggest that Manning will some how end up weaker than before. All of the evidence points to exactly the opposite effect.

You are the most useless contributor of posts...This is a forum of opinions, and as you can tell you know my opinion about you...please go be a patriot fan or some other team fan, Colts fans are more classy than that.

[reddmmann]

First of all, how often did he get hit in a way that you are describing? Yeah, fewer than anyone else in the league.

What will happen to that surgically fused cervical spine? It will hold up better than it did 3 years ago, because that's the neurosurgical consensus. Like a broken bone that heals stronger following a callous of the osseous tissue, the same effect applies here. Manning will have a stronger spine than before, and will now be playing without pain.

Learn something about the surgery before you make such ridiculous comments. There isn't one iota of proof to suggest that Manning will some how end up weaker than before. All of the evidence points to exactly the opposite effect.

The problem with spinal fusion is it doesn’t cure the underlying problem which, in most cases of cervical radiculopathies, is degenerative disease of the spine and involves multiple levels(Manning had fusion at one level...fusion at multiple levels decreases range of motion)

If Manning’s issue was simply a disk bulge at one level, it probably wouldn’t require three surgeries to manage; he probably has (and no one here knows for sure) spondylosis/stenosis/osteophytes at multiple levels.

Manning also had an anterior procedure which, although less invasive than the posterior approach, alters the architecture of the spine which worsens the degeneration of the adjacent vertebrae. (It’s like having a chain with multiple weak links and you fix the weakest link but, in doing so, make the surrounding links worse/weaker).

I hope Manning returns and plays like the future HOF’er we all know and love but, to think that after 3 surgeries, his c-spine is as healthy and strong as before these symptoms began and that the risk of re-injury of his neck is minimal, simply is not dealing in reality.

[IMissMarvin]

Absoloutely. Manning's health is a big qustion mark, and if Manning does return to form, I doubt we'll go winless again and get pick anywhere near this high. This is probably our only opportunity to get the top QB in the draft, and this year the top QB happens to be the highest rated prospect out of college in the past decade. This should be open and shut.

[19colt]

I personally do not want the Colts to take Luck. I think there is other area's to address and trading down is the best way to do that. In saying that though, with such a QB deep draft the Colts may not have any one to trade down with which would leave them no choice but to draft Luck and sit him for 3 years.

[Andy]

Drafting Luck preserves our future. To the people who say he is a bust, people like Claiborne, Kalil, Blackmon can also be busts. You just never know so saying he's bust is an invalid excuse to draft him.

[CR91]

i cant wait til april so this stupid debate is over

[Andy]

i cant wait til april so this stupid debate is over

me too (I'm assuming you want to take Luck)

[singlephase80]

If the Colts don't take Luck it's the dumbest move in the history of the NFL.

[CR91]

me too (I'm assuming you want to take Luck)

yes. i want luck to lead us in the future, but for now its still peyton's team

[nitecrawler]

First of all, how often did he get hit in a way that you are describing? Yeah, fewer than anyone else in the league.

What will happen to that surgically fused cervical spine? It will hold up better than it did 3 years ago, because that's the neurosurgical consensus. Like a broken bone that heals stronger following a callous of the osseous tissue, the same effect applies here. Manning will have a stronger spine than before, and will now be playing without pain.

Learn something about the surgery before you make such ridiculous comments. There isn't one iota of proof to suggest that Manning will some how end up weaker than before. All of the evidence points to exactly the opposite effect.

Fusion of 2 vertebral bodies does not make the spine stronger.

Unfortunately, most who have this procedure (especially patients who have been dealing with pain and weakness for an extended period of time), continue to have to deal with pain and weakness but hopefully, the pain becomes more bearable and the weakness stops progressing and shows improvement.

Peyton will probably be back next year and play as well as before but, he will still have issues with arm pain and weakness and therefore, statements like “stronger than before” and “pain free” are probably being a little too optimistic