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GMAC from Nashville writes: Offering our 20th pick for [Dwight] Freeney? Are you kidding me? I hope Ruston Webster doesn't read you. You didn't even mention the botched trade, when we sent our first to the Rams for Kevin Carter in 2001. He made the probowl one year and was gone after his fourth... and he was 28 at the time. You think he wanted to play here? C'mon man. I'd rather have a top 20 prospect, who is committed to the team that drafted him than watch Freeney (32), who probably bleeds colt blue, be injured for most of the duration of his contract here. A third at most. I won't make this any longer because you probably won't respond anyway. Keep up the good work.

Paul Kuharsky: Yeah, I won’t respond. I am known for hiding.

People are overly protective of draft picks. Who’s this great pass rusher they will get at 20? Will he be as good as Michael Griffin’s been as a safety after being the 19th pick?

They need a special pass-rusher. Freeney is one. There aren’t many, if any, in this draft. They are gone by 20. Seven of the last 21 defensive ends drafted BEFORE 20th rate as busts at this point to me.

I said start off by offering a second-rounder.

Kevin Carter wasn’t great, but he was a pretty effective player for the Titans. Absolutely he wanted to play for the Titans. Why wouldn’t he have?

Ron from Murfreesboro, Tenn., writes: Any chance the Titans pursue the Saint's Carl Nicks. He's a great player at a position of need for the Titans. Not sure what his price range would be like. If we go out and get him then I think we can focus the rest of the offseason on improving the defense. What are some other offensive line candidates the team will look at both in free agency and the draft?

Paul Kuharsky: Nicks will be the costliest guard in the league. Someone other than the Titans will very likely be writing those checks. A mid-range free agent or draft pick is most likely. Can’t tell you names.

Garrett from Missoula, Mont., writes: If Peyton Manning goes to Miami, what are the chances Reggie Wayne joins him? It seems like a perfect fit with Miami's roster and the history Wayne has there, especially if Manning goes.

Paul Kuharsky: With or without Manning, I would think Miami would be a favorite to land Wayne. He could be great for another QB too.

Larry Dorsch from Pittsburgh writes: Where do you see Tommie Campbell "fitting it" with the Titans?

Paul Kuharsky: He will compete for third corner. He will be the third, fourth or fifth corner and a key special-teamer.

Amy Hamilton from Indianapolis writes: It makes no difference how long we had to prepare. It is profoundly depressing. Sure, it's only a game. I keep telling myself that to no avail. There is no comparison to Favre or Montana. Peyton revolutionized the game and put us on the map. I really don't care if Andrew Luck is the right choice - you stick with Peyton until he's ready to be done. Maybe we Hoosiers are unusual in that respect.

Paul Kuharsky: Revolutionized the game? A bit strong, I think. He’s a fantastic player and unique. Others can’t do what he does (or did) in terms of altering plays at the line. But for that to be a revolution, we’d have to see more guys starting to do it. And they aren’t.

And Joe Montana won four Super Bowls. I know it’s about the team, not just the quarterback, but you needn't be dismissive of Montana in order to be complimentary of Manning.

It was not my sense that most Hoosiers said the Colts had to stick with Manning given the circumstances, just that he deserved to go out gracefully.

Aaron from Jacksonville, Fla., writes: Hey Paul, why is everyone thinking that Miami is "close to a championship" and ideal for Manning? Do they not remember that just last season the Dolphins won only 6 games and also fired their head coach? Sure coaching may be a FACTOR but you have to figure the fault lies with the players as well. Just curious.

Paul Kuharsky; I am with you. I think they are being over-rated – in large part because, while I like Joe Philbin, I know nothing of how he will be as a head coach.

Gavin from Fairmont, W.Va., writes: I am a long time Colts fan and come often to your blog. I keep seeing that Luck is the most NFL ready QB, and I wanted to know your thoughts on this. Doesn’t that, being the most NFL ready QB, mean he has little to no room to improve so you are basically getting what you see.

Paul Kuharsky: No, it doesn’t mean that at all. NFL-ready means ready to play in the NFL. It means he’ll be better at the beginning.

It doesn’t mean has maxed out or won’t have room to learn and get better.

The era is over.

The Indianapolis Colts' breakup with Peyton Manning is official -- ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Manning will be released Wednesday -- and it displaces any of the most extreme examples of business ruling sports.

Since 1993, the NFL standard for “it can happen to anyone” has been Joe Montana. The San Francisco 49ers traded Montana, regarded by many as the greatest quarterback of all time, to the Kansas City Chiefs.

But Manning was even more unlikely to finish his career on a second team. He has been cut, not traded, which makes it more extreme. While Andrew Luck is regarded as a can’t-miss prospect, he’s hardly as can’t-miss as was Steve Young, who was already playing for the 49ers when they moved Montana.

Henceforth, in any conversation about the possibility of a star player who's intertwined with his team and city moving elsewhere, I believe we will say, “If it could happen to Peyton Manning with the Colts, it can happen to anyone.”

We have the new, supreme example of business trumping relationships, sentiment and history.

And we have the next big step in the NFL’s biggest offseason story: How is Manning's arm strength? Where will Manning land? How will the Colts move on?

Stay tuned for much more.

Gene Wojciechowski does a nice job in this piece of recounting Joe Montana’s separation from the 49ers and comparing it to what’s unfolding for Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts.

“NFL history repeats itself. The circumstances aren't exactly the same, but they're similar enough. Bottom line: Divorce proceedings between a generational player and the franchise he helped make famous are never easy. ‘It was horribly difficult,’ (Niners team president Carmen) Policy said the other day by phone, describing Montana's departure from the 49ers in 1993. ‘At that time he had won four Super Bowls. He was the quintessential comeback kid. He was so revered in the community, so loved in the locker room.

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Frederick BreedonIt's difficult to miss all the signs that point to the Colts separating from QB Peyton Manning.

"In a strong, strong way there are similarities in terms of what Peyton Manning has done for that franchise in Indianapolis. You almost can't think of the franchise without thinking of Peyton Manning. … To separate is really, really difficult and heart wrenching."

But I have to disagree with Wojciechowski’s conclusion. He believes the Colts should do whatever necessary to hold on to Manning.

“Maybe you push back the March 8 due date on Manning's $28 million option bonus. Maybe you say, ‘I want you to begin and end your career wearing the horseshoe, but you've got to work with me on this $28 mil. Can we restructure it?’

“Maybe you tell him, ‘Come back, play another year, help mentor (Andrew) Luck or RG3 and then we'll put together an organizational golden parachute for you. And if you play like pre-neck surgery Peyton, then we'll re-up you for another year or you go somewhere as a free agent.’

“Professional. Reasonable. Logical.”

But not feasible.

The NFLPA tells me the first renegotiated of a contract can take place at any time. Then the second cannot happen within a year if it causes a salary increase over the first redo.

So Manning's contract isn’t the big issue, actually.

The issue is every move the Colts have made since the end of the season has been intended to set up a fresh start and a new era. And as much as the Colts love Manning and appreciate his work for them, finding a way to keep him on a team that’s going to undergo a major rebuild under a new GM with a new coach and staff and with the No. 1 pick coming to town is impractical.

It’s too late to take the path Woj wants, and while taking it is in some way the noble thing to do to preserve what’s been a beautiful thing, it’s not the practical thing to do for the long-term health of the franchise.

It’s in no way easy. It’s incredibly emotional for all parties involved.

The odds that all these factors would arrive at the same time were incredibly low: Manning’s continued uncertain health; the secondary bonus coming due that triggers the remainder of his contract; the Colts’ terrible season without him that resulted in the No. 1 pick; the availability of Luck with that pick; Irsay’s frustration with Bill Polian and Chris Polian coming off that failed season that led to their dismissals; the hiring of Ryan Grigson as the new GM; the removal of Jim Caldwell; the hiring of Chuck Pagano as the new coach; looming decisions on three old-guard guys heading to free agency -- center Jeff Saturday, receiver Reggie Wayne and defensive end Robert Mathis.

If Irsay had decided to attempt to load up for a three-season push for another Super Bowl with Manning, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it. But he either had to go all-in in such fashion, or bail and start anew.

He’s already well down the path to the second strategy. And the Colts brass needs to line up with the approach Policy took with Montana.

There is a Jim Irsay-Manning meeting looming. There is a lot of talk about a decision still to be made. It's hard for me to imagine Irsay hasn't already made it and we aren't just waiting for it to play out.

Kerry Collins is 13 pass completions away from matching Joe Montana (3,409) for 10th all-time and 334 yards away from tying Johnny Unitas (40,239).

The numbers, are of course, a testament to Collins’ longevity. But you’ve got to be doing something right to last as long as he has.

He’s not what he used to be, but he can still be effective, such as last week when he led the Titans to a 21-0 lead and a 31-17 win over Houston.

He said he doesn’t get caught up in where he stands in the record book, though he may come to appreciate those things more someday.

But Randy Moss, who’s a teammate with Collins for a second time in a second city, heaped on the praise when he was told the Unitas numbers.

“Hell, the guy he’s passing speaks volumes. Johnny U?” Moss said. “Kerry is a great guy. He’s a great guy in the locker room. I actually met Kerry when I was back in Oakland so we actually have a little rapport with one another. Back when he was at Penn State, Penn State was right next to West Virginia so I followed him in college, too. Just to see him, to be able to watch him accomplish a milestone like that is something he can really hang his hat on. That 40,000 … beating Johnny Unitas. That’s a legendary quarterback. For him to be in front of Johnny U, that’s saying something.

“So he can definitely appreciate his successes also. A lot of guys can leave the league and not really say that, that they had a really good career. When you have numbers and you have guys behind you that you looked up to -- I know as a quarterback he definitely looked up to Johnny Unitas -- for him to be able to surpass that, that’s pretty exciting.”

» Super Bowl Final Word: Colts | Saints

MIAMI -- Five nuggets of knowledge about Super Bowl XLIV between the New Orleans Saints (15-3) and Indianapolis Colts (16-2):

1. Peyton Manning should expect to see a defensive Plan A, B and C. In the AFC Championship Game, the Jets brought some early blitzes that were unfamiliar and confused the Colts. But once Manning and offensive coordinator Tom Moore had some time on the sidelines to sort things out, they solved the puzzle. Once they did, they seemed to deflate New York, which failed to make any major countermoves.

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams should have multiple plans and when he senses the Colts have figured something out, he’ll flip the switch on some major alterations and be prepared to do so multiple times. If Manning wins on smarts, odds are he will be challenged more than he was two weeks ago.

2. Indianapolis doesn’t run it well, but watch how it runs once it’s inside the 20. The Colts finished last in the league in rushing the ball this year with 1,294 yards. However, they did score 16 rushing touchdowns and ESPN Stats & Information says they had a nice balance of rush-to-pass play calls down in the red zone (74-78). Their predictability on offense before reaching the red zone may have caused Manning’s numbers to suffer on play-action passes.

In red-zone play-action he had six touchdowns and no interceptions in 12 pass attempts this season, posting a 124.3 passer rating. Outside of the red zone his rating on play-action was only 79.7 and his five touchdowns are measured against nine interceptions. His completion percentage is 63.3 outside the red zone on play-action, 20 points lower than inside it.

3. The Colts' secondary depth is their weak spot. Even if Jerraud Powers is fine to play after recent foot surgery, if the Saints can force the Colts to use six defensive backs, that last man is a shaky piece of the defense. Kelvin Hayden and Powers are quality starters, and although Jacob Lacey got torched on an 80-yard touchdown against the Jets, he’s a capable player too.

But if the Colts need to rely much on Tim Jennings or go deeper than that to someone like Aaron Francisco or T.J. Rushing, I expect Sean Payton and Drew Brees will target them as quickly and as often as possible. They should.

4. For all the grief about his postseason failures, Manning’s got some good numbers. Break down the top five players in postseason passing yardage by the game, and Manning’s the best of them with an average of 284 to Joe Montana (251), Dan Marino (251), Brett Favre (244) and John Elway (226). No one has more playoff 300-yard passing games than Manning’s seven.

But his counterpart’s got an amazing number going this season when it comes to facing top postseason quarterbacks. The Super Bowl will mark the fourth time this season Brees has faced a former Super Bowl MVP. The three quarterbacks he faced before Peyton Manning were Eli Manning, Tom Brady and Kurt Warner. Brees has been unreal in those games, posting a combined passer rating of 152.8 with three wins, 12 touchdowns and no interceptions.

5. With or without Dwight Freeney, the Colts might be wise to blitz. This defense is far different than the one on the 2006 championship Colts. That was a Cover 2 team that rushed four almost every snap. This is a group that is willing to blitz.

The Cardinals and Vikings rarely tested Brees with an additional pass rush in New Orleans’ first two postseason games, ESPN Stats & Info says. Against four or fewer rushers, he’s thrown five touchdown and no interceptions, averaged 8.2 yards an attempt and posted a passer rating of 127.3. Against five or more rushers he’s thrown one touchdown and no interceptions, averaged 4.3 yards an attempt and posted a rating of 90.2.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Honestly, I don’t know if you can handle this, but I’m compelled to see.

Here’s a buffet of nuggets on the Colts and Jets provided by ESPN Stats & Information:

• The Colts are in the AFC Championship Game for the second time in the last four seasons and sixth time in team history. The Colts have never lost an AFC Championship Game at home, beating the Patriots in 2006 and the Raiders in 1970, both times going on to win the Super Bowl.
• The Jets are playing in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 1998. The Jets have won two playoff games in a season for the first time since 1982 and the second time in team history. Mark Sanchez and Joe Flacco (last postseason) are the only rookie QBs to win multiple postseason games.
• The Jets are 7-0 this season when Darrelle Revis records an interception and 7-1 this season when they hold their opponent scoreless in the first quarter.
• The Colts’ Reggie Wayne has a touchdown reception in four straight playoff games.
• The Colts have lost to the Jets both times they’ve met in the playoffs: 41-0 in a 2002 wild-card game and 16-7 in Super Bowl III.
• The Jets won their one Super Bowl (III) in Miami. The Colts have won two Super Bowls (V and XLI) in Miami. The winner of this game goes to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV.
• Indianapolis’ regular-season winning percentage was .3125 higher than New York’s. Teams with a regular-season winning percentage .300-plus higher than their opponent are 19-3 all-time in the playoffs, 18-2 in the Super Bowl era and 18-1 at home.
• Either Rex Ryan or Jim Caldwell will become the fifth head coach to take a team to the Super Bowl in his first season as an NFL head coach, joining Bill Callahan, George Seifert, Red Miller and Don McCafferty (of the Colts in Super Bowl V).
• After struggling against top defenses early in his postseason career, Peyton Manning has gone 4-0 since the 2006 postseason against scoring defenses ranked in the top 3. He was 0-4 from 2000 to 2005 and the Colts scored an average of 13 points. In the four such games since, they’ve scored an average of 26.
• If Manning throws for 300 yards, it would be his seventh 300-yard game in the playoffs. He would pull into first place in that category ahead of Joe Montana and Kurt Warner.
• The Jets were 9-7 in the regular season. Teams with fewer than 10 wins in a conference championship game since 1980 are 1-7. The 2008 Cardinals were the lone winners.
• Only three teams in the Super Bowl era have started 7-7 as the Jets did and advanced to the conference championship game. The 1996 Jaguars, the 1984 Steelers and the 1983 Seahawks all lost.
• In 18 games this season, the Jets are 0-5 when they allow 20 points or more and 11-2 when they allow fewer than 20. They’ve allowed fewer than 20 in their last eight, including two playoff wins.
• Field goal kickers hit 19 of 23 attempts against the Jets this season (.826). They’ve missed all five attempts against New York in the postseason. According to Elias, they are the first team since the 1983 49ers to have opponents miss at least five field goals in the playoffs against them.

Nuggets from ESPN Stats & Information to chew on as you try to fill the day between now and kickoff of Ravens-Colts Saturday night:

• At 14-2, the Colts have a regular-season winning percentage .3125 higher than the 9-7 Ravens. Teams with regular-season winning percentages.300 or more higher than their opponent in NFL postseason history are 18-3, 17-2 in the Super Bowl era and 17-1 at home. That lone road win belongs to the 1987 Vikings at San Francisco.
• Including playoffs, the Colts have won the last seven meetings dating back to 2002, posting a 17-15 win in Week 11 at Baltimore. Including playoffs, the teams meet for the ninth time in nine years dating back to 2001. The Colts posted a 15-6 win in the 2006 divisional playoffs at Baltimore in the teams' only postseason meeting. That's the last game, regular season or postseason, in which Indianapolis failed to score a touchdown. (From The Elias Sport Bureau.)
• If Manning tops 300 yards passing, it’ll be his seventh 300-yard playoff game. That would put him in first place all-time, unless Kurt Warner does it in the Arizona-New Orleans game. Manning, Warner and Joe Montana all have six.
• The Colts have lost five straight home games in the AFC divisional playoffs round (last home win in divisional playoffs round was when the team was in Baltimore in 1970).
• Joe Flacco is 3-1 as a starting quarterback in the playoffs, with all three wins coming on the road. His three road wins are tied for the most among active quarterbacks along with six others. This will be the Ravens fifth straight playoff road game.
• The Ravens ran 599 plays of two-back sets this season. That 55.7 percent is a league high. The Colts, who do not have a fullback, ran 54 such plays. That 5.5 percent is a league low.
• Manning will improve his postseason winning percentage to .500 if the Colts defeat the Ravens. Manning has a 7-8 record as a starting quarterback in playoff games. Marino (8-10), Warren Moon (3-7), and Dan Fouts (3-4) are among the Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks with a losing postseason record. (From The Elias Sport Bureau.)