The Peyton Manning free agent sweepstakes will not include two teams picking high in the 2012 NFL draft. According to various reports, neither the Minnesota Vikings nor Cleveland Browns will be pursuing Manning. The Vikings pick third in April's draft, while the Browns are fourth.
Peyton Manning Free Agent Talks Won’t Include Browns, Vikings
There's an argument that the Vikings should make a run at Manning -- as there is for almost every NFL team -- but they just drafted Christian Ponder last season. They should be motivated to make that work. Besides, they've gone the veteran quarterback route twice in recent years, signing Brett Favre in 2009 and trading for Donovan McNabb in 2011. Neither vet could get it done.
Browns GM Tom Heckert confirmed that Manning isn’t someone the team would be pursuing, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. I’m not sure they’d be able to entice him to Cleveland, anyway.
The Browns appear to be focusing their efforts on the NFL draft in April. Reports say they're interested in moving up to the Rams No. 2 overall pick in order to select Robert Griffin III. But we're still quite a ways away from the draft, so that stance could change.
For more on the Vikings, visit Daily Norseman and SB Nation Minnesota. And for more on the Browns, check out Dawgs By Nature and SB Nation Cleveland.
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