The loss of the prospect of getting Manning has really bummed me out. Then I remembered how brutal our schedule is this coming season.... Even if Kolb does drastically improve next year, it will be extremely tough to just get to .500. Ugh.

I blame the organization for not having things worked out in advance for the Manning deal. You can't just leave things to the last second and expect them to work out. Why wait so long to cut Levi? Why were there no contingency plans (that we are aware of)?

My feeling on how things are going to play out this season....

1. Whiz says it's an "open competition" for starting QB. I don't believe him. Not for one second. Kolb is our starting QB next season until he gets injured or continues to suck. I would put money on one or the other happening. There is just no way the FO is OK paying $450K to the starting QB and $7-10M to the back-up QB. I would like to know the terms of the re-structured contract, but Kolb was LUCKY AS HELL that the Cardinals didn't use the leverage they had sooner than 5 seconds before he was due his bonus, when Kolb held all the marbles. Probably they just shuffled around some cash to have more cap space without docking him too much in pay. Kudos to your agent, Kolb. He earned his $$ today.

2. The lack of quality OL players available in FA will be the main reason Kolb does not develop. Many of you cite his failures on a poor OL- that he needs a solid pocket to operate, and then state that he needs time to learn the system- but are sure he will improve. Well guess what? The line is not going to change drastically. Either he learns to not suck with the line he had last year (for the most part) or Skelton will have to bail this team out again by just being a big oaf and remembering that you need to score points to win games (in the final seconds of a contest).

3. We will draft the best player available, regardless of need, in the first round. This has worked out well for us so far. So I have no idea who that will be.

4. Don't know where Manning goes- but if he comes as a visitor he will not be treated kindly. Also, it's not his fault greed got the best of him. It happens to all these guys. You would have done the same. First, you want to sign with a team within a few days before FA started (his camp stated this) to not ruffle any feathers. You select a few teams you think will get you the best chance of winning. Then someone sends you their private jet and gives you a blank check and tells you you can write whatever number you want on it, screw his daughter while sipping martinis on your own hovercraft, and pick out your choice of sharks with lazers on their heads or alligators with pikes to inhabit the moat to your harem. What would you do? be the nice guy? or string all the teams along until you got the best possible deal?

5. We go 7-9, even with vast improvements on offense, and we discuss our QB problems again next offseason.

6. I hope I am wrong about all of this. I need a drink (I have manningface).