Since it was discovered that Peyton Manning would inevitably be released by the Indianapolis Colts, it was always assumed that no matter where he went, his trusty receiver would join him. That thought process was negated on Tuesday when Reggie Wayne, a long-time Colt himself, signed a new three year deal in Indy.
Even though Wayne has returned to Indianapolis, Manning is still looking for a new home and it appears that his old friend will not be joining him.
Many in the RotB community were actually not opposed to the idea of the club signing Wayne if that is what it took to bring Peyton Manning to the desert. The team is in need of a true #2 wide receiver as it is and Wayne could have been a decent option across from perennial Pro Bowler, Larry Fitzgerald.
However, now that Wayne is off the market, the Cardinals will need to look elsewhere for that stretch wideout. Many reports from around the league indicated that the organization has expressed interest in free agent receivers Chaz Schilens and Laurent Robinson.
Both of those players would fill the gap as the #2 WR and definitely would not hurt the chances of Manning signing in Arizona. Then again, if the Cardinals are unsuccessful in signing either Schilens or Robinson, I would suspect that would have little influence on Manning's decision.
So although it turned out that the proclaimed "package deal" was a farce all along and the Cards won't end up with Wayne, they may still be looking for an upgrade at the receiver position.
Stay tuned for more news as the free agency period continues to roll along at an almost exhausting pace.
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