Did Manning Really Affect the Titans’ Approach to Free Agency?

The period between free agency and the draft is notoriously slow and lacking in information. This season has been no different. As such, a lot of us Titans fans have spent the last week or so reflecting on our involvement with free agency. Of course, any discussion about this off-season starts with Peyton Manning. Surprisingly, Team Titan seemed to be pretty split down the center in regards to whether or not we should have pursued him in the first place. Those that supported the decision pointed to his ability to command and run an offense on his own. Those that didn’t pointed to the accomplishments of the two quarterbacks that were already on our roster. Everybody was certainly passionate about their position.

As the dust settled, and Manning chose to take his talents to Colorado, some of us felt embittered about his refusal to come here. Others were upset at the franchise for daring to flirt with him in the first place. All of us were disappointed. For those of us that never wanted any part of the Manning circus, the anger lied primarily in the notion that his recruitment would come at the expense of other players; players that filled a need, of which quarterback was not one. Those players would include the likes of  Carl Nicks, John Abraham, Scott Wells, Chris Myers, and, of course, Mario Williams. We all had determined that any of these players would have been absolutely thrilled to come play for our ever-illustrious franchise, and had we merely made an offer, they would have signed. Munchak, however, released a statement that argued the contrary. This from Sir Jim Wyatt:

"“It could have been different, maybe,” Munchak said on Friday. “But to be honest, I don’t know that it would have been different at all. You can have a wish list, just like your fan base, but ultimately it’s a business, and there’s a lot of factors involved in which players you get and which ones you don’t get…”“We can’t get everybody we want, because players want to play in certain cities or with former teammates or a place that might work better for their family. And there are concerns dealing with the (salary) cap,” Munchak said. “Just because you want a certain guy it doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to get him.“Myers, for instance, wanted to go back to Houston. So I don’t think anyone else would’ve gotten him. And Wells ended up getting a lot of money (from the Rams). I don’t know what would have happened there. Through it all, we do feel great about Hutchinson being the best player for us to bring in on the offensive line. And defense was a need and (Wimbley) is a guy who will help us there.”"

Of course, there’s always the possibility that Munchak is simply towing the company line here. It’s his job to make the company he works for look good and say all the right things in public. Consider that as recently as February, before Manning was officially released and the rumblings were just getting started, Munchak and Webster said that they were happy with the two QB’s they have and that the organization would not be in the running for the Peyton Manning sweepstakes.

Either way, the past is the past and what’s done is done. We do, in fact, have two very good quarterbacks battling for a starting job, and we helped out the line and both sides with our two key additions. Would we have gotten Wells or Myers? Perhaps. Would Mario Williams coming off of a torn pectoral be anymore of a sure thing than Peyton coming off neck surgery? Who knows. It doesn’t matter. Our team is who they are, for better or for worse, and save for the addition of seven youngsters, it’s time to embrace our team and our organization and look forward to doing what we came here to do: Win the AFC South.

What do you think? Is Munchak simply sticking up for Bud with his statements or is he being genuine? Sound off below!

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