Trade the “Man”-ning? Trade away their “Luck”?

At 0-12, the only thing that the Colts can really look forward to is the NFL Draft.  The Colts will most likely end up with the first pick and will select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.  After drafting Luck what should the Colts do if they also have a healthy Peyton Manning?  Should they trade the "once-in-a-decade" Andrew Luck?  Should they trade their franchise, future hall of fame quarterback, Peyton Manning?  Or should they keep both of them?

The first of their three possibilities is trading Andrew Luck.  If the Colts decide to trade Andrew Luck, then that has to be good news for Colts fans because that would mean that Peyton Manning is completely back to full health.  This option would also most likely give the Colts some great players in exchange for Luck and hopefully improve their horrid defense.  This would help surround Manning with better talent.

This decision would also have many negative effects also.  Andrew Luck has great potential and could become one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL.  If the Colts trade him and he becomes great, Colts fans will always be left with a terrible "what-if?" scenario.  

Another disadvantage to trading Luck is Peyton Manning's age.  Manning maybe has three or four good years left in him.  With that said, who is to say that Manning doesn't reinjure his neck and have to retire in less than one season?

That is what could happen if the Colts were to trade Luck, but what if they were to do the unthinkable and trade Manning?  Assuming Peyton Manning is healthy; the Colts could receive major acquisitions for him and surround Luck with a great team.  Manning is near the end of his prime and his trade value will only decrease as he grows older.  For that reason, shouldn't the Colts "cash in" while they still can?

He is Peyton Manning though; he is a proven winner, champion and has done so much for the city of Indianapolis.  Should the Colts really trade the man who has been a role model and hero for the city and most of the state?  Also, who is to say that Manning doesn't win a Super Bowl with the team the Colts trade him to?  Could you imagine Peyton Manning winning a Super Bowl with another team?  Most Colts fans would be heartbroken.

No one ever guaranteed Andrew Luck was going to be successful either?  His trade value is great now, but what if he is a flop and isn't the franchise quarterback Colts fans were hoping for?  Who is to say he won't be injured for a majority of his career?  No one said he will be injured but there is that risk.

Colts fans love Peyton Manning and want Andrew Luck for the future, so why not keep both and get the best of both worlds, right?  Peyton Manning could mentor Luck for three or four years and train him to be a successful quarterback.  Then, when Manning retires, Luck could step in and keep the Colts winning.  This sounds like a great option, but when you look into it, is it really?

Wednesday, Archie Manning, Peyton Manning's father, said he did not think that the Colts keeping Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning would be great for either Manning or Luck.  He said that he thinks Luck is mature enough to step in and play and that it, more or less, wouldn't be a very good situation.

The Colts would also lose all trade value for either Manning or Luck if they decided not to trade either of them.  If they trade Luck, they can give Manning a better chance to win another Super Bowl with a better roster.  If they trade Manning, they can set Luck up for success with a talented roster.

If it comes down to Luck or Manning or both, the Colts have a very tough decision.  Do they want to keep the proven Peyton Manning or go "all in" by trading him and put all their trust in Andrew Luck?  They could play the safe route and keep both.

In my opinion, I believe that the Colts should make a decision to either trade Manning or trade Luck; just don't keep them both.  I agree with Archie Manning in that it wouldn't be fair to either Manning or Luck.  They both deserve to be starting quarterbacks in the NFL, but which one

should start for the Colts?  

I have not forgotten about what Peyton has done and how great he is, but I also realize that his best years may already be behind him.  The intelligence that Manning brings to the game is an intangible that is incomparable to any other player.  

With that being said, I think that it is time for the Colts to move on with Andrew Luck.  They may never get an opportunity for such a great quarterback again for a long time, and I don't think they should pass this up.  Steve Young came after Joe Montana and Aaron Rodgers came after Brett Favre; why can't Andrew Luck follow Peyton Manning?