The truth about Quinn Gray?

If the Indianapolis Colts decide to keep him? He will be the best back-up quarterback that they have had in the Peyton Manning era. I am being completely honest here.

Because unlike the Packers, who have had a veritable coterie of NFL starters come and go since Brett Favre got rolling. Or a normal team with a stud quarterback, who has the talent level of the back-up ebb and flow. (The Patriots went from Bledsoe to Damon Huard to Rohan Davey to Flutie to Cassell for the crux of the Tom Brady era, as an example.) The Colts have been playing with fire as an insurance policy to Peyton Manning.

Now, we know Kelly Holcomb was able to shine in Cleveland and be passable in other locations. But he was merely a street urchin asking for more when he was a Colt. And you know what? They had a veteran quarterback who wasn't going to do shit in Steve Walsh. And you know what else?

The Colts have been playing on the edge of disaster ever since.

2001: Kelly Holcomb moved on to Cleveland. So who did the Colts pick as a replacement? A 39-year old Mark Rypien. He had not been on an NFL roster since 1997.
2002: Cory Sauter. His second tour with Indy. His fifth place of employment in five years. Peyton Manning came through on every down. Cory Sauter? Disappeared for 6 years.
2003: The Huard family is like the inbred version of the Manning family, and as for 2003? The Back-up in Indy was the lovable drunken pushover. Brock Huard's last in-game experience came in a week 17. He's now a roving football color commentator. Last seen during pop warner games.

And 2004 started an irrational love affair. Now, truth be told, I'm a Wisconsin boy. And Jim Sorgi was there for one of the greatest moments in Badger history. But with a 27-19 career TD-INT ratio, and a 7-10 career starting record Badger fans were shocked that he even got drafted.

And when he's playing a team that has something to play for? He's useless. You have to think that the Colts looked at Manning's knee and finally woke up to the dangerous game they've been playing. And while Jared Lorenzen has the novelty value of fatness...

Quinn Gray has skills to pay the bills. He may be the football playing equivalent of a Ryan Ludwick or a Jack Cust, but if there's real issue with Manning's knee? He'll save the day.

Of course, it would probably be Sorgi, Lorenzen and Josh Betts if Manning falls into the zone of mystery or something.

Nobody ever listens to me.