What If Peyton Manning Commanded the Greatest Show on Turf?

"The starting point for this conversation has to begin with the 1997 NFL Draft," wrote Roberts. With the first overall selection in that particular draft, the St. Louis Rams selected Hall of Fame offensive tackle Orlando Pace. The former Ohio State Buckeyes legend ended up being a tremendous selection for the Rams, but you have to think that conversation would have changed quite a bit if Manning was available."

"It is possible that the Rams would still have chosen Pace, but when you take a look at the Rams quarterback room that year, it is hard to believe they would have passed on Manning. Their leading passer in 1997, which was the first season under head coach Dick Vermeil, was Tony Banks. In 16 starts that year, Banks threw for 3,254 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also throwing 13 interceptions and completing just 51.7 percent of his passes."

Would the Rams have selected Manning? It's tough to say, but probably. In the 1997 NFL Draft, there was only one quarterback selected in the first round, with the San Francisco 49ers selecting Jim Druckenmiller 26th overall. Druckenmiller was out of the NFL by 2000.

While the Rams did select Tony Banks the year before, there was a reason they owned the first overall pick and considering they would sign Trent Green in the 1999 offseason, I believe the Rams would've drafted Manning due to them displaying a clear need for a passer.

So how would it all have worked out? Honestly, it would've been up and down. Manning had the exact same setup in Indianapolis that he would've had in St. Louis.

With the Colts, Manning had a Hall of Fame running back in Edgerrin James, Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr, should be in the Hall of Fame wide receiver in Reggie Wayne, and a solid offensive line. Sounds a lot like Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, and the rest of the Greatest Show on Turf.

Manning in St. Louis also wouldn't have had Orlando Pace, the anchor behind Marshall Faulk's massive three-year stretch from 1999-2001.

Kurt Warner was the perfect quarterback and unlike Manning, Warner repeatedly won in the postseason, recording three of the greatest Super Bowl quarterback performances of all time, something Manning couldn't do.

It all worked out for the Rams but it's an interesting question to ask what if Manning came out of college a year early.