If I were the GM of the Redskins, here would be my desired plans:

Plan A: Attempt to trade up w/ St. Louis and draft Robert Griffin III. Assuming Grossman/Beck are not retained, I would also sign a veteran QB to back Griffin up in case he was not ready to start Week 1 (Maybe someone on the level of Shaun Hill or Chad Henne)

Plan B: If they decide that trading up for RG3 would be too steep a price, I would draft a QB either in the 2nd or 3rd rd that would be able to sit and learn behind an experienced QB for 2-3 years, if necessary (i.e. Tannehill, Foles, Osweiler). Maybe that experienced QB is Peyton Manning…or maybe someone like Kyle Orton.

Plan C: Sign Matt Flynn (Although Flynn has looked good in his 2 starts, he is still an unproven player). If he left Green Bay, he would not only be leaving a system he has been in for 4 years, but he would be leaving behind one of the best receiving corps in the league (A receiving corps on which no Redskin would crack the starting lineup).

But as you have mentioned, “the quarterback problem needs to be fixed.”

After witnessing the collective season Grossman/Beck had last season, there is no question the Redskins need a massive upgrade at starting quarterback. (I think they could use an upgrade at the backup QB position as well).

As you also mentioned, “it’s good to have options.” And with the 6th pick in the draft, the Redskins have plenty of options. I believe (like many people) that Robert Griffin III will go #2 in April’s NFL Draft. I could see a bunch of QB needy teams (either Was, Cle, Mia, or Sea) trade up with St. Louis to land him.

So the 2 questions for the Redskins is:
1) “Do they believe RG3 is a franchise QB?”
2) “Do they have what it takes to takes to trade up to #2?”

I would answer yes to the first question, and possibly to the 2nd. The Skins have enough firepower to trade up #2 (maybe 2 first round picks + either a 2nd/3rd as well). However, the Browns (with 2 first round picks this year) not only have more ammunition in this year’s draft, but their pick is also 2 spots higher than Washington’s. Therefore, if the Rams were to trade from #2 to #4, they have a greater chance of landing one of the top guys on their draft board. If they were to move down from #2 to #6, that may not be the case.

So for the purposes of the discussion, “Should the Skins Pursue Peyton,” I say…possibly.
The biggest question mark w/ Peyton Manning is his health. Numerous reports have suggested that Peyton Manning’s neck may never allow him to play at the level he once played.

Another question is “When would Peyton sign with a team?” Would he sign in March when free agency begins, or would it be in sometime during July/August (when Brett Favre joined the Jets/Vikings).

If Peyton’s health allows him to sign with a team in March, the Redskins will probably have to make a decision on him before they will know whether or not RG3 would be available to them in April’s draft.

What do you do then? Do you sign Peyton? Would you still trade up for RG3? What if RG3 somehow falls to #6? Do you draft him as well?

But if April’s draft comes and goes and another team makes a move for RG3 and the Redskins end up drafting Ryan Tannehill (who has only played QB for about 1.5 years), I would not have an issue if the team decided to bring in Peyton Manning (assuming his health is not a question).

But if health is not a question, then you have the issues of:

1) Would the coaching staff tailor the offense to Peyton’s strengths? In Indy, Peyton had an OC, but he was running the show for the most part. Would Mike (or Kyle) be happy with the role they would have on offense if Peyton does become a Redskin?

2) Does Peyton even want to come here? (I think Peyton would want to go to a team that would have a chance to win a Super Bowl in the next couple years. Teams like the Jets/Cardinals or even surprise teams like the Niners/Ravens would give him a better shot to win a championship than he would have here in DC.

However, personally, I would rather sign a guy like Kyle Orton or Chad Henne and do all that I could to land Robert Griffin III in April’s draft. The dude is special. If you didn’t see the game against Oklahoma or TCU, just go watch the highlights. The guy is a playmaker.

It will definitely be interesting to see what plays out. I think the one thing we can say is that the QB situation will look entirely different in 2012.