On this day in 1997..

[Red Bird]

The Cards came back to win a meaningless game and missed out on the chance to draft Peyton Manning. A few things I’ve always wondered:

1. Would the Cards have drafted him and kicked Plummer to the curb?

2. Would Peyton have signed here?

3. If he had, how many super bowls would we have right now?

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[Finito]

He would of held out. The franchise was very different back then.

I was really excited about Andre Wadsworth though. So you know...

 

[PACardsFan]

The Cards came back to win a meaningless game and missed out on the chance to draft Peyton Manning. A few things I’ve always wondered:

1. Would the Cards have drafted him and kicked Plummer to the curb?

2. Would Peyton have signed here?

3. If he had, how many super bowls would we have right now?

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1. Yes, had we lost that game, I do believe the Cardinals would have drafted Peyton & used Plummer as his backup or traded him. I'm not even sure that Plummer started that Atlanta game. Pretty sure he came off the bench to engineer that win. Either way, the Snake was so erratic in 97. He had his moments, but I don't think there was enough there to pass on a guy like Manning.

2. Unlike Eli (and his Dad), Peyton always said he would play for whoever drafted him. So yes, I do believe Peyton would have signed with us.

3. We'll never know, but understand that the Colts franchise was every bit as dysfunctional as the Cardinal franchise. That being said, Peyton only won 1 in Indy & he had almost nothing to do with the one he won in Denver. That was 95% the defense.

 

[TheCardFan]

Crazy that we missed on two Mannings with improbable wins.

 

[PACardsFan]

Crazy that we missed on two Mannings with improbable wins.

Exactly why, as a fan, I NEVER want to win meaningless games at the end of the season when top draft talent is staring us in the face.

 

[wa52lz]

1. Yes, had we lost that game, I do believe the Cardinals would have drafted Peyton & used Plummer as his backup or traded him. I'm not even sure that Plummer started that Atlanta game. Pretty sure he came off the bench to engineer that win. Either way, the Snake was so erratic in 97. He had his moments, but I don't think there was enough there to pass on a guy like Manning.

2. Unlike Eli (and his Dad), Peyton always said he would play for whoever drafted him. So yes, I do believe Peyton would have signed with us.

3. We'll never know, but understand that the Colts franchise was every bit as dysfunctional as the Cardinal franchise. That being said, Peyton only won 1 in Indy & he had almost nothing to do with the one he won in Denver. That was 95% the defense.

Plummer started that game. He came off the bench week 8 vs Phily and started every game the rest of the season.

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[Jetstream Green]

The Plummer energy was strong. After '98 media pundits even compared elements of his game to Montana, I kid you not. We would have never drafted Manning. I am not saying it would be the right move but that's the reality... then we ended up paying Plummer more than any plumber has ever been paid which says a lot lol

 

[wa52lz]

I think they would have done the same thing at #1 as they did with #2, trade back and take Wadsworth. The team and fans thought Plummer was the answer. Wadsworth was a can't miss second coming of Bruce Smith, some had him as the best player in the draft. On top of that can't imagine the cards wanting to get involved with trying to sign the #1 overall pick that was a QB, especially since they had a promising fan favorite second round pick going into his second year.

https://www.si.com/vault/1998/04/20...ost-coveted-defensive-player-in-the-nfl-draft

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[vince56]

The Plummer energy was strong. After '98 media pundits even compared elements of his game to Montana, I kid you not. We would have never drafted Manning

97, not 98. The Montana comparisons from Bill Walsh came on strongly after the 1998 season and were the harbinger of doom for the 1999 season, along with the losses of Larry Centers, Jamir Miller, and the horrible car accident in Flagstaff that left a few players injured and ended Ernest Dye's career.

In 1997, Plummer looked good, but he was coming off the bench and starting late in the year for a 3 win team that if they had lost that 4th win, they would 100% have drafted Peyton Manning.

 

[Solar7]

3. We'll never know, but understand that the Colts franchise was every bit as dysfunctional as the Cardinal franchise. That being said, Peyton only won 1 in Indy & he had almost nothing to do with the one he won in Denver. That was 95% the defense.

I don't think there's any way you can diminish how great Peyton Manning was. Outside of Brady and maybe Montana, he's just about the GOAT.

 

[TruColor]

You just KNOW we would have drafted Ryan Leaf anyway.

 

[PACardsFan]

The Plummer energy was strong. After '98 media pundits even compared elements of his game to Montana, I kid you not. We would have never drafted Manning. I am not saying it would be the right move but that's the reality... then we ended up paying Plummer more than any plumber has ever been paid which says a lot lol

Yes, after 98, the Cardinals had definitely hitched their wagon to Plummer. But after the 97 season, I'm still not sold that they wouldn't have drafted PM.

 

[PACardsFan]

I don't think there's any way you can diminish how great Peyton Manning was. Outside of Brady and maybe Montana, he's just about the GOAT.

I wasn't attempting to diminish his greatness. The initial question was how many SB's would the Cardinals have won if we had drafted PM. Indy drafted him & he won 1 for them.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Yes, after 98, the Cardinals had definitely hitched their wagon to Plummer. But after the 97 season, I'm still not sold that they wouldn't have drafted PM.

I say they would have not with old man Bidwill in charge, he did not move that way. He had a hometown QB in tow with some talent and a following which probably was enough for him

 

[PACardsFan]

I say they would have not with old man Bidwill in charge, he did not move that way. He had a hometown QB in tow with some talent and a following which probably was enough for him

True that BB was trying to put fannies in the seats & that Plummer being a local kid appeared to be the guy. On top of that, not everyone thought Manning was a sure fire stud. His college career at Tennessee was very good, but didn't result in any National Championships.

 

[Jetstream Green]

True that BB was trying to put fannies in the seats & that Plummer being a local kid appeared to be the guy. On top of that, not everyone thought Manning was a sure fire stud. His college career at Tennessee was very good, but didn't result in any National Championships.

If Bill was running this team now, I doubt Kyler would have been drafted. I could see him though hiring Kingsbury while making a nostalgic relation to hiring past guys with mere college experience. The old man would still have Rosen right now if he ran the ship. The thought of him drafting two QBs in a row in the early rounds back then is hard for me to fathom with his conservative pace of adjusting

 

[Dr. Jones]

You just KNOW we would have drafted Ryan Leaf anyway.

My thoughts EXACTLY!

 

[TheCardFan]

You just KNOW we would have drafted Ryan Leaf anyway.

We had the opportunity to draft Ryan Leaf but traded down one spot and took Wadsworth.

 

[AZ Native]

You just KNOW we would have drafted Ryan Leaf anyway.

 

[ajcardfan]

We had the opportunity to draft Ryan Leaf but traded down one spot and took Wadsworth.

It was a great trade if Wadsworth's knee didn't go bone on bone.

I was at that game. Had a blast watching Plummer do his magic. Didn't even think about the draft pick. I never do. The draft is a crapshoot. Even at #1. So, why worry?

 

[Phrazbit]

97, not 98. The Montana comparisons from Bill Walsh came on strongly after the 1998 season and were the harbinger of doom for the 1999 season, along with the losses of Larry Centers, Jamir Miller, and the horrible car accident in Flagstaff that left a few players injured and ended Ernest Dye's career.

In 1997, Plummer looked good, but he was coming off the bench and starting late in the year for a 3 win team that if they had lost that 4th win, they would 100% have drafted Peyton Manning.

Not a snowball's chance.

Plummer getting the starter's job was the first time the Cardinals had any real local excitement since the season they arrived. He was playing in the same stadium he was in during college, the Sun Devils had a stronger following than the Cardinals did at the time.

Plummer averaged nearly 20 picks a season for 6 years before the Cards got the stones to move on.

They would have traded the pick and taken Wadsworth.

 

[jmt]

Exactly why, as a fan, I NEVER want to win meaningless games at the end of the season when top draft talent is staring us in the face.

And why I as a fan want to win every game now and worry about the draft later.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

And why I as a fan want to win every game now and worry about the draft later.

Agreed. You play to win the game.

 

[Cardsfaninlouky]

He would of held out. The franchise was very different back then.

I was really excited about Andre Wadsworth though. So you know...

We played a 4/3 back then. I loved that DL. Wadsworth was a DE, Mark Smith was a DT, Eric Swann was a DT. Who was the other starting DL on that team? I'm drawing a blank right now.

 

[Cardsfaninlouky]

Exactly why, as a fan, I NEVER want to win meaningless games at the end of the season when top draft talent is staring us in the face.

Me 2 but I just can't bring myself to root against them lol. Just can't do it. If we lose, then fine (meaningless games) the consolation prize in losing those games is the draft order. I hate Seattle as much as Pittsburgh, with all my soul. Go Cards. I loved draft night here this past April. Working here at UPS, I watched the draft on one of the 2 65" big screens in the break room with a whole lot of Louisville Cardinal fans. Most of them just happen to also be Steelers fans. Omg, the sheer delight of watching them walk out of the break room disgusted when the Ravens selected their beloved Lamar Jackson lol. I was laughing my ass off.