Dolphins can't afford to remain in Manning holding pattern

Time is ticking.

Time is running out.

In less than four hours, the new league year will begin.  That means that at exactly 4:00 free agency will open up, and the mayhem that will follow will be like nothing we've ever seen before.

And this is gut wrenching for the Miami Dolphins.

Peyton Manning is their number one priority, right?

WRONG!

A quarterback is their number one priority people!  Yes, Manning is their top choice, but they don't have the luxury of waiting 3-4 days for an answer.  They can't sit at home and wait for a phone call from Manning's representatives telling them yay or nay.

Because in 3-4 days, heck, maybe in 3-4 hours, Matt Flynn will be scooped up by the likes of the Cleveland Browns or Seattle Seahawks.

And then what happens if Manning says no?

"Uh, excuse me, Matt Moore, we're sorry for publicly acknowledging that you're not good enough for us, but would you mind starting for us next season, even though you're clearly our last resort?"

Or how about this one:

"And with the eighth pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select QB Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M.."

Gulp.

Miami cannot afford to wait around for Peyton Manning, but they also don't want to insult the future hall-of-famer by jumping ship and going after Flynn while he's still deciding.

Oh, the irony.  Football is such a physical, hard hitting game on the field.

But off the field?

It's oh so delicate.

The Dolphins are in a holding pattern right now, waiting on Peyton Manning to give them a yes or no, a thumbs up or thumbs down.

But they're quickly running out of fuel.