I pointed all that out about Caldwell when the Colts were 0-2. He's not news to me.
The Colts are going to have to rebuild soon anyway, as you just pointed out. It's a matter of whether or not they want to do it now while they're at rock bottom, or do it in a year or so when we're hearing about Peyton's neck again, except then there won't be any second guessing as to whether or not he's done.
If they do it now while they're at rock bottom, and they can still trade Manning to some unsuspecting team that wants to try to make a run with him, they need to do it if they have the #1 pick. If they wait until it's a foregone conclusion that Manning is done, they won't get anything for him, and have to rebuild anyway. Doing it with less ammunition than they would've had in a trade for Manning, and without the best QB since Manning.
If I'm the owner or GM, the bottom line is I'm still the one in control when you get right down the brass tacks of it. You can bet your a** on that.
If I've made up my mind that this is the precise time to start my rebuild due to a littany of circumstances being absolutely perfect, I'm taking it. I'm not going to wait another year and have to do it anyway when the circumstances aren't perfect.
Once I've decided that's my plan, Peyton Manning isn't forcing his way out of anything. I've already decided that I'm going to draft Luck #1 overall and trading Peyton Manning.
It's all my decision, not his.