Getty Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons and Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns.
‘Tis the season for mock drafts and trade proposals as we await the start of the new league year and the 2022 NFL Draft, so, bare with us.
Earlier this week it was Calvin Ridley to Cleveland to boost Baker Mayfield‘s options and now it’s Matt Ryan to Cleveland to take Mayfield’s place.
Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic recently wrote a new piece featuring several––educated––hot takes that are catching some heat, including, yes, the Browns trading for Ryan.
“The Falcons have one of the worst cap situations in the league,” Kapadia writes. “They are going to need to build methodically through the draft. Trading Ryan would free up roughly $8 million in cap space for 2022. They could use that money to sign a low-cost bridge option at quarterback if they need to and then explore the draft for a longer-term option.
“The Browns are in a tough spot. They have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and one of the best overall rosters. Given how last season played out, coming back and just handing the keys to Baker Mayfield feels like it would be a mistake.”
Kapadia also suggests that an upgrade at the QB position would elevate the Browns to a “legit contender.”
He tops it off by writing, “Why do I have a feeling I’m going to get crushed by both Browns fans and Falcons fans for this idea?”
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Why the Falcons Would Not Trade Nor Release Matt Ryan
Back in 2018, Ryan signed a $150 million contract extension, which would now make moving on from him a financial mess.
According to Spotrac, if Atlanta decided to release or trade Ryan before the June 1 deadline, they would take a $40.5 million cap hit in dead money for 2022 and would save just $8.1 million (that is not enough to fix their roster in a timely manner). However, if they waited until after June 1, the Falcons would save $23.8 million next season, but $24.9 million and $15.6 million in dead money would still spill into 2022 and 2023.
Trading him also means that the trade partner would have to take on the cap hit.
Not to mention that the Falcons would need someone at least ten times better than Ryan to fill his void, considering he’s far from the reason that the Falcons are in the position they are in right now.
With Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley (likely) out of the picture, along with a lackluster offensive line, the Falcons don’t have the elite talent they need surrounding Ryan in order to become a contender. Thus, that is where their focus should be this offseason and not looking for a new quarterback.
Of course, Ryan isn’t in his prime, but he still performed at a high level at 36-years-old last season with limited target options and a very small window to get rid of the ball before he hit the ground.
Arthur Blank Addresses Ryan’s Future
While it is already highly unlikely that Ryan is going to get traded, Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank made things pretty clear last week that his “Falcon for life” QB isn’t going anywhere this season.
At some point, there will be a sunset for him, but exactly when that is I really can’t tell you, because I really don’t know,” Blank said on February 10, via the team’s official website.
“(Ryan) loves the game. He loves the Falcons. He loves the city, and he wants to stay here,” Blank added. “That’s a decision the coach and general manager will make. But we have no reason to think he won’t continue to be playing quarterback for us.”
Blank also pointed out that even under another new system Ryan had “another typical Matt Ryan year as he finished the year with 3,968 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a completion percentage of 67.
Yes, the sun will set on Ryan sooner rather than later, but not as soon as the 2022 season.
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