SI.com columnist Don Banks believes the idea of the Atlanta Falcons easing third overall pick Matt Ryan into their starting quarterback role has become a “long shot.” Bank fully believes that the Falcons are grooming Ryan as their Week 1 starter.
The rebuilding Falcons could still opt to play it safe with the No. 3 overall pick and go with veteran Chris Redman as their starter for the first few weeks of the season, but I think that’s becoming more of a long shot by the day. The key factor will be Atlanta’s offensive line as Week 1 looms. If the Falcons feel they can properly protect Ryan, I get the sense they’ll be hard-pressed to find a reason to keep him off the field.
Standing alongside new Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff during a morning practice, I heard him detail just how many things he already likes about Ryan’s still-formulating NFL game. Namely, how the ex-Boston College star already has a good sense for where to go with the football on most plays, and how his command of both Atlanta’s offense and the Falcons huddle has grown by leaps and bounds since the team’s offseason mini-camp.
A bad team rushing a rookie quarterback onto the field often spells disaster. There are just too many past examples of what could go wrong.
But Ryan might be the exception to the rule.
As I wrote following his impressive preseason debut last week in Jacksonville, Ryan was arguably the most NFL-ready quarterback in last April’s draft. He’s not going to wow anybody by his physical tools, but what make him stand above the rest are his head and his command of a huddle. The Falcons are incredibly young after turning over half their roster in the offseason. Why not allow Ryan to grow with the team on the field as opposed to have him hold a clipboard on the sidelines? As Banks noted in his article, maybe both Ryan and the Falcons will grow together.
He’s going to take his bumps and bruises and there’s always a risk of ruining a quarterback too early in his development. But considering his college resume and the short time he’s been in the NFL, it looks like this kid has a good grasp of what’s ahead of him and quite frankly, can take what’s about to be dished out.
