Atlanta Falcons Waiting on the Draft and Matt Ryan
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Falcons have opted for a quiet approach this off-season. Waiting for the draft to address their needs and waiting for quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan is entering the last year of his contract and leaving the Falcons little room to negotiate.
Matt Ryan is the cornerstone of the Atlanta Falcons. Without Ryan the Falcons aren’t a playoff team or anything resembling one considering they would be led by thirty-six year old Matt Schaub.
With “no timetable” on how soon Matt Ryan will receive his new deal it isn’t hard to figure out that Ryan is asking for more than the Falcons are willing to give.
That has forced the Falcons to play the waiting game saving money and waiting out Matt Ryan. A strategy that will only get them so far with the draft quickly approaching and more roster needs than one draft can address.
Not only that but with no succession plan in place behind Ryan, the Falcons have given Ryan all the leverage.
Franchise quarterbacks may be overpaid but in a quarterback driven league there is no other choice. While there are exceptions like Nick Foles leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl, more than not the best quarterbacks, not teams, advance in the playoffs.
The Falcons aren’t going to let Ryan hit the open market and he knows it. That paired along with being strapped for cap space the Falcons have played the waiting game this off-season with only minor signings and a majority of the focus going on negotiating with current players and scouting for the upcoming draft.
With holes on their defense the Falcons biggest focus in the draft should be on adding pass rushers and shoring up linebacker.
The Atlanta Falcons are taking the right approach with the cap space they have and the options that are on the open market.
Time however, is running out and the longer the Falcons wait to lock up their franchise quarterback the more questions they will face as they attempt to build their roster to make another Super Bowl run in 2018.