be the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. They just
worked out and extension, not an extension, but
a restructuring to knock down his cap number and it would have
made the cap consequences of trading him ridiculously worse
than
they were. Everything's fine. Then all of a sudden,
the Falcons are in on DeShaun Watson and we assume well,
okay, they'll get to Sean Watson or they'll keep Matt
Ryan, they end up with neither, Matt Ryan. Now, a member of
the Indianapolis Colts and he was introduced today,
and he becomes The latest long time quarterback
with one team to move to another team. And he talked
today among other things about the fact that he is
just like Matthew Stafford last year. Tom Brady, two years
earlier. The, the difference for now is
they want a Super Bowl
in their first years with their new teams. Here's Matt Ryan
on following Stafford and Brady.
Yeah, it looks pretty good. You know, the road map looks really
good. What Matthew Stafford did in La last year,
you know, making that transition playing so well,
and what Tom did? You know? I saw that firsthand in division
the year before?
Hopefully, you know, we bottle up some of that momentum and we
can make a push here.
I really believe we can't, I think this rosters built
really well, their sound across the board
built with, you know, really High character football players
guys, who work hard.
I mean,
it's amazing to me in sending a bunch of tax and talking to
some guys yesterday. Just back and forth. How much they care
about winning,
you know, in every one of their first text messages. It was
about winning.
That's Unique, you know, it really is and that fires me up
so
I hope we can, you know, like I said ride that Trend that's
been going on and
make it work for us.
You know, I'm a very important observation to make in this is
critically relevant to what's happening in the NFL right now.
Matt Ryan in a suit at this point in his life. Looks like
every TV and movie dad from the 50s.
Every one of them
in one.
He's Ward Cleaver. He's Jimmy Stewart. He's
Dean Jones from all those Disney movies, Shireen. We're
the same age. Remember Dean Jones from all those Disney
movies at Right. Or am I right?
Yeah, and I knew where you were going. I just wasn't sure. What
I knew you were going to talk about the suit. I just didn't
know who you were going to compare him to but those are
pretty good comparisons. But yeah, I mean you always see
guys in suits. The one time you see him in suits is when they
change teams same with coaches,
when they,
after draft day, or when they change quarterbacks or some big
press conference and then you never see him in a suit. Again.
I'm surprised. Matt, Ryan, didn't say, we got to wrap this
up. I'm due back at the building and Loan. Good. Good
Lord. I mean it really is amazing. It really is amazing
and
he's now in Indy and look it if he had gone to another NFC team
that
you know, needed a high-end quarterback, that otherwise had
a great roster around him. It would be different. He's in
the AFC. It's a meat grinder in the AFC. We were talking about this
earlier today.
There are 13 contenders everybody except the Jaguars Texans
and jets in my estimation are contenders in the AFC.
At least 13 and only seven of them are getting in.
Six of them, are going to get thrown overboard. I think that
there could be a team that doesn't make it to the playoffs
in the AFC that could win the NFC. That's how good the AFC is
right now,
and it, there's no guarantee the culture going to get to
the playoffs with
Matt Ryan. Now, you see the odds of change, winning the division
little bit better, plus 150 out, of plus, 110
winning, the AFC Championship.
Look, it's still a long shot.
Not winning the Super Bowl, long shot, Matt Ryan, cut his
odds in half to win the MVP. He was the 2016 MVP. I think that
this is perfect for the Colts who have been bouncing from
quarterback, the quarterback. Since Andrew Luck unexpectedly.
Retired in August to 2019. They go to COBRA said Philip Rivers,
Carson Wentz, and
now boom, they have Matt Ryan. I think he's the best of
the bunch. He's still got plenty left and I think he's going to
be good
and I think they're going to be good
with Jonathan Taylor without offensive line
with the defense they have.
Darius, Leonard their star linebackers already
jostling for Julio Jones to join the Colts. Wouldn't that
be something if Julio Jones ends up? Reunite of them at
Ryan there and they could use him,
the Colts became a much more interesting team. We knew that
they were
glaringly lost at quarterback, but the otherwise had a good
team
and we thought they were going to end up with Jimmy G, or
Baker, Mayfield. Whatever is Matt Ryan thing happens. They
can thank DeShaun Watson.
Because what happened Shireen as Chris Simms has heard it,
and I've heard nothing to contradict this.
The Falcons were not in on DeShaun Watson, Watson wanted
the Falcons to come to the table and when they did at some
point after that started, that's when the thing with Matt
Ryan fell apart. Otherwise, this never would have happened.
So
DeShaun Watson, the Colts Colts fan should be very grateful
that that he did what he did by trying to get the Falcons to
sign him to trade for him
because otherwise, Matt Ryan would still be a falcon.
Yeah, and Matt Ryan had his choice. He said that he could
have gone back to Atlanta or he could have accepted the trade
to Indianapolis and he chose to go to the Colts. And I think
it's a good move for him and a good move, probably for
the Falcons. Now, they can start rebuilding for the
future because they weren't going to go anywhere with or
without Matt Ryan. The last time that Matt Ryan and
the Falcons have had a winning record was in 2017. Think about
that. That was a long time ago, Mike,
but, you know, I was thinking about this earlier today and
you pointed out The Texans and the Jaguars are two of
the teams that of the three teams that you don't think have
a chance in the
AFC. I completely agree with you.
But those two teams are in the same division that Matt Ryan.
Now plays in the Colts had the most pro bowlers of any team in
the NFL last season. The one thing they were missing
is the quarterback who didn't turn the ball over on his own
goal line, which, as we know, Carson Wentz did many times
last year. So
compare the Titans, and the Colts, they both have
The one and two, best running backs in the NFL. I would say,
Derek Henry's better had to injury-plagued season last
year, but certainly Jonathan Taylor is closed. So you got
the running game.
I don't necessarily like the Colts receivers when we start
talking about Paris Campbell and Ashton Doolin and and
Michael Pittman. I don't know that they're there. The
the Titans obviously have
the edge there. But when I compare these two teams,
I think Matt Ryan's probably in
this is an Aggie on Aggie crime. You're but he's better
than Ryan Tannehill.
So if I'm going to pick a team right now to win that division,
it's going to be the Colts. And there may only be one team out
of that division that makes the playoffs Mike. And we're going
to be talking about just as you said, the Colts are the Titans
as boy. If they had just been in
the NFC, they would have made the postseason and could have
made a run. They're going to be that good. There's going to be
a team like that that's left out of the postseason.
Well, especially when we look at the teams in the AFC West
top to bottom all four teams will be contenders AFC North
Earth. I'm not writing off the Steelers because they have
Mitchell. True. Biscay.
You've got the Brows with the Sean Watson, who knows, how
many games he's going to ultimately Miss. But you've got
the Bangles in jail bharo. They're doing what they have to
do to address their weaknesses.
The Ravens,
you know, the they go from perennial Powerhouse to a team.
That's going to be hard pressed to just hang on in that
Division.
And in that conference.
I, I've said this time. And again, in the past couple of
weeks and it keeps getting stronger and stronger. This
this
flow. Of great talent veteran Talent from the NFC to the AFC.
I've never seen anything like it. I've never seen this kind
of imbalance, and this is not a great time to be in the AFC and
I know that the players individual is say, well, we're
competitors
and you know, iron sharpens iron and all that stuff at some
point. You'd like a break at some point. You don't want
every game to feel like a playoff game. I mean, think
about some of these regular season matchups this year, how
significant they will be
all of the AFC North games. All of the AFC West.
Best games, most of the AFC East games,
those Cults, Titans games, now become epic and hey, and he's
got to go back to Jacksonville. Again. They've lost their each
of the last two years, even though Jacksonville. Otherwise
stunk. So that game is significant so many great games
and that's just that's just
before they start playing the teams from the other
conference. It's going to be a potentially great season. Now,
injuries will ultimately affect some of these teams but going
in so far what we've seen before, we even get to
the draft.
This could be a very, very exciting season. It could be
very frustrating. I said this earlier today to Shireen
people's fortunes and faiths are going to be determined not
by anything. They do seasons are going to come down to bad
calls, bad bounces, bad weather, something
out of your control. That's how narrow the margin is going to
be, and that's going to drive people. Crazy, all the work,
all the effort, all the time, all the everything. It's going
to ultimately come down.
Something that they can't control.
Absolutely Mike. And
when you look at the Colts history at the quarterback position,
I don't know if they really appreciate it at the time.
Maybe they did but just how lucky they were to get Peyton
Manning who from 1998 to 2010 started 227 consecutive games
and then they almost went directly to Andrew Luck. There.
Was that one year in there, which is why you need to tank.
If there's a top quarterback available to get that. Number
one, her for a while. Stephen Ross.
Careful, Stephen Ross,
careful. Steve. I know
they ended up with Andrew luck. He started 57 consecutive games
from 2012 to 2015 and then when luck retired before that 2019
season Mike,
you just see what they've gone through and it just hasn't been
good. Philip Rivers was the best of that bunch and he was
a bridge quarterback. And, you know, Matt Ryan turns 37 in
May. So they're going to be addressing this position again.
Soon whether it's
in the draft this year, maybe drop the guy.
Lower and third fourth round and try to hope that he turns
into a Dak Prescott or a Russell Wilson or somebody like
that. But at some point whether it's this year or beyond,
the next couple of years, they're going to have to address this
position again,
and they're going to make another move at quarterback,
but for now Colts fan should be excited by what they have
because they are going to contend. And they are going to
compete especially in that Division.
And I think they're good enough. When you look at all
the pro bowlers. They had last year, all the I bring back
still some work to do, they're good enough to compete in
the AFC and they're not going to have to go through the wringer.
They are going to get
those breaks in their division
when they play the Jaguars twice when they play the Texans
twice, they're going to get a few breaks in there that
perhaps those teams in the AFC West don't don't realize.
This is part of the reality of having a team. That's otherwise
good. You never bought them out. You never get to the point
where you can go, get the great quarterback in the draft. So
you take advantage of the opportunities to find whoever's
out there and we have seen in recent years and unprecedented
number of Veteran quarterbacks who become available for
whatever reason.
So you get Philip Rivers on the back end of his career because
they have Justin Herbert you or at least we're planning to get
Justin Herbert and he was done
with the Chargers.
You, you get a In advance because he falls out of favor
with the Eagles and they want to move on. Now you get Matt
Ryan
because it finally ends for him
and Atlanta. And this could be the answer and it may just be
a stopgap, stopgap stopgap until they finally see their
team disintegrate to the point where they start over again.
The problem is,
for the powers that be
in Indianapolis.
I think if they ever fall apart to the point where they could
go get a great young quarterback, Jim. Irsay is
going to fire everybody.
So so that the the
The challenge for Chris Ballard and Frank Reich
is get that veteran and win with that veteran
and hold on to that veteran as long as they can.
Because you know, unless there's a guy they really like
that slips through the cracks with a trade up. They're not
going to be able to plug in that Young quarterback. And
the rest of the team is too good to justify taking
a step back with a rookie. So
it worked this year and we'll see how long they keep Matt Ryan
and then they'll be looking again
and maybe they'll get lucky and some
Fall into the laps again, but it's a strange time for the Colts,
but they have to feel good about where they are at least
for the next couple of years.
Yeah, and they are there, they're in good shape and they
are building for the. Now, they're
as the Rams did last year, maybe not quite to that extent,
but they are kind of going all in with this move at
quarterback to trade Carson, Wentz to say. All right, he
wasn't good enough.
Let's try our hand because we think we have a really good
team, a team capable of winning. A Super Bowl were
a quarterback away. Let's go find a guy who we feel good about
who can lead us to where we want to go. And they feel good
about Matt Ryan and he's been there.
He's been at League MVP. It's long time ago. He started in
a Super Bowls long time ago, but he's done it and we know his
character. We know what a great leader.
He is all those things.
So I think this is a really good mood for the Colts. I like
this much better than that. They had gone and gotten
the younger Baker Mayfield just because I feel like Matt Ryan's
more accomplished. He's done it. He can get them
where they want to go, because he's proved that. He's done it
in the past, Mike,
and if all else fails, he Can star in the reboot
of some of the Dean Jones
Disney films, I'm pulling up here as let's see if any of
these ring, a bell.
Let's see.
I don't remember the million-dollar duck. Herbie
Goes to Monte Carlo. The Shaggy D.A. I remember that he was
Wilby Daniels in the Shaggy D.A. Yeah.
There's all he did that. Dan, that Darn Cat. Not that damn
cat couldn't say damn back in 1965. He was in that Darn Cat.
At lot of movies for Dean Jones. So second career for
Matt Ryan
ready to roll.