Matt Ryan traded to Colts as Falcons embark on rebuild

The Atlanta Falcons have traded quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round pick. This is officially the end of the Ryan era in Atlanta and he will leave them as a legend. While he never won a ring, the Falcons had the crushing 28-3 Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in a season where Ryan was named MVP.

Ryan leaves the Falcons in a bit of disarray. Atlanta was 7-10 last season and a lot of that was due to Ryan. He wasn’t great but he is good enough to mask a lot of flaws. Now, the Falcons enter a full rebuild where they will shift their focus to the future.

Ryan joins a good Indianapolis team that will have its fifth starting QB in as many years. The Colts were 9-8 last year with Carson Wentz, and despite Ryan’s age, he is better than Wentz. Ryan is now 36 and last season he had nearly 4,000 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. While those stats don’t jump off the table, he did not have a lot of talent around him. He can still make the Colts better.

Ryan will join a Colts team that is ready to compete. They have a strong defense, a great offensive line and some good weapons for Ryan to throw to. Not to mention, they have Jonathan Taylor – the best running back in the NFL.

Indianapolis also plays in a weak division with an aging Titans team, a tanking Texans team and a Jaguars team that went 3-14 last year. It will not take too much improvement on last season to win the division.

Ultimately, the Colts had to make a move after dealing Wentz. This team is too good to take a risk on the NFL Draft, so it makes sense to trade for a proven quarterback. While Ryan may not be flashy, he won’t have to be. The Colts have their QB, and although they may not truly be an elite team, they will be in the mix come the playoffs next year.

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