Four years after being traded to the Colts and three years after retiring as a player, Matt Ryan is back with the Falcons. And he is responsible for the whole team.
Via Patrick Finley of Chicago Sun-TimesRyan will be the main decision maker in the Falcons organization.
Finley’s report focuses on the idea that the Bears won’t get two third-round compensatory picks if assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, as a minority candidate, is hired to be Atlanta’s next general manager. But there is a more important practical consequence to Ryan’s reported role.
Regarding any executive from another team who remains under contract, that team can block a move to Atlanta’s GM position, since it’s not really a GM position.
If the report is accurate, Ryan’s power over football operations could become an obstacle to the Falcons’ efforts to hire a general manager. And that could direct the search to someone who is not currently employed by an NFL team.
