Colts Most Disappointing Player in 2022?
The Indianapolis Colts have raved about Matt Ryan since his arrival from the Atlanta Falcons in a one-sided trade that only cost a third-round draft pick.
But have expectations for the former MVP been set too high already, setting him up as a possible disappointment in 2022?
Bleacher Report (B/R) thinks that could the case. B/R put out a list of players that could disappoint in 2022 that included one player from every team, and Ryan was the nominee for the Colts according to writer Maurice Moton.
"Matt Ryan may be an upgrade over Carson Wentz in terms of leadership, but he's 37 years old and coming off a season in which he recorded a career-low 46.1 QBR," writes Moton.
Moton acknowledges the changes that rapidly occurred to the Falcons' roster that helped contribute to Ryan's struggles in 2021.
"We must note that the Falcons traded Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans last offseason, and fellow wideout Calvin Ridley missed 12 games as he addressed his mental health," continues Moton. "Ryan also took 40 sacks behind a shaky offensive line."
'Shaky' is an understatement as left guard Jaylen Mayfield graded as the worst pass blocker of any offensive lineman with enough snaps to qualify in the entire NFL.
Moton worries that some of the issues that plagued Ryan in Atlanta could follow him to Indianapolis.
"They don't have a surefire starter to pair alongside wideout Michael Pittman Jr. Rookie second-rounder Alec Pierce and oft-injured fourth-year pro Parris Campbell will try to carve out key roles at the position," writes Moton.
"Along the offensive line, the Colts have question marks at left tackle and right guard. They didn't re-sign Eric Fisher, who started in 15 games at the former position last year, and Mark Glowinski signed with the New York Giants, which opens up a job at the latter spot."
Pittman is better than any wide receiver Ryan had last year, and even an average offensive line will be a massive upgrade over what he had in Atlanta the last few seasons.
Couple more weapons in the passing game and a better offensive line with a vastly superior rushing attack, and it's easy to see why there is optimism surrounding Ryan in Indianapolis.
Could he be a disappointment for the Colts?
That will likely be answered by the expectations placed upon him entering the season. If he's expected to be prime Peyton Manning, he's doomed to fail.
If Ryan is expected to lead the team to the playoffs with an accurate, efficient passing game, the odds of Ryan disappointing are slim.
