Falcons Blockbuster QB Ryan Trade to Broncos: Would It Help Atlanta?
The clock is ticking on 36-year-old Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, and pundits across the country are debating how the Falcons eventually replace him.
Draft Wire has Atlanta taking Liberty quarterback Malik Willis with the No. 10 pick in their latest 2022 NFL Mock Draft.
READ MORE: Falcons get QB of Future in Latest 2022 Mock Draft
Bleacher Report has proposed a mega-trade that some observers might find too good to be true for Atlanta. The proposed deal involves the Denver Broncos, a place-holder quarterback and multiple draft picks.
The site suggests the Denver Broncos should offer Atlanta two first-round picks and quarterback Drew Lock for Matt Ryan before the start of this season.
Yes. Like, now.
Lock, a second-round pick in 2019, started 13 games for Denver last season and finished 32nd in passer rating out of a possible 35 quarterbacks who threw enough passes to qualify.
Lock has two years and roughly $3 million left on his rookie contract.
Teddy Bridgewater was just named the starting quarterback in Denver, casting serious doubts on Lock's future.
Lock was acquired by trade before April's NFL Draft from the Carolina Panthers, and he finished 22nd in quarterback rating in 2020.
Lock would be a sweetener for the Falcons, a low-cost option. But would two first-round picks for a 37 year-old Ryan be too much?
Not if Denver feels Ryan is the missing piece to be a Super Bowl contender.
The Broncos have a roster built to win now, with a talented roster that lacks only one thing, a proven quarterback. Denver was linked as a possible destination for Green Bay Packers want-away Aaron Rodgers all summer. Denver is seen as a strong contender for Rodgers next year if the 2020 NFL MVP is on the move.
The starting price for Rodgers involved three first-round picks and at least one front-line starter in trade rumors.
Ryan by comparison would be a bargain.
One of the hurdles involved in moving Ryan is his massive salary and cap hit: He counts $27 million against Atlanta's cap this season. His dead cap number is $65 million, meaning his salary cap number would be $65 million if he left the Falcons.
The Broncos are one of the few teams who could take on Ryan's salary. They currently sit $25 million under the salary cap in large part because Lock is still on a rookie contract, and the Panthers are paying all but $4.4 million of Bridgewater's $21 million salary.
Financially, we would argue that the Falcons can't make this deal in 2021, but it would be an intriguing option in 2022 when Ryan's dead cap number could be reduced to $20 million next June.
If the Broncos still feel they are a quarterback away from a Super Bowl, and the price is too high for Rodgers, should Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot field a call from the Broncos?
An extra first-round pick in 2022 and 2023 would go a long way towards the Falcons rebuild.
