Russell Wilson Blockbuster: Can Falcons Cash In with Matt Ryan Trade?

An earthquake took place in the NFL Tuesday when Russell Wilson was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos for three players and five draft picks, including the No. 9 selection in next month's draft.

Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan

Russell Wilson vs. Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan vs. Buffalo Bills

The earthquake sent seismic waves across the league, affecting both conferences and forcing other QB-needy teams consider acting quickly.

Every earthquake also has aftershocks, meaning the drama surrounding the quarterback carousel isn't done yet, and the Atlanta Falcons might want to get involved.

With Wilson in Denver and Aaron Rodgers staying in Green Bay, the amount of capable contending quarterbacks is running low. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is the only player expected to be dealt who figures to help a contender ... unless you count what's going on in Houston.

The jury's still out - pun intended - on Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson as he awaits his fate in his ongoing legal troubles. But still, that's only two quarterbacks with more than two teams looking to add a quarterback to vault them back into contention.

Teams that come to mind that fit the bill are the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders. It's less likely for a player to be traded within the division, so don't expect a Ryan trade to the Panthers or Buccaneers, but the Colts, Steelers and Commanders all make sense for Ryan's next destination. All three of those teams are in the middle of the pack in the NFL and a quarterback away from possibly taking the next step.

Jimmy Garoppolo

Deshaun Watson

If any of those teams strike out on Watson or Garoppolo, and at least one will, it should be in their best interest to at least give general manager Terry Fontenot a call to name a price for Ryan, and it's in the Falcons' best interest to listen and truly consider it.