Matt Ryan had a wonderful rookie campaign, maybe better than any in the History of the NFL.
How good was he? After being drafted by the team with maybe the most disgraced NFL off-season in the history of the league, the Atlanta Falcons, what he did was nothing short of amazing.
Stats-
16 TD 11 INT 3,440 YDS 87.7 RTG 1 FUM (Lost) 61.1 Completion PCT 11-5 Record
Other pre-eminent QB Rookie Campaigns
Manning- 26 TD 28 INT 3,739 YDS 71.2 RTG 1 FUM (Lost) 56.7 Completion PCT 3-13 Record
Marino- 20 TD 6 INT 2,210 YDS 96 RTG 3 FUM (Lost) 58.4 Comp PCT 7-2 Record
Brady- 18 TD 12 INT 2,843 YDS 86.5 RTG 3 FUM (Lost) 63.9 Comp PCT 11-5 Record
Bradshaw- 6 TD 24 INT 1,410 YDS 30.4 RTG 38.1 Comp PCT 3-5 Record
All of the people on that list are either in the hall of fame, or are going to in the hall of fame at the end of their respective careers. It’s safe to say that Ryan is in some premiere company and if his career can span as long as those on that list, I think he’ll do alright for himself.
But getting back to Michael Vick and why he is so important to not only Ryan, but most of the First round of the 2008 draft which is turning out to be a pretty good one. Rookies dominated most of the season and it seemed like every week there was a new rookie stand out that people were claiming off the fantasy waiver wire. Personally Matty Ice went behind Favre, Quinn, Schaub, Campbell (by yours truly), Rivers, Rodgers, Delhomme, Bulger, Kitna, and Vince Young in our 3rd year keeper Fantasy league. Now other than Rivers and Rodgers who had great 2008’s, you wouldn’t want any other QB on your team this year and for the future than Ryan. He came into the draft and delivered on a huge level for an embarrassing franchise.
But let’s play the what-if scenario for the top ten picks of 2008.
Let’s disregard picks number one and two because Ryan was picked at 3, and you’d have to assume both Long’s would have gone one and two.
Let’s assume the Michael Vick dog scandal hadn’t happened and coming off a huge statistical 2007 year, the Atlanta falcons who had signed Michael Turner in the off-season would have passed on McFadden.
Going by the Draft the next logical pick would’ve been Glenn Dorsey at Number 3.
The Raiders, who had drafted J-Mar Russel the year before, pass on Ryan and take McFadden anyway (499 yards and 4 TD’s)
The Kansas City Chiefs, laying the future on Brody Croyle, pass on Ryan and with Dorsey off the board go with Vernon Gholston.
The New York Jets, who had recently signed the ever-aging Brett Favre in the off-season, pass on Ryan and draft, DE Derrick Harvey
The Saints, who already have a franchise QB (my boy) Drew Brees, pass on Ryan and go with Vernon Gholston
The Jaguars, tied up with David Garrard (releasing Leftwich the year before), pass on Ryan and go with Sedrick Ellis.
Cincinatti pinning their high powered offense on the Van Olhoffened knee of Carson Palmer, passon Ryan and go with Keith Rivers.
New England with the Golden Boy who never gets hurt and backup who hasn’t started a game since 1999 (high school mind you), stay with Jerod Mayo who still goes on to win the Defensive ROY award because he’s a savage, pass on Ryan.
Looking down the board the next picks are Buffalo and Denver, both with quarterbacks who they have invested in for their future.
The next logical pick would be Carolina, with an aging, fading Jake “the snake” Delhomme the Panthers select Ryan instead of Jonathan Stewart and Deangelo Williams has a mediocre year and doesn’t lead the Kurt Warner All Stars to their first championship season in the Hulke Fantasy Football League.
Matt Ryan’s number 3 contract- 6 years, 72 million dollars
Jonathan Stewarts number 13 contract- 5 years, 14 million dollars
Matt Ryan gained 1 year, and an average of almost 10 million dollars a year because Michael Vick had an underground dog-fighting ring for which he is serving jail time.
For goddsake Matt Ryan I don’t know how you sleep at night...
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