Falcons sign Ryan to $72M contract

[The Rick]

Falcons sign Ryan to $72M contract

By Peter King, SI.com

In a stunning contract sure to have ramifications up and down the first round of the NFL draft, the Atlanta Falcons have signed QB Matt Ryan, the third pick in April's draft, to a six-year, $72 million contract with a hefty $34.75 million bonus.

The Falcons obviously wanted to get Ryan in camp without a holdout. The franchise is eager to lift black cloud that has hung over the franchise since Michael Vick was jailed in a shocking dogfighting case and coach Bobby Petrino jilted the team with three games left in the season, leaving for Arkansas.

Ryan is expected to compete for the starting job with Falcon roster holdovers Joey Harrington and Chris Redman. Obviously, it's only a matter of time before he wins the job as Atlanta's quarterback of the future.

NFL teams had been trying to hold down rookie salaries this year, and Miami's signing of No. 1 pick Jake Long to a reported five-year, $57.75 million contract with $30 million guaranteed was a step in the right direction because it contained approximately the same guaranteed money as last year's top pick, JaMarcus Russell, received from the Oakland Raiders. But $34 million guaranteed for the third pick will surely draw the ire of other teams and general managers trying to hold the line.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...act/index.html

[beach tribe]

I have to go on record, and say that I think Atlanta has made a huge mistake.

Trying to recover from this Mike Vick crap has really caused this organization to make some bad moves. Passing on Dorsey, for what I predict will be a huge bust in Ryan, and then paying him Manning money. Unbelievable.

I think this will set them back for many years.....**** em. Thanks for Dorsey dumbasses.

[SBK]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I have to go on record, and say that I think Atlanta has made a huge mistake.

Trying to recover from this Mike Vick crap has really caused this organization to make some bad moves. Passing on Dorsey, for what I predict will be a huge bust in Ryan, and then paying him Manning money. Unbelievable.

I think this will set them back for many years.....**** em. Thanks for Dorsey dumbasses.

I was at Wal-Mart the other day here in Atlanta and they are already selling Matt Ryan Falcons shirts there. I know what you're thinking, no big deal......

These shirts have a sweaty Matt Ryan with his black eye stripes holding his shoulder pads, similar to what you'd see during a game from the sidelines---in his Falcons uniform. Poor guy is already being touted as the face of the franchise and he's not even taken a training camp snap.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I have to go on record, and say that I think Atlanta has made a huge mistake.

Trying to recover from this Mike Vick crap has really caused this organization to make some bad moves. Passing on Dorsey, for what I predict will be a huge bust in Ryan, and then paying him Manning money. Unbelievable.

I think this will set them back for many years.....**** em. Thanks for Dorsey dumbasses.

The Dorsey pick looks better and better as time passes...

[chiefs1111]

I was listening to espn or maybe it was the nfl network the other day and they said that i first salary cap in 93 was 34 million dollars, which is the amount of Ryan's bonus today..... Just blows my mind

[blueballs]

Sims can by Krispie Kreams for decades
Ryan can by Kripie KReam franchies for decades

[HMc]

A rookie cap would be about as pointless as the current one.

They need a rookie pay scale, ala the nba.

It's about the only thing the NBA does right

[Coach]

Originally Posted by HMc

A rookie cap would be about as pointless as the current one.

They need a rookie pay scale, ala the nba.

It's about the only thing the NBA does right

I agree as well.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by chiefs1111

I was listening to espn or maybe it was the nfl network the other day and they said that i first salary cap in 93 was 34 million dollars, which is the amount of Ryan's bonus today..... Just blows my mind

That should tell you how much more money the league makes today and how much more it is worth in general.

Also they'll never have a scale that even comes close to looking like the NBA scale. The most a rookie in the NBA can make is 3 mill, considering how much more important the draft is to the NFL than any other sport I don't see it looking anything like that.

[HMc]

Originally Posted by Mecca

That should tell you how much more money the league makes today and how much more it is worth in general.

Also they'll never have a scale that even comes close to looking like the NBA scale. The most a rookie in the NBA can make is 3 mill, considering how much more important the draft is to the NFL than any other sport I don't see it looking anything like that.

Generally i like your takes but no one has suggested the scale would be using the same numbers as the NBA, and you're being reeruned ust bringing it up.

[chiefs1111]

Originally Posted by Mecca

That should tell you how much more money the league makes today and how much more it is worth in general.

Also they'll never have a scale that even comes close to looking like the NBA scale. The most a rookie in the NBA can make is 3 mill, considering how much more important the draft is to the NFL than any other sport I don't see it looking anything like that.

What do you think the scale would be if they got a rookie cap?????

[Mecca]

See that's where it becomes an issue, players are going to want shorter contracts to agree to having less money be in it for rookies.

You'll then end up in a spot where guys drafted after the first 2 rounds may only be on 1 or 2 year deals.

[HMc]

Originally Posted by Mecca

See that's where it becomes an issue, players are going to want shorter contracts to agree to having less money be in it for rookies.

You'll then end up in a spot where guys drafted after the first 2 rounds may only be on 1 or 2 year deals.

So what? It's not like the NFL has to compete for talent, players arent going to run for the CFL becuase they're only getting 2 year deals in the NFL.

Normal people don't have job security that lasts more than 2 years.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by HMc

So what? It's not like the NFL has to compete for talent, players arent going to run for the CFL becuase they're only getting 2 year deals in the NFL.

Normal people don't have job security that lasts more than 2 years.

It would actually penalize a team that drafts really well later in the draft, they wouldn't have good players tied up to small money for any period of time.

Also it would kill team depth, a player that was drafted to start in a year or 2 could bolt on you.

[HMc]

Originally Posted by Mecca

It would actually penalize a team that drafts really well later in the draft, they wouldn't have good players tied up to small money for any period of time.

Also it would kill team depth, a player that was drafted to start in a year or 2 could bolt on you.

So you make rookie contracts 4 year minimums? Like I said, th players only have market power IF YOU GIVE IT TO THEM.

You're acting like this isn't feasible, which is silly, and you think you probably know that.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by HMc

So you make rookie contracts 4 year minimums? Like I said, th players only have market power IF YOU GIVE IT TO THEM.

You're acting like this isn't feasible, which is silly, and you think you probably know that.

I'm just saying you'll have to give up something to get something, in order to lower rookie pay you'll almost certainly have to give up the amount of years those players can be signed to.