Falcons draft QB Ryan
Top pick says 'I'm just pumped to be a Falcon' as team passes on Dorsey

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/26/08

New York — The suspense – and the Michael Vick era – are over. With their first pick in the NFL draft, No. 3 overall, the Falcons selected Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.

Ryan, chosen even though LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was available, was taken to be the long-term answer at quarterback, a role Vick was paid millions for until a dogfighting conviction last summer landed him in prison for 23 months and out of football. Though team owner Arthur Blank has left the door open for Vick's return, with Ryan now in the mix, if Vick is welcomed back, it probably won't be to play quarterback.

As for Ryan, Atlanta gets the top-rated player at the position and one many peg to be the type of cog the Falcons could build upon and around. There also have been opinions that he might not be that much better than some of the other quarterbacks, Brian Brohm (Louisville), Joe Flacco (Delaware) and Chad Henne (Michigan) but Ryan's body of work (56 touchdowns on 807 of 1,347 attempts, 19 INTs) and his off-field character were too impressive for new general manager Thomas Dimitroff, coach Mike Smith and team owner Arthur Blank to bypass.

"I'm just pumped to be a Falcon," Ryan said immediately after being selected.

"Winning games, that's the first thing we've got to do," Ryan said when asked what he thought about being selected by Atlanta.

Having chosen Ryan so high, there will be the typical pressure to get him on the field as soon as possible, something coach Mike Smith said is viable, regardless of the position of a draft pick.

Chris Redman is listed as the starter now, but he could be pushed by Ryan immediately. The Falcons have 10 more picks to address needs on the offensive and defensive lines, areas of need – especially now on offense with Ryan in the fold.

What’s behind the Ryan pick?

By D. Orlando Ledbetter | Saturday, April 26, 2008, 03:26 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Flowery Branch — All coach Mike Smith talks about is building “up the middle.”

GM Thomas Dimitroff said he’s a “Quarterback snob” and noted that the Patriots drafted Tom Brady in the sixth round.

Why didn’t they take the best player (at least on Mel Kiper’s board) in LSU’s Glenn Dorsey. Who’s behind this move?

There will be plenty of speculation that Arthur Blank made the call on this one for business reasons (we’re hearing that a lot of season tickets holders haven’t renewed). The rationale goes that fans will part with their cash with a new quarterback.

Ryan was good at Boston College, but this Peyton Manning talk doesn’t seem justified. At least, he’s a cool guy. We met him at combine and Steve Wyche chatted with him today.

Boy, Dorsey could have anchored that D-Line for years to come. Now the Falcons get to turn the page on the Michael Vick era.

They better get Ryan an offensive line.

At 3:18 the pick was made amidst boos in New York.

Falcons take QB Ryan with 3rd pick

PA SportsTicker
Published: Saturday, April 26, 2008



The Atlanta Falcons did not pass up on a new franchise quarterback, selecting Matt Ryan with the third overall selection in Saturday's NFL draft.

Following an outstanding career at Boston College, Ryan will be counted on to replace the disgraced Michael Vick with the Falcons, who are reeling from a nightmarish season in which they finished 4-12.

Ryan does fill a huge need for Atlanta and he does project to be a starter in the NFL - but there certainly is doubt whether he is franchise-material stock.

The 6-5, 230-pound Ryan threw for 4,507 yards with 31 touchdowns last season in leading the Eagles to an 11-3 record, but he also had 19 interceptions.

Selecting Ryan instead of defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey - widely considered the top overall talent in the draft - is a clear public-relations move by the Falcons.

Ironically, the Falcons are in this dilemma only because Vick, their former franchise QB, was suspended indefinitely by the NFL and currently is serving a 23-month jail term for his role on federal dogfighting charges - an incident that triggered a downward spiral for Atlanta in 2007.

First-year head coach Bobby Petrino bolted the team after just 13 games to return to the college ranks last December.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank later was spurned by Bill Parcells, who agreed to take over as the team's director of operations - only to change his mind less than 24 hours later and join the Dolphins in a similar capacity.

Ryan is new face of Falcons

Former B.C. quarterback faces tough task in replacing Michael Vick

By Dan Parr
April 26, 2008

The Falcons have their successor to Michael Vick.

No pressure, Matt Ryan.

After a year in the doldrums, Atlanta used its third overall pick to select Ryan, the former Boston College quarterback, in the hopes that the fresh-faced Exton, Pa., native could breath new life into their scarred franchise.

In the lead-up to Saturday, the Falcons seriously considered taking LSU DT Glenn Dorsey, and GM Thomas Dimitroff publicly sought trade offers for the third overall pick, but in what has been billed as a “one-quarterback” draft, the team decided Ryan was too good, perhaps too rare of a talent, to pass up.

Ryan doesn't instantly change the Falcons' fortunes, in terms of wins and losses, but his steady, optimistic demeanor is exactly what owner Arthur Blank needed to help push away the dark cloud that has loomed over his club since Vick's involvement in a dogfighting ring went public.

Dimitroff can use the rest of the draft to build around the new centerpiece of the team. He'll need to find some blockers, particularly an offensive tackle, to provide the protection Ryan so badly will need as he works his way into the pro game. One of the major concerns about Ryan is his tendency to turn the ball over — he threw 19 interceptions during his senior season. If defenders are constantly pressuring him, he could panic and end up making poor throws that result in picks.

The Falcons have two veteran quarterbacks on the roster in Chris Redman and Joey Harrington, so there won't be a need to rush Ryan onto the field. There's a very good chance Redman will open the season as the starter, but Ryan will eventually take over, and the transition could come sooner rather than later.

Falcons Will Rebuild Around Ryan

By JUDY BATTISTA
Published: April 27, 2008

The Atlanta Falcons, who a year ago at this time couldn’t have envisioned the nightmare about to befall them, will rebuild their franchise around quarterback Matt Ryan. The Falcons selected Ryan, from Boston College, with the third pick in the draft and his arrival virtually assures that Michael Vick, the quarterback whose plummet from grace dragged the franchise down with him, will never return to Atlanta. Only a few weeks ago, the Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank would not flatly rule out a return for Vick, who is serving time in a federal prison for his role in a dog fighting operation.

Ryan followed offensive tackle Jake Long, the first overall pick by the Miami Dolphins, and defense end Chris Long, the second overall pick by St. Louis, to the podium at Radio City Music Hall during the early moments of the N.F.L. draft.

Ryan was one of the safest picks in the draft, lauded for his leadership skills and already possessing a polished public presence. Those skills, as much as his ability to spark an offense, are especially needed in Atlanta, which has a rookie general manager and head coach after enduring a 3-13 season. The Falcons were also believed to be interested in defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who went to Kansas City later in the round, but for a team that needed a new public image as much as it did a franchise quarterback, Ryan was too much to pass up. He is considered the only quarterback in the draft who is ready to start immediately.

At a luncheon for the top few picks on Thursday, Ryan guessed that he might be the Falcons’s pick and was asked if there would be extra pressure attached to the pick.

“I guess maybe so in terms of the public perspective,” he said.

After Ryan was chosen, the Raiders took running back Darren McFadden with the fourth overall pick. McFadden, considered by many to be the best player in the draft, had been one of the players the Jets were interested in, but his significant off-the-field baggage makes him a high-risk pick, something the Raiders seem to specialize in. After Dorsey went to the Chiefs, the Jets took pass rushing defensive end/linebacker Vernon Gholston from Ohio State. Gholston was a workout phenom at the Scouting Combine, and he is projected to be an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense the Jets run. Jets fans, used to disastrous draft days, erupted in cheers when Gholston was selected.