Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Falcons have traded Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round pick.
The Matt Ryan era of Atlanta Falcons football is over, as the former franchise cornerstone was traded to the Indianapolis Colts hours before he was due a $7.5 million roster bonus on Monday afternoon.
Ryan goes to a Colts team that was in dire need of stability at the quarterback position. Upon arrival, Indianapolis will contend for the AFC South crown and should make noise come playoff time. He has a chance to go out a winner at this stage of his hall-of-fame career. As for the Dirty Birds, they have hit the reset button and will be undergoing a most painful rebuilding process.
For the first time since 2008, the Falcons are in the market for a new starting quarterback.
Matt Ryan trade: 5 replacements for the Atlanta Falcons
5
Baker Mayfield
QB Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield is in need of a new home after the Deshaun Watson trade
The Deshaun Watson trade debacle was the Falcons’ undoing here. It completely alienated Ryan from the organization, leaving it little choice but to move on from him for pennies on the dollar, while eating an ungodly amount of $40 million in dead cap. Now that the dust has settled, the Cleveland Browns must trade their former starter Baker Mayfield after giving up the farm for Watson.
Mayfield will be playing on a one-year contract and will be looking to prove himself wherever he goes. Teams like the Carolina Panthers, the Seattle Seahawks and the Falcons are unsettled at quarterback. Dirty Bird Nation may not love replacing Ryan with Mayfield, but this would be a one-year thing with the potential to go year-to-year afterwards. Atlanta is a college football town, too.
Mayfield would benefit playing in the south and in an offense where he can spread the ball around.