The safe pick isn't a good idea - great article

[TheRealDeal]

I'm just saying that the year their best player was hurt down the stretch, they missed the playoffs.

That year also happened to be the worst of their QBs career.

Can YOU draw the conclusion?

[CRA]

I'm just saying that the year their best player was hurt down the stretch, they missed the playoffs.

That year also happened to be the worst of their QBs career.

Can YOU draw the conclusion?

again, they went 9-7 with Turner hurt. Reverse it and you are saying they get to 9-7 with Ryan hurt? I find that a tough sell....

[mav1234]

Falcons still went 9-7 that year.....If Ryan had missed similar time and Turner was healthy they would not have sniffed that.

Ryan missed three games that season (or nearly 3 anyway)

[Icege]

I don't think any pick in the draft is safe, to be honest. There's absolutely no guarantee to how the player is going to respond until they're in the NFL environment.

Michael Turner has played a huge role in the success of the Atlanta Falcons. Having a reliable running game to make things easier on your QB is something that everybody preaches. Ryan had his worst play without Turner in the backfield. The signing of Tony Gonzales as well was also a major factor.

Regardless of who plays how much of a role, I'm hoping the Panthers can do that. The team was missing a lot of things last season, and I've got this nagging feeling that this season we'll be missing DWill and Smitty. On the positive, I think if Smitty is traded then the team is definitely taking AJ Green, which I would have no qualms with :D I'd much rather take Marcell Dareus, but trading down and taking Peterson and a 2nd round pick I would also like.

I wonder if the CBA can be hammered out before the draft. Blargh, I hate the offseason. So many questions, Sunday football so far away.

[Udogg]

Ryan missed three games that season (or nearly 3 anyway)

Living in Atlanta unfortunately I'm subjected to watching their games a lot. Redman actually played pretty well considering. His stats for those games were actually really good(considering he also didn't have Turner playing). He actually has a better arm than Ryan. I know Falcon fans that are reluctant to say it, but watching both of them on the field Redman looks better. However Ryan is getting paid, Ryan is all over the GA dome, and Ryan is the face of that franchise so it's his show. The Falcons go as their running game goes (Turner). It's really no contest imo on who is the most important player on that team on a consistent basis.

[Millions]

I don't think any pick in the draft is safe, to be honest. There's absolutely no guarantee to how the player is going to respond until they're in the NFL environment.

Michael Turner has played a huge role in the success of the Atlanta Falcons. Having a reliable running game to make things easier on your QB is something that everybody preaches. Ryan had his worst play without Turner in the backfield. The signing of Tony Gonzales as well was also a major factor.

Regardless of who plays how much of a role, I'm hoping the Panthers can do that. The team was missing a lot of things last season, and I've got this nagging feeling that this season we'll be missing DWill and Smitty. On the positive, I think if Smitty is traded then the team is definitely taking AJ Green, which I would have no qualms with :D I'd much rather take Marcell Dareus, but trading down and taking Peterson and a 2nd round pick I would also like.

I wonder if the CBA can be hammered out before the draft. Blargh, I hate the offseason. So many questions, Sunday football so far away.

True

[mav1234]

Boiling down a single draft choice into the difference between those two teams is ridiculous.

As much as we may hate to admit it, the Falcons did much more to rebuild their franchise than just hit on a young QB.

[TheRealDeal]

That's all my original point was

[CRA]

Ryan missed three games that season (or nearly 3 anyway)

Turner missed twice as many.

[CatMan72]

There is a lot more to each team than just Ryan and Long.

The Falcons are better in every facet of the game and to basically give all the credit to Ryan is an embarrassment

Point is, Long is as good or better at his position than Ryan is at his... yet Ryan's team has been in the playoffs the last 3 years while Long's hasn't. It just demonstrates that there's only so much a great LT, DT, WR or CB can contribute.

[CatMan72]

Boiling down a single draft choice into the difference between those two teams is ridiculous.

As much as we may hate to admit it, the Falcons did much more to rebuild their franchise than just hit on a young QB.

True, but Ryan was a BIG part of that rebuild... put Chad Henne on the Falcons instead of Ryan, do they make they playoffs the past 3 years?

[Stumpy]

True, but Ryan was a BIG part of that rebuild... put Chad Henne on the Falcons instead of Ryan, do they make they playoffs the past 3 years?

IMO Probably

Now, put Ryan on the Dolphins instead of Henne, do they make the playoffs?

[mav1234]

True, but Ryan was a BIG part of that rebuild... put Chad Henne on the Falcons instead of Ryan, do they make they playoffs the past 3 years?

Who knows, nobody is saying Henne and Ryan are equal, but the Dolphins did go to the playoffs in 2008. It's not as if Long has been a bust for them, and we have no idea if Ryan would have had as much success as a Dolphin...

Ryan may be the face of the rebuilt Falcons but that doesn't mean he is the only thing that makes them different from the Dolphins.

[TheRealDeal]

Point is, Long is as good or better at his position than Ryan is at his... yet Ryan's team has been in the playoffs the last 3 years while Long's hasn't. It just demonstrates that there's only so much a great LT, DT, WR or CB can contribute.

They didn't go in 2009. They went his rookie year and they went this past year.

Ryan isn't the best player on that team but it just goes to show that he's labeled a franchise QB because he's the QB and the team has been good lately.

Turner is much more impactful for that team and it's really not close. As Turner goes, the Falcons go.

If we somehow went 11-5 next year and made the playoffs with Clausen at QB, he'd all of the sudden be a franchise QB even if he put up mediocre numbers.

Ryan isn't in the elite group of QBs that makes his team better, he just rides the wave of his support and there isn't anything wrong with that.