Atlanta Falcons Rumors: Matt Ryan, Roddy White Trades Denied, Marvin Jones, Rishard Matthews Targets with Kevin Hogan, Dak Prescott in Draft?

Feb 04, 2016 12:46 PM EST
Matt Ryan
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints in a home game."

Thomas Dimitroff knows his job is on the line with the Atlanta Falcons. The general manager was assumed to be fired this offseason, but instead owner Arthur Blank praised his chemistry with Dan Quinn and Dimitroff gets to keep his job. As a result, the general manager is taking a hard look at the roster for the upcoming season and where the team stands with a few of the key veterans. As uncertainty circles around Matt Ryan and Roddy White, the general manager is endorsing their futures with the team.

While speaking with Sirius XM NFL Radio, Dimitroff made it clear that Ryan will be here "for many years." No one expected the Falcons to give up on Ryan after one bad season, but the rumors still circled as he remains under contract through the 2018 season. Does the same stand for White? Out of everyone, White's future appears to truly be up in the air. The receiver has a very manageable contract to retain and has made it clear he wants to stay a Falcon for life, but the future is unknown. According to D.Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dimitroff hinted that White will stay put noting that he has learned a lesson when it comes to releasing veterans too early. Dimitroff told the radio station that he made a mistake letting Todd McClure go and he will not make the same mistake again.

Both Ryan and White have had their futures endorsed by Blank and Quinn. According to the quarterback, the issue with the Falcons was not personnel, but more a learning curve with the new offense. Ryan admitted that he struggled with Kyle Shanahan in his first year and he hopes that he and the rest of the team can pick it up in 2016.

"I think anytime you transition in terms of your offense, there's going to be a learning curve for everybody - myself included," Ryan said, via Pro Football Talk Live. "I think we had more opportunities than people think. The difference between wins and losses oftentimes is four or five plays. I thought we picked up the offense pretty well, but we never really owned it. That's a thing I think we did better later in the year. I think guys got more comfortable and we owned it."

Regardless of the endorsements to Ryan and White, the Falcons will look at both the quarterback and receiver position in both the NFL Draft and free agency. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Falcons could look at a late-round quarterback to add to the roster. Players like Kevin Hogan, Dak Prescott, Cody Kessler and Jake Coker could become targets in the fourth or fifth round to begin developing behind Ryan should the quarterback struggle again.

The receiver position could be something the Falcons look at in free agency. Getting someone like Travis Benjamin, Jermaine Kearse, Marvin Jones or Rishard Matthews would be solid No.2 options to run with Julio Jones. White is not a consistent No.2 option anymore and the Falcons need that upgrade in order to keep up in 2016.

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