Shanahan says Ryan is athletic fit for new offense
Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan doesn’t see Matt Ryan as a misfit for his system, which in part relies on the mobility of the quarterback on rollouts and bootlegs.
“Matt to me is one of the better athletes that I’ve had,” Shanahan said.
He’s not ready to put him in the athletic class of his former pupil, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.
“Matt, I don’t know if we’re going to major in the zone-read and stuff like that,” Shanahan said. “He’s not going to be running 4.4 down the sidelines and breaking people off, but he’s very quick in the pocket, especially for how tall and lanky he is.
“That’s a good combination because he can see over the line of scrimmage, keep his eyes down the field and he still has the athletic ability that if he’s in trouble he has a chance to still make a play.”
In one of Ryan’s classic college games, he ran all over the field against Virginia Tech his junior season in leading the Boston College Eagles to victory.
“I’ve watched Matt in college and over his whole career,” Shanahan said. “He’s always been good at throwing on the run.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
