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After Michael Vick's sudden and disgraceful departure last year, the Falcons were left with unimpressive retreads like Chris Redman, Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich under center.
Now, it appears that Vick is gone for good and it will be up to Matt Ryan to fill the shoes of the incarcerated former QB.
"I can't worry about that," the Boston College product said yesterday after Atlanta made him the third overall pick of the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. "I have to focus on what's important, the way I play and try not to be distracted by anything else."
Good luck, Matt.
With Vick sentenced to 23 months in prison after he was convicted for his role in a dogfighting ring, the image of the Falcons - as well as the entire NFL- took a significant hit last year.
Ryan, who was named the Manning Award winner this year as the top collegiate quarterback, became the first at his position to be picked in this year's draft after Jake Long and Chris Long were selected ahead of him, but that's a long way from being prepared to handle the kind of pressure he is about to face.
And he said that the organization's recent difficulties were not a major topic of conversation when he met with the Falcons' owner Arthur Blank.
"We didn't get into too much detail," the 23-year-old Ryan said. "We didn't talk much about the past."
You can't blame Blank for not wanting to dwell too much on what has happened with his team and his star QB, since it's obviously been an ugly situation for the Falcons, who, along with the Ravens and Jets, showed a lot of interest in Ryan.
"He liked the Jets," said Mike Ryan, Matt's father. "From top-to-bottom, the Jets were a team that he clicked well with."
He then added with a smile, "But they have a quarterback, don't they?"
They do - perhaps even two of them - and the Falcons hope they do, as well.
"Matt understands what needs to be done in Atlanta and what needs to be fixed," Mike Ryan said. "But he also knows that he's only one part of the solution."
Crimson Tide 06 
