Weekend Reflections: Falcons’ Matt Ryan thrown in deep end for first front-office job

One of those titles is not like the others.

Of course, Ryan’s previous and more relevant job is omitted. Before joining CBS he played quarterback in the NFL for 15 years, including 14 with the Falcons. There is no doubt about Ryan’s football knowledge, leadership qualities and understanding of team dynamics.

Still, running a huddle and leading a locker room is a lot different from being the boss of football for an organization. Hiring Ryan for the role was a bold move by Falcons franchise owner Arthur Blank.

I have no idea if it’s the right one.

But the Falcons clearly needed a major shake-up. Credit Blank for taking the blame for his team becoming longtime losers and creating the president position. It makes sense for Blank to hire someone he already knows and trusts to do the job, even if Ryan’s background is nontraditional.

Ryan is among five ex-NFL players currently holding shot-calling positions in front offices. He’s one of four who had no previous front-office experience. The others are John Lynch (49ers), Chris Spielman (Lions) and Tom Brady (Raiders).

Ryan’s job seems to be unique among them.

Lynch is in a subservient power-sharing arrangement with coach Kyle Shanahan. Only Blank is above Ryan, who is leading the search for the next Falcons general manager and head coach. They will report to him.

The Lions said Spielman played an “integral role” in hiring GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell. But Spielman also has duties on the business side of the operation and reports to the CEO, not the owner. Blank said Ryan will oversee “everything that relates to football on the grass” with no involvement from administration or business operations.

Brady is a Raiders minority owner, but his front-office role is murky. The team recently announced he would work in “close collaboration” with general manager John Spytek in football operations. But it appears Brady will do so from afar, not as a day-to-day presence.

The Raiders are a mess. But the 49ers and Lions have been winners with ex-player executives who didn’t take the traditional scouting/player personnel route.

“So many opportunities are missed in the NFL because people don’t want to do something different,” 49ers owner Jed York told SI.com after hiring Lynch in 2017. “We’re OK with that, because I am confident in Kyle and John. … As easy as it is to say (Lynch) hasn’t built a team yet — I get that — I talk to Kyle, and he says John is the most prepared of all the TV (people) he meets in the production meetings before games.”

With Ryan, Blank has a lot more to go on than secondhand accounts of production meetings. We’ll see if Ryan is as good at running the whole show as he was at running the team.

Falcons on Matt LaFleur watch

Blank got an audience with coach John Harbaugh on Monday. That’s good news for them because Harbaugh is the top candidate on the market. It also would help their search if the Packers fire Matt LaFleur after his team blew a 21-3 lead in the second half at Chicago in Saturday’s wild-card game.

LaFleur has won three NFC North titles and earned two wild-card berths over seven seasons in Green Bay. But another postseason flop might cost him his job. If so, then LaFleur will join Harbaugh near the top of the candidates list.

The Falcons have a strong connection with LaFleur. He was Ryan’s quarterbacks coach during the 2015 and ’16 seasons. LaFleur called the plays for the Titans for one season before the Packers hired him as head coach.

The Falcons surely would have interest in LaFleur if he becomes available. He’s part of the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay coaching lineage. LaFleur has a 76-40-1 record with the Packers. He helped quarterback Jordan Love, the No. 26 overall draft pick in 2020, develop into a good starter.

The playoffs are the knock against LaFleur. He got two MVP seasons from Aaron Rodgers but couldn’t get to the Super Bowl. The Packers went one-and-done in the playoffs this year and last. That includes losing to their bitter rivals with the biggest playoff collapse in franchise history.

Packers president Ed Policy is in a jam. Firing a highly successful coach after a playoff loss doesn’t seem reasonable. But expectations and circumstances may force Policy to make a change.

Trae Young takes parting shots at Hawks

The Hawks officially traded Trae Young to the Wizards on Friday. The next day, Young posted a message to his X (formerly Twitter) account.

I can’t call it a farewell message because he didn’t really say goodbye. He didn’t mention Hawks fans at all. There were some not-so-veiled shots at the front office, including:

“It’s time to see what’s possible when the support is real and the vision is clear.”

I’m not knocking Young for the barbs. The trade is fresh still. The feelings are raw. Plus, Young has a point.

There were times during his Hawks tenure when the front office didn’t seem to have a coherent team-building strategy beyond saving cash for principal owner Tony Ressler. Young gained influence with the front office over the years, but ultimately, others called the shots.

The Hawks didn’t build a championship-caliber team around Young. But Young also must realize it’s difficult to build a championship-caliber team around a player like him. A small guard who defends poorly must offer more than elite playmaking to justify being the highest-paid player on a contending team.

Young is 27 years old. I hope he reaches his peak again while still in his prime. It was fun watching him when he was at his best. The smallest player on the court could bend the defense to his will while working magic with the ball.

Even Young’s detractors must admit he put on a good show here for years. And he was outstanding during the 2021 playoffs. The ankle injury he suffered against the Bucks is the biggest “what-if” of his Hawks tenure.

Young told Andscape he cried during the drive to State Farm Arena on Wednesday because he figured it would be his last time doing so as a member of the Hawks. He said there is “no blood between either side.” Perhaps the hard feelings expressed in the social media post aren’t lingering.

Three quick thoughts