Post by Guvmintcheeze on Jun 1, 2015 20:06:10 GMT
Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan more than willing to show off mobility in new scheme
Vaughn McClure, ESPN Staff Writer
Last Tuesday's organized team activities provided a glimpse of one of the offensive tweaks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan might have to embrace under new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
Ryan took a snap during 7-on-7 drills and proceeded to sprint out right. He then fired a dart on the run to receiver Eric Weems.
Ryan won't be asked to simulate the mobility Robert Griffin III routinely flashed under Shanahan in Washington. No franchise wants to see its $20 million a year quarterback open himself up for body shots on a regular basis. But Ryan could be asked to throw on the move more often in this system. There are three times as many designed out-of-the-pocket plays compared to the offense of former coordinator Dirk Koetter.
Some skeptics might think the new offense is not a perfect marriage for a pocket-passing quarterback. Ryan, obviously confident in his athleticism, emphatically dismissed such a theory.
"I think it's a good fit," Ryan said of Shanahan's scheme. "Obviously, I've been able to move around at different times in my career. It wasn't a featured part of what we were doing with Dirk here. If you look early in my career with Mike Mularkey, we did a lot of outside-the-pocket movement and a lot of throwing on the run. When we had that running and rolling with [running back] Mike Turner, it was more effective.
"I feel like I'm capable of doing it. I've got no issues with that. Like I said, I think it will be a good fit."
As Ryan mentioned, throws out of the pocket weren't a staple under Koetter the previous three seasons. According the ESPN Statistics and Information, Ryan attempted 93.1 percent of his passes from inside the pocket between 2012-14, which ranked sixth in the NFL behind Tom Brady (96.4), Peyton Manning (96.0), Chad Henne (94.3), Carson Palmer (94.2) and Philip Rivers (94.1).
By comparison, Shanahan's offense with the Browns last season ranked 30th out of 32 teams in pass attempts from the pocket at 83.7 percent. When Shanahan was with the Redskins in 2012-13, their percentage from the pocket was 87.3 percent, which ranked 25th in the league.
Going back to Ryan's last season under Mularkey (2011), he attempted 86.4 percent of his passes from inside the pocket, which ranked 26th among 34 qualified quarterbacks.
In the grand scheme, it's all about an offensive coordinator trusting his quarterback, and the quarterback reciprocating that trust. Long-time NFL quarterback Rex Grossman, who played for Shanahan in both Houston and Washington, believes even a proven quarterback such as Ryan will benefit from Shanahan's sharp offensive mind.
"I think the best thing is he's a creative play-caller who is able to get receivers wide open," Grossman said of Shanahan. "Beyond that, he has an offensive structure that allows you to have some consistency in how you play. If gives you something to lean on. And it's up to you to make plays.
"He knows how to manipulate coverages: Having a zone running game and then having a play-action passing game off that. ... He just creates openings and creates easy throws. On top of all that, he's a charismatic guy who everyone gravitates toward. I studied a lot of offenses, and I think he's probably one of the best in the NFL, if not the best. This will be a great opportunity for Kyle to shine. He's got an-All Pro wide receiver (Julio Jones), a great young left tackle (Jake Matthews) and a great quarterback. That's a pretty nice thing to build off of."
Grossman pointed out how Shanahan tinkered his system in Washington to take advantage of Griffin's strength as a runner and scaled down the playbook. The approach is sure to be different for Ryan, with those out-of-the pocket plays sprinkled in, most likely in misdirection scenarios away from the blocking scheme. And if Ryan receives adequate protection up front from a rebuilt offensive line, he should continue to thrive as a pocket passer.
"Matt Ryan is going to be able to do all the things [Shanahan] wants him to do; all the bootlegs and moving around," Grossman said. "But to be a runner, Kyle's not going to have to worry about adding that to his offense. I thought Kyle did a hell of a job in 2012 making that adjustment, but I'm not sure he's going to miss that."
*Note: Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is expected to address the media following Tuesday's practice. Check back Tuesday afternoon for any of his thoughts on Ryan's transition to the offense thus far.
Vaughn McClure, ESPN Staff Writer
Last Tuesday's organized team activities provided a glimpse of one of the offensive tweaks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan might have to embrace under new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
Ryan took a snap during 7-on-7 drills and proceeded to sprint out right. He then fired a dart on the run to receiver Eric Weems.
Ryan won't be asked to simulate the mobility Robert Griffin III routinely flashed under Shanahan in Washington. No franchise wants to see its $20 million a year quarterback open himself up for body shots on a regular basis. But Ryan could be asked to throw on the move more often in this system. There are three times as many designed out-of-the-pocket plays compared to the offense of former coordinator Dirk Koetter.
Some skeptics might think the new offense is not a perfect marriage for a pocket-passing quarterback. Ryan, obviously confident in his athleticism, emphatically dismissed such a theory.
"I think it's a good fit," Ryan said of Shanahan's scheme. "Obviously, I've been able to move around at different times in my career. It wasn't a featured part of what we were doing with Dirk here. If you look early in my career with Mike Mularkey, we did a lot of outside-the-pocket movement and a lot of throwing on the run. When we had that running and rolling with [running back] Mike Turner, it was more effective.
"I feel like I'm capable of doing it. I've got no issues with that. Like I said, I think it will be a good fit."
As Ryan mentioned, throws out of the pocket weren't a staple under Koetter the previous three seasons. According the ESPN Statistics and Information, Ryan attempted 93.1 percent of his passes from inside the pocket between 2012-14, which ranked sixth in the NFL behind Tom Brady (96.4), Peyton Manning (96.0), Chad Henne (94.3), Carson Palmer (94.2) and Philip Rivers (94.1).
By comparison, Shanahan's offense with the Browns last season ranked 30th out of 32 teams in pass attempts from the pocket at 83.7 percent. When Shanahan was with the Redskins in 2012-13, their percentage from the pocket was 87.3 percent, which ranked 25th in the league.
Going back to Ryan's last season under Mularkey (2011), he attempted 86.4 percent of his passes from inside the pocket, which ranked 26th among 34 qualified quarterbacks.
In the grand scheme, it's all about an offensive coordinator trusting his quarterback, and the quarterback reciprocating that trust. Long-time NFL quarterback Rex Grossman, who played for Shanahan in both Houston and Washington, believes even a proven quarterback such as Ryan will benefit from Shanahan's sharp offensive mind.
"I think the best thing is he's a creative play-caller who is able to get receivers wide open," Grossman said of Shanahan. "Beyond that, he has an offensive structure that allows you to have some consistency in how you play. If gives you something to lean on. And it's up to you to make plays.
"He knows how to manipulate coverages: Having a zone running game and then having a play-action passing game off that. ... He just creates openings and creates easy throws. On top of all that, he's a charismatic guy who everyone gravitates toward. I studied a lot of offenses, and I think he's probably one of the best in the NFL, if not the best. This will be a great opportunity for Kyle to shine. He's got an-All Pro wide receiver (Julio Jones), a great young left tackle (Jake Matthews) and a great quarterback. That's a pretty nice thing to build off of."
Grossman pointed out how Shanahan tinkered his system in Washington to take advantage of Griffin's strength as a runner and scaled down the playbook. The approach is sure to be different for Ryan, with those out-of-the pocket plays sprinkled in, most likely in misdirection scenarios away from the blocking scheme. And if Ryan receives adequate protection up front from a rebuilt offensive line, he should continue to thrive as a pocket passer.
"Matt Ryan is going to be able to do all the things [Shanahan] wants him to do; all the bootlegs and moving around," Grossman said. "But to be a runner, Kyle's not going to have to worry about adding that to his offense. I thought Kyle did a hell of a job in 2012 making that adjustment, but I'm not sure he's going to miss that."
*Note: Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is expected to address the media following Tuesday's practice. Check back Tuesday afternoon for any of his thoughts on Ryan's transition to the offense thus far.
