The Indianapolis Colts acquired Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, with the trade confirmed by Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson. The AFC is in an all-out arms race to accumulate as much NFL talent as possible. Where does this leave Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo, who are still trying to find new homes after being replaced in theirs?
Does the Matt Ryan trade affect Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo?
First, trading for Ryan makes all the sense in the world for the Colts. It took an epic collapse last season for Indianapolis to miss out on a playoff berth, and even at 37 years old, Ryan is a far superior QB to Carson Wentz. Yes, he struggled more last season than in years prior, but his offensive line and team deteriorated in front of his eyes.
Mayfield wanted to go to Indianapolis, but it doesn’t seem as though the Colts reciprocated that feeling. Garoppolo felt like a decent backup plan for Indy from a scheme-fit perspective, but in the end, they wanted Ryan. Where does the market go from here for Mayfield and Garoppolo?
Baker Mayfield’s options are limited
There aren’t many spots that will provide a soft landing for Mayfield. Seattle seems like the most realistic option. They have some extra draft capital and should feel better about Mayfield than they do Drew Lock. The Saints could think about making a move for Mayfield, but they could have a similarly volatile quarterback in Jameis Winston at a fraction of the price. Winston also grossly outperformed Mayfield a year ago before tearing his ACL.
Carolina could consider it, but would Matt Rhule really risk his job on another reclamation project from the 2018 NFL Draft? Sam Darnold is already carrying an $18 million cap hit on his own fifth-year option. It wouldn’t make sense for Carolina. Detroit makes sense from a talent acquisition standpoint, but Jared Goff already has a $31 million cap hit in 2022, and nobody will take that contract on in a trade.
The options are limited, which limits what teams will even offer the Browns.
What happens with Jimmy Garoppolo?
This is a more fascinating angle. Garoppolo isn’t widely regarded as an elite talent at the position, but he is 33-14 as a starter in the NFL. New Orleans might be a good landing spot for the veteran. He fits well with what Michael Thomas does well, and he could really lean on the Saints’ talented defense. New Orleans also has a decent offensive line and could still retain Winston on a one-year deal.
Given Garoppolo’s injury concerns, keeping Winston while also trading for Garoppolo could be the prudent move for the Saints. They’ve flipped around $90 million so far this offseason, so they have the money to take on Garoppolo’s contract. If New Orleans believes they can compete for a playoff spot in 2022, Garoppolo might be the right choice.