FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Today's Early Bird Report includes Matt Ryan's place on a recent ranking of NFL quarterbacks as well as the latest on Dalvin Cook's rehab.
Enjoy!
FALCONS HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
Sporting News: Ranking all 32 NFL quarterbacks
Everybody has an opinion when it comes to the talent of quarterbacks in the NFL and, more often than not, they want to tell you about that opinion. In our debate-filled world, the conversations can be fun but the argument is settled by the players on the field not the fans or pundits watching them.
Still, ranking NFL quarterbacks is very much a part of the conversation at this time of the year and Sporting News writer Vinnie Iyer recently unveiled his list. Falcons quarterback and former league MVP Matt Ryan earned the No. 7 spot on Iyer’s list.
"Ryan's slide after his MVP season was tied to his losing offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, as the QB's numbers closer resembled the disappointing results of 2015," Iyer writes. "But Ryan still lived up to the 'Matty Ice' nickname with clutch play to keep the Falcons in the playoffs. His floor remains high, and he will be in for a rebound season."
It's not clear how Iyer decided on his ranking, and it could be purely opinion-based, but this seems to be about the spot Ryan generally lands in these discussions. The only player included ahead of him who might not have quite earned that spot yet is Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz who, although he turned in an MVP-caliber year before getting hurt last season, he has just one such season on his resume.
But, that is just one man's opinion.
Here are more articles for Falcons fans:
BIGGEST NEWS FROM AROUND THE NFL
NFL.com: Dalvin Cook cleared to take part in Vikings team drills
The Vikings were without dynamic running back Dalvin Cook for much of his rookie season, but it appears he's one step closer to making a return. After suffering a torn ACL in Week 4, Cook was cleared to take part in team drills for the first time this week, according to the *Minnesota Star Tribune’s* Ben Goessling.
"I've been feeling good, but this week was another milestone," Cook told Goessling. "They kind of told me at the beginning of the week. I was excited to get back into action, get out there and just get some live reps."
One of the top running backs coming out of college in 2017, Cook exploded onto the scene in his first career game, rushing for a franchise record 127 yards in his debut.
Here are some more articles from around the league:
- CBS Sports: 2018 travel miles for all 32 teams
- NFL.com: White House explains move to cancel Eagles visit
