After cutting ties with the Carson Wentz experience after one season, the Indianapolis Colts opted to go the veteran route again by trading a third-round pick for quarterback Matt Ryan.
In a move that was mostly praised by fans and the media, it likely wasn’t an easy situation for head coach Frank Reich, who is still very fond of Wentz both as a player and a person.
But he also knows the kind of upgrade that Ryan provides for the Colts offense, especially when it comes to projecting the stability of that unit.
“I think everyone saw from the outside that this is a good fit,” Reich told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Sunday. “Like, people can universally agree you got a guy who’s still playing at a high level with a team and roster that is built to make some noise. We needed each other.”
While Wentz certainly showed improvement in his numbers from the disastrous 2020 season, his erratic play during the final month of the season proved too costly for the Colts.
He wasn’t the only issue, of course. The lack of pass rush during that span was also a major contributor to the embarrassing collapse at the end of the season.
But even those who supported Wentz could see the fit wasn’t right schematically. Reich’s offense is predicated on getting the ball out quickly in the short game while taking the occasional shot down the field.
Instead, Wentz resorted to playing hero ball far too often while struggling with consistently making correct pre- and post-snap reads.
That’s why Ryan is the ideal replacement for Wentz. Though he won’t return to MVP value like in 2016, his willingness to hit the check down and work the quick game while making correct pre-snap reads should do wonders for the offense.
“The first thing I’m looking at is, is the accuracy still there and what does the arm look like,” Reich said. “So, dig into every throw from the last couple years. Look at the ball velocity, look at the length, look at the accuracy, look at the movement skills and I see no diminishing physical skills.”
The Colts still need to add some weapons for Ryan to work with before the season arrives, but this marriage could work out pretty well if the team is able to do that.
