NFC Notes: Falcons, Giants, Packers

Falcons

Regarding Matt Ryan‘s new record extension, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said he’s happy to keep Ryan in place as the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future.

“Matt is getting what he has earned and we all know the marketplace for a great quarterback,” Blank said, per Chris Mortensen. “League revenues are up, club revenues are up, new stadiums and the players are the heart of the game. . . .

“So, yes, we were very generous with Matt and I think he’ll be able to feed those new twin babies. . . .  Since we drafted him in 2008, he’s been the model face of the franchise, a great leader and he has embraced our values. He has led us on and off the field.”

• According to Dan Graziano, Matt Ryan‘s new five-year, $150 million extension included a $46.5 million signing bonus and $52.5 million total paid out in the first year.
• Graziano notes that Ryan won’t break Matthew Stafford‘s signing bonus record but does set the new standard for first-year money.
• Pro Football Talk reports that Ryan’s guarantee is a true and real $100 million and the only way for the team to avoid paying the full sum would be to release him next year, at which point they would pay him $94.5M for one year.
• Vaughn McClure reports that the Falcons have expressed “some interest” in free agent DT Terrell McClain

Giants

• Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports that taking a quarterback at No. 2 overall was never really an option for the Giants, even though they liked Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen.
• Had the Browns taken Saquon Barkley with the No. 1 overall pick, Schwartz says the Giants would have used the second pick on DE Bradley Chubb.
• Interestingly enough, Schwartz says that Giants HC Pat Shurmur actually preferred Josh Allen to Sam Darnold and believed Allen possessed the most upside of any quarterback.
• New York reportedly had the same grade on Barkley and Chubb, but felt Barkley was the better of the two.
• Schwartz says that the Giants view Barkley and G Will Hernandez as day-one starters and there’s a belief that third-round OLB Lorenzo Carter could also be an immediate starter for them.

Packers

• The Packers made the decision to waive P Justin Vogel on Friday, despite saying they expected him to compete with fifth-round P J.K. Scott this summer.
• Rob Demovsky reports that Vogel actually requested his release and the opportunity to find a new team that will give him a better shot at winning a job.