Mike Florio

Matt Ryan is the primary football executive in Atlanta.

Ian Cunningham's hire as GM doesn't qualify for the compensatory draft pick.

So I followed up and I asked, well, why is it different from 2022 when Terry Fontenot was hired from the Saints to be the GM?

Rich McKay was the president and CEO of football.

Why didn't...

the two compensatory draft picks not get given to the Saints.

And the league's response is basically then, Terry Fontenot was becoming the primary football executive.

Now, Matt Ryan's the primary football executive.

That's the explanation.

Does it mesh with this idea that Matt Ryan is saying, hey,

Cunningham's in charge.

As one GM explained to me, this is a great safe harbor for Matt Ryan where he can have his cake and eat it too.

If things go sideways, I didn't do it.

Ian Cunningham was in charge of free agency in the draft.

And you know what?

Wouldn't be the first time that a high level executive with an NFL team was in position to take the credit when things go well.

And then when things don't go well, that wasn't me.

That was that guy.

I think it gets overblown.

It's very easy to create cap space by restructuring contracts.