Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff reiterated confidence the team will soon work out a long-term extension with Matt Ryan.
We'd figure the deal will go down just before or early in training camp. We all know that Matt is going to be here for a long time," said Dimitroff. "We're going to be diligent and creative with how we put together our package when the time is right. Nothing new on the timing, but suffice it to say, we will have things taken care of, again, when the time is right."

The Falcons will put Matt Ryan's forthcoming extension on hold until after the draft.
Talks will be shelved for "a few weeks," giving GM Thomas Dimitroff time to not only utilize his 11 draft picks but sign undrafted free agents and gauge the post-draft free agent market. Locking up Ryan remains an organizational priority, and undoubtedly will happen at some point before the end of this year.

GM Thomas Dimitroff reiterated that he hopes to have Matt Ryan's contract extension done before the season starts.
Thursday's release of long-time starting right tackle Tyson Clabo is the first domino to fall. The Falcons are opening up cap space so they can give Ryan a deal slightly bigger than the one Joe Flacco landed with the Ravens last month. That means at least $60M in guarantees and an average annual salary of $21M-$23M. Ryan is 56-22 as an NFL starter, but just 1-4 in playoff games.

Over the last five years, Matt Ryan leads all quarterbacks in fourth quarter or overtime comebacks.

Former agent Joel Corry believes Matt Ryan will command a slightly bigger contract than the one just signed by Joe Flacco.
Ryan is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Although no agreement is imminent, the Falcons have said they're committed to retaining the man that has gone 56-22 as an NFL starter. Ryan could very well command $60 million in guarantees, significantly more than the $52 million Flacco got.

GM Thomas Dimitroff is "confident" a Matt Ryan contract extension will get done.
"It's a priority for us when the time is right," Dimitroff said. "We're not too anxious about it because we're confident that it's going to get done." The Falcons are expected to get the rest of the team straightened out, then begin talks with Ryan later this spring. He has one year left on his deal at $10 million.

Matt Ryan is already "fully recovered" from the sprained AC joint he suffered in the NFC Championship Game.
"He's been working in the training room and this week he started working in the weight room," coach Mike Smith said. "He's recovered and we absolutely expect him to well beyond 100 percent when we start our offseason program." This should be the last we hear of an injury Ryan says he would have played through in a potential Super Bowl appearance.

According to ESPN's John Clayton, Matt Ryan will "clearly" target Drew Brees money in 2013 extension talks.
Ryan is owed $10 million entering a contract year, and the Falcons will want to lock him up before the 2013 season. Brees received $20 million per year from the Saints last July. Ryan's agent be watching the Joe Flacco-Ravens talks closely. Flacco wants Brees money as well, and Ryan has out-performed him.

Falcons coach Mike Smith confirmed Monday that Matt Ryan suffered a sprained left shoulder in Sunday's loss, but that he will not require surgery.
Ryan has a sprained AC joint. Smith also said Ryan would have played in a potential Super Bowl appearance despite needing 3-4 weeks to get back to 100 percent. Ryan has bowed out of Sunday's Pro Bowl. Shoulder injuries are never welcome news for quarterbacks, but Ryan has escaped with a best-case scenario. He'll be ready to go for Atlanta's offseason program. Ryan has missed just two games in his five-year career.

Updating an earlier item, Matt Ryan has been diagnosed with a sprained AC joint in his left (non-throwing) shoulder.

Matt Ryan will undergo an MRI on his left (non-throwing) shoulder/collarbone on Monday.
Ryan got crunched near the end of Atlanta's come-from-ahead NFC Championship Game loss, and was in obvious pain. The injury did not appear to inhibit Ryan on his final few throws, but he may have been getting by on adrenaline. It's possible he would have been unavailable for the Super Bowl had the Falcons advanced. Regardless, Ryan will have the whole offseason to heal up if he's dealing with more than a tweak, and he should be 100 percent well ahead of training camp. His status will be updated Monday.

Matt Ryan completed 30-of-42 passes for 396 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in the Falcons' NFC Championship Game loss to the 49ers.
Ryan opened the game by finding Julio Jones wide open on a busted coverage for an easy 46-yard touchdown bomb. San Francisco struggled mightily to generate pressure, and Ryan took advantage again with a 20-yard scoring strike to Jones at the start of the second quarter. Ryan's third score came on a 10-yard dart to Tony Gonzalez between 49ers ILB Patrick Willis and SS Donte Whitner. Ryan made back-to-back mistakes in the third quarter, however, throwing an interception to 49ers LCB Chris Culliver and fumbling a snap on the ensuing drive. San Francisco didn't take advantage of either turnover as David Akers shanked a 38-yard field goal and Michael Crabtree fumbled at the goal line. Atlanta's defense simply couldn't stop Colin Kaepernick's Niners, however, and Ryan failed to execute in the red zone on the final meaningful possession down 28-24. Ryan finished the regular season as the No. 7 overall fantasy quarterback. We'd expect him to stay in that range in 2013.

FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reports the Falcons are looking to sign Matt Ryan to a contract extension this offseason.
According to Glazer, Atlanta is prepared to offer Ryan a "mega-contract" after the season no matter how the rest of the playoffs turn out for the team. This comes as no surprise as Ryan will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2013. Ryan is coming off his best individual season and led the Falcons to their first playoff win of the Mike Smith era last weekend over the Seahawks. Somewhere around six years and $100 million would seem to be the starting point for a new deal.

Matt Ryan completed 24-of-35 passes for 250 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in Sunday's Divisional round victory over the Seahawks.
It was a microcosm of Ryan's five-year career. He was near flawless in staking the Falcons to a 20-0 halftime lead, but a bone-headed decision on a deep-ball interception gave the Seahawks the impetus for a comeback. Ryan stalled on back-to-back unimaginative fourth-quarter drives while Russell Wilson stole the show for a 28-27 lead late in the game. Reminiscent of the early-season victory over the Panthers, Ryan managed to set up Matt Bryant's game-winning field goal despite getting the ball with only 31 seconds remaining. Bryant's ability to convert the 49-yard gave Ryan his first playoff win in four tries, setting up an NFC Championship game showdown with the 49ers.