A free agent for nearly five months, Logan Ryan is now making a versatility-based pitch in hopes of securing the kind of contract he has sought this offseason.
The unattached cornerback now views himself as a safety, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noting Ryan’s agent emailed all 32 teams stats comparing his client to the top NFL safeties (Twitter link).
Ryan indeed led all corners — by a significant margin — in tackles last season, racking up 113 combined. No other corner topped 82. The then-Titans slot defender also paced corners with 73 solo stops. Ryan’s tackling prowess extended to his New England days as well, with the former Patriots starter registering 74 solo stops in 2016.
Ryan, however, only played 22 snaps at safety — compared to 855 in the slot and 243 at outside corner — last season. Earlier this summer, teams were reportedly viewing Ryan as a nickel corner. This could be an 11th-hour attempt for the 29-year-old defender to pitch himself as a defensive chess piece.
Nearly three months have passed since Ryan appeared squarely on the Jets’ radar. They have a greater need at corner than safety, despite the Jamal Adams trade. The Dolphins expressed interest at multiple junctures, but that also has cooled. Ryan sought a $10MM-per-year deal earlier this offseason. That no longer seems realistic, and with the cap likely set to drop in 2021, the seven-year veteran may need to reduce his expectations. But he is making another effort to secure a respectable deal ahead of the 2020 season.
The Jets still seem to be the most likely fit, but not for $10M per.
I feel like Dallas should give him a look… but only on another cheap 1 year deal. Like 1yr/8 mil
Good idea. Without Byron Jones, Dallas could stand to shore up their secondary depth. If he plays for the Cowboys, he could probably remain at corner as well
I wish Dallas would give him a look… but only on another cheap 1 yr deal. Something like 1yr/8 mil
Could come back to New England on a one year deal
I dunno. The Jets clearly for some reason have decided against spending money, and their only solid corner in Brian Poole is best suited for working in the slot, Ryan’s position of strength. My guess is that Ryan’s team still sees New York as his best fit, and by billing him as a safety they hope to capitalize on the departure of Jamal Adams. The timing of this is not coincidental, and by sending to all teams the pitch appears less targeted to New York specifically and also does some extra advertising to other teams. It makes him look more in demand as well as acting as a reminder of sorts.
Let’s not forget the role Adams played in the secondary-making tackles. Like Adams, Ryan can do that. Also like Adams, he can line up at multiple areas in his capacity as a safety. However, the Jets had Adams on a rookie deal, and as a player, he is both younger and bigger than Ryan, who does not have prototypical strong safety size like Adams does. Marcus Maye is already slotted in at free safety, the position Ryan may very well excel at. Could they switch the two? Sure, Maye may very well be a good strong safety and Ryan a good counterpart. In an organization focused on saving money and considering a free agent 29 year old free agent however, the question becomes “why”?
I think Ryan is a good contributor and could very well play at safety in the future. Even at strong safety, possibly. I mean, Kareem Jackson excelled at strong safety with Denver despite his age and size. Ryan, however, I think will find another team than New York. Anyone who plays a lot of man and needs a versatile slot corner could use him, particularly a team with tackling issues (Detroit?).
I’m not sure about the Lions. They have Justin Coleman in the slot already and run deep at safety with Walker, Harmon, Harris, and Kearse. Although, he’s very familiar with Patricia’s system.
Some other options might be Chicago, Minnesota, Houston, and the Giants. The Bears could stand to find an upgrade over Buster Skrine. The Vikings are very inexperienced in the secondary and could use a mentor for Jeff Gladney. The Texans have Conley and Hargreaves on the outside, but few answers in the slot. Lonnie Johnson projects as more of a cover corner and I wouldn’t be comfortable with someone like John Reid manning the position. Finally, the Giants could use help at both safety and corner. Bradberry and Peppers seem to be the only reliable components of the unit
True, I forgot about Coleman. I actually almost listed Chicago, I welched. Skrine has definitely regressed since his Cleveland days. The Giants I see running more zone, which Ryan could likely play, but I think his best value is in a man-heavy scheme like some of the others you mentioned.