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Logan Ryan

DB Logan Ryan Announces Retirement

April 9th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly two months after returning to the Super Bowl stage, Logan Ryan is stepping away from football. The versatile defensive back announced his retirement after 11 seasons Tuesday morning (video link).

The former Patriots draftee later made his way to the Titans, Giants, Buccaneers and 49ers. The San Francisco agreement did not come to pass until early December, shortly after Talanoa Hufanga‘s season-ending injury. Ryan, 33, went from spending most of 2023 out of football to playing 62 defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVIII. He closes his career with 19 interceptions.

That marked Ryan’s third Super Bowl appearance. The 2013 third-rounder was a backup cornerback in Super Bowl XLIX but a starter by the time the Patriots returned to a Super Bowl two years later. Ryan played every Patriots defensive snap in their historic comeback past the Falcons, parlaying that season into a three-year, $30MM Titans contract.

A Rutgers alum, Ryan started 124 games and suited up for 19 playoff contests. Primarily playing cornerback in New England and Tennessee, Ryan was one of the top tacklers at the position during this NFL period. That helped a transition to safety commence during his Giants tenure. The Giants picked up Ryan late in the 2020 offseason and handed the New Jersey native an extension (three years, $31MM) months after that signing.

During Ryan’s final Titans season (2019), the team voyaged to its first AFC championship game since 2002. The 5-foot-11 defender had returned from a broken leg that ended his 2018 season. Ryan helped the 2019 Titans’ cause by making 113 tackles — 31 more than any other corner registered that season — as primarily a slot defender. Ryan’s 2019 playoffs included a pick-six on Tom Brady, ending the Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII title defense in the wild-card round. Ryan also intercepted a pass and sacked Brock Osweiler during the Patriots’ divisional-round win over the Texans in 2016.

The COVID-19-marred 2020 offseason led to several veterans lingering in free agency for months, as visits were shut down for an extended period. Ryan belatedly landed with the Giants on August 31, 2020, soon completing the transition to a safety role. This came after he displayed high-level blitzing chops, tallying 8.5 sacks over his final two Titans seasons.

Teaming with Xavier McKinney in 2021, Ryan notched a career-high 117 tackles in his second Giants season. Ryan’s two Giants years overlapped with ex-Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge’s New York tenure. The team moved on shortly after hiring Joe Schoen as GM, cutting Ryan and letting Jabrill Peppers join the Patriots in free agency. The Giants have since passed on re-signing ex-Ryan safety teammates McKinney and Julian Love, effectively starting over at the position.

The Buccaneers gave Ryan an opportunity in 2022, but a foot fracture limited his on-field work in Tampa. Ryan played in nine games with the Bucs, starting six, but the team did not bring him back in 2023. The 49ers reached out to Ryan following Hufanga’s injury, encouraging him to go on a booked cruise with his family before joining the team for the stretch run. After playing 12 defensive snaps over his first three 49ers games, Ryan was on the field for every San Francisco defensive play in Week 17, as the team wrapped up home-field advantage. He then played 100% of the 49ers’ defensive snaps against the Packers in the divisional round.

Ryan moved into the San Francisco slot role by Super Bowl LVIII and was the closest defender in coverage on Mecole Hardman‘s game-winning touchdown — one that wrapped the NFL’s longest Super Bowl — but the veteran safety/corner provided the 49ers with some pivotal reps leading up to that point. Discounting a short-field, one-play TD possession in the third quarter, it took the Chiefs until overtime to mount a touchdown drive against the 49ers. Ryan played in both the NFL’s overtime Super Bowls.

Over his career, Ryan earned just more than $69MM. The Titans authorized Ryan’s biggest contract, one he played out in the late 2010s, but he earned more than $15MM with the Giants as well.

49ers To Sign DB Logan Ryan

December 5th, 2023 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tuesday now features multiple late-season signings involving 30-something defenders. After the Lions added Tyson Alualu, Logan Ryan will be on track to make his debut soon. The 49ers are signing the veteran defensive back, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Last with the Buccaneers, Ryan had not previously caught on anywhere this year. His Tampa Bay contract expired in March. Ryan, 32, started six games for the Bucs last season and has 121 career starts. As the 49ers push for home-field advantage in the NFC, Ryan will be a part of their secondary. This is an active-roster deal, with the 49ers waiving running back Tyrion Davis-Price to make room on their 53-man roster.

Ryan brings extensive experience at safety and cornerback. While Ryan has spent the bulk of the 2020s at safety, the former Patriots third-round pick began his career with several seasons at corner. The 49ers pursued several corners at the trade deadline but did not add anyone. They also sustained a major loss in the secondary last month, losing All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga for the season due to an ACL tear.

In addition to Hufanga, the 49ers are without veteran backup and special-teamer George Odum. The latter suffered a biceps injury in Week 12. Both players are on IR, depleting the NFC West leaders’ depth at the position. While this has not affected San Francisco’s post-bye surge, the team has reeled off its most recent win streak with a thin safety corps.

Entering Tuesday morning, the 49ers had only two safeties — starters Tashaun Gipson and Ji’Ayir Brown, a third-round rookie — on their 53-man roster. The 49ers added ex-Raiders and Falcons starter Erik Harris to their practice squad last week and used him in Week 13, calling him up as a gameday elevation against the Eagles. Harris is back on San Francisco’s practice squad.

Ryan played in nine games with the Bucs last season, spending part of the campaign on IR. A foot injury sidelined Ryan for an extended period last year, but he returned in December to help the Bucs hang on for the NFC South title. Prior to Ryan’s Tampa stay, he spent two seasons with the Giants. Ryan signed with the Giants late during the 2020 offseason and secured an extension later that year. After being part of a safety corps that also housed Jabrill Peppers and Xavier McKinney, Ryan received his walking papers — as the Giants changed regimes — during the 2022 offseason.

The Titans gave Ryan a three-year, $30MM deal in 2017; he played out the deal. Ryan was a starter for a Titans team that made a surprise run to the AFC championship game in 2019. This journey was old hat to Ryan by that point, as he worked as a regular for Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams in 2014 and ’16. Even at corner, Ryan has proven a prolific tackler. He has four 90-plus-tackle seasons. Two of those came during his corner years. On the strength of his run defense, Pro Football Focus graded Ryan as an above-average safety in 2022. Ryan has three four-plus-INT season on his resume as well, though each of those came during his years at corner. Ryan has not played cornerback regularly since 2019.

At corner, the 49ers have seen improved play from Ambry Thomas, whom they have used as a regular corner over this four-game win streak. The team, which let Jimmie Ward defect to Houston this offseason, now has two additional veteran safeties in the fold. Despite DeMeco Ryans‘ departure, the 49ers rank second in scoring defense and fifth in yards allowed entering Week 14.

Giants Notes: Gano, Jackson, Ryan, Workouts

September 22nd, 2023 at 11:07am CST by Adam La Rose

Graham Gano is underway in his fourth Giants campaign. His play so far this season (3-for-5 on field goal tries) has not lived up to his previous success, but past performances led to an extension before the campaign began.

Further details on the 36-year-old’s deal are in, courtesy of The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Gano received a $5MM signing bonus, and his base salaries this season ($1.25MM) and next ($3.1MM) are guaranteed in full. He will also see a $2MM roster bonus in 2024, which is guaranteed at signing. Gano’s cap hit fell to $4.3MM in 2023, meaning it created a bit of breathing space for this season. His cap charges will rise to $7.2MM in 2024, then $5.8MM and $5.7MM the two years after that. The team is banking on continued high-level play deep into Gano’s career given their latest investment in him.

Here are some other Giants notes:

  • Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson has seen plenty of time in the slot this season, following through on the Giants’ plans of moving him inside to allow rookies Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins to log starting roles on the perimeter right away. That alignment was foreshadowed in the summer, but it was not something thought of exclusively in 2023. The Giants first considered playing Jackson as their nickel corner last year, as detailed by Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, but that plan had to be scrapped due to his knee injury. The 28-year-old’s play on the inside will go a long way in determining his free agent value in the spring, since he is playing out the final year of his contract.
  • A resolution has emerged in the Logan Ryan injury grievance, which was filed last April. The veteran defensive back contested the $3MM which was guaranteed for injury in his 2022 compensation should have been paid out owing to his postseason finger surgery. He ultimately received $2.7MM of that total, Duggan notes. The Giants carried a cap charge of $1.2MM last season with the case remaining unresolved at the time; they will be on the hook for $1.5MM in 2023.
  • New York hosted a group of wideouts on free agent visits recently, and return specialist Andre Roberts was among them, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The 35-year-old spent last season in Carolina, making three appearances. His limited time has no doubt hindered the three-time Pro Bowler’s ability to find a new home for what would be a 13th season played in the NFL. Fifth-round rookie Eric Gray has handled both kick and punt return duties for the Giants so far, recording 16 yards on his lone kick return and eight yards per runback on punts.
  • In addition to Roberts, the Giants brought in James Proche for an audition, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The former sixth-rounder was among the Ravens’ final roster cuts after spending his first three seasons with the team. Proche found himself as the odd man out of Baltimore’s new-look receiving corps, leaving him in search of a new opportunity. He has also worked out for the Jets, but as is the case with his Giants visit, that endeavor has yet to produce a contract offer.

Buccaneers Activate DB Logan Ryan From IR

December 5th, 2022 at 5:59pm CST by Ben Levine

DECEMBER 5: Ryan is back on the Bucs’ active roster. The team moved the veteran defender back onto its 53-man roster Monday, representing its third injury activation this season. Five remain for Tampa Bay. Ryan has been out since going down in Week 4 with the foot ailment.

NOVEMBER 30: It sounds like the Buccaneers will soon be getting some reinforcement on defense. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), Tampa Bay has designated defensive back Logan Ryan to return from injured reserve. The Buccaneers will now have three weeks to activate the veteran to the active roster.

Ryan suffered a foot injury back in October that ultimately required surgery. Prior to that, the Buccaneers were leaning on Ryan in their secondary. In his four games (two starts), the veteran appeared in more than half of Tampa Bay’s defensive snaps, with Ryan collecting nine tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception.

At the beginning of the year, Ryan generally took the field alongside safeties Mike Edwards and Antoine Winfield whenever the latter was moved to the slot in sub packages. However, whenever Ryan returns, he could end up seeing a different role. Winfield is dealing with an ankle injury that forced him out of Sunday’s loss, while cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting are dealing with their own injuries.

Ryan’s versatility could end up coming in handy as the Buccaneers approach the final stretch of the season. The veteran made a name for himself as a cornerback in New England, and following four seasons and two championships with the Patriots, Ryan landed a lucrative contract from the Titans in 2017. He ended up playing out his deal in Tennessee, and when he joined the Giants in 2020, he decided to switch to safety. It’s been a bit since the 31-year-old played cornerback, but considering his more than 100 games of experience at the position, he could surely fill in if needed.

Buccaneers Designate RB Giovani Bernard For Return

November 21st, 2022 at 7:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers offense could soon be getting some reinforcement. The team announced that they’ve designated running back Giovani Bernard to return from injured reserve. The Buccaneers now have three weeks to activate the running back to their active roster.

Bernard landed on injured reserve in September after suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. In his one-plus games this season, the 30-year-old exclusively played on special teams, including one kickoff return.

The RB hasn’t played a significant offensive role since joining the Buccaneers in 2021, as he finished his first season in Tampa Bay with only 181 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 31 touches. However, he’s only two years removed from a 2020 campaign that saw him finish with 771 yards from scrimmage. Leonard Fournette suffered a hip injury last week, but thanks to a Week 11 bye week, he should be good to go on Sunday. Rachaad White had a career day while filling in for Fournette, finishing with 105 rushing yards on 22 carries. Bernard made a name for himself as a pass-catcher in Cincinnati, and if Leonard’s hip injury lingers, the veteran could end up seeing more offensive snaps.

The Buccaneers got some more good injury news today, as guard Luke Goedeke and wideout Russell Gage returned to practice, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Gage has missed a month with a hamstring injury, and with the offseason acquisition now back on the field, Tom Brady will have a full grouping of wideouts heading into the final stretch of the season. Goedeke’s foot injury forced him to miss a chunk of time, and the veteran has since been jumped in the starting lineup by Nick Leverett.

Meanwhile, while safety Logan Ryan has been working out with the team, he still hasn’t been activated from injured reserve. The veteran defensive back’s foot surgery landed him on IR back in October.

Buccaneers To Place S Logan Ryan On IR

October 18th, 2022 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Logan Ryan will be moving off the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster due to a fractured foot, but the team is not shutting him down for the season just yet.

The Bucs are planning to place Ryan on IR, and surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. Ryan still plans to be back late this season, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes (via Twitter). Ryan has missed Tampa Bay’s past two games. While he must miss at least four more because of this transaction, it sounds like he will need more than the IR minimum to recover.

A Giants cap casualty in March, Ryan joined the Bucs soon after. He has not been a full-time starter with his fourth NFL team, but the Bucs have used the veteran defensive back regularly. Ryan has played 54% of the Bucs’ defensive snaps in the games in which he has suited up; he suffered the injury against the Chiefs in Week 4. Ryan, 31, is attached to a one-year, $1.12MM deal.

Tampa Bay played without Ryan, safety Mike Edwards and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting in its Week 6 loss in Pittsburgh. The team used Keanu Neal alongside starter Antoine Winfield Jr. at safety Sunday. Neal, who joined Ryan in signing with the Bucs this offseason, figures to be in line for more work going forward. During his short time with the Bucs, Ryan has upped his career INT count to 19 and his career start number to 117.

Ryan’s timeline mirrors Ryan Jensen‘s. The team carried its starting center through to its 53-man roster past cutdown day, doing so despite Jensen suffering a serious knee injury during training camp. But Jensen has an outside chance to suit up again should the Bucs book their third straight playoff berth. Ryan appears to have a much better chance of returning to action this season, but the ex-Patriots, Titans and Giants defender will still need to wait a while before that window opens.

Buccaneers To Re-Sign S Logan Ryan

August 31st, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 31: As expected, Ryan is coming back to the Bucs. Todd Bowles confirmed Wednesday the veteran safety, despite being cut Tuesday, will re-sign with the team.

AUGUST 30: For the time being, Logan Ryan is off the Buccaneers’ roster. It remains to be seen if the veteran defensive back will return.

As they move down to the 53-man max Tuesday, the Bucs released Ryan, per Pewter Report. As a vested veteran, Ryan can move through waivers and could opt to return to the Bucs — after they have made necessary roster moves.

One of those moves will be shifting Ryan Jensen to injured reserve. While Jensen suffered a severe injury, the veteran center is not viewed as out for the season just yet. A potential return in the playoffs has not been ruled out. But Jensen will be off Tampa Bay’s roster soon. That could open the door to Ryan coming back, though other teams are now free to negotiate with the former Patriots, Titans and Giants defender.

The Bucs did not give Ryan any fully guaranteed money to add Ryan, whom the Giants cut in March, this offseason. But the veteran drew steady praise from Tampa Bay’s coaches during training camp, The Athletic’s Greg Auman tweets.

Considering this could be Tom Brady‘s final year with the Bucs (and/or final year in the NFL), keeping a proven veteran like Ryan, 31, would make sense. The Bucs lost Jordan Whitehead in free agency, leading to the Ryan move. They also signed Keanu Neal this offseason. Ryan can be re-signed as soon as Wednesday, if that is the route the Bucs are going.

Buccaneers Set 53-Man Roster

August 30th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the Buccaneers moved their roster down to the 53-man max Tuesday:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

  • OLB Elijah Ponder

Placed on IR:

Ryan is expected to return soon, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets. His release — from a contract containing no fully guaranteed money — is likely connected to Ryan Jensen‘s impending IR trip.

The Bucs should also be expected to retain Griffin on their 16-man practice squad, which can include up to six vested vets. Griffin has gone through a lengthy career without much actual usage. A 2013 Saints UDFA, Griffin has been with the Bucs since September 2015. Odds are, after he re-signed to stay in Tampa again this offseason, the veteran QB is part of the initial 2022 Bucs P-squad. Griffin, 32, has played in two career games. He would be the Bucs’ fourth passer — behind Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask — if kept. So, the same arrangement as 2021.

The Bucs signed Avery last week. Avery spent the offseason with the Steelers but did not make their cut to 80; the Steelers have since traded for Broncos backup OLB Malik Reed. Borregales’ exit will give Ryan Succop the kicker job for a third straight year. After the Bucs went through several years of kicker instability, Succop has done well to inject reliability into the equation. Succop’s extension runs through 2023.

Latest On Tampa Bay’s Cornerbacks Room

July 17th, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Buccaneers allowed depth players Richard Sherman and Pierre Desir to walk in free agency this offseason, but held onto their most important free agent cornerback when they re-signed Carlton Davis to a three-year, $45MM contract. Besides the departures of Sherman and Desir, and the rookie depth additions that counteract them, the room looks quite the same as it did last season. If the position group can stay healthy, how does the depth chart play out with most of last year’s contributors returning? Let’s take a look. 

Davis is the only for sure starter at cornerback for Tampa Bay. He’s been a consistent starter since getting drafted in the second round in 2018, but really broke out in his second year of NFL football. After a rookie season that saw him break up only 4 passes, Davis exploded in coverage recording 19, 18, and 11 passes defensed in each year after. Davis has six interceptions in his first four seasons (four in 2020, alone), but his 52 total passes defensed says plenty about his ability to make plays on the ball. He’ll enter the season as the team’s No. 1 cornerback, with questions surrounding who will be No. 2.

Jamel Dean is likely the top prospect to start opposite Davis in base formations. He or his competition for that second spot, Sean Murphy-Bunting, would still see plenty of the field as the third cornerback, as the Buccaneers primarily utilize a nickel defense, but, when utilizing only four defensive backs, Dean is currently the favorite to be on the field. Not only are they competing for a spot atop the depth chart, but, considering both were members of Tampa Bay’s 2019 draft class, they will also be striving to earn a new payday like Davis’ in their contract years.

Dean didn’t enter the 2021 NFL season as a starter, but, after an elbow injury sent Murphy-Bunting to injured reserve, Dean took over and made the most of his opportunity. Dean has consistently missed at least two games every season with injury, but, considering the extended time Davis and Murphy-Bunting missed last season, two games doesn’t seem so bad. With 33 passes defensed, Dean has shown the ability in coverage to stay close and make plays on the ball. The biggest downside to his game is that Dean hasn’t quite been able to convert those plays into turnovers, only totaling five interceptions over three seasons. Dean possesses ideal size and speed for the position and was even graded one slot above Davis last season according to Pro Football Focus’ position rankings (subscription required).

Murphy-Bunting was drafted one round earlier than Dean and, so far, his opportunities have reflected that. Last year was the first that saw Murphy-Bunting miss time due to injury, but that doesn’t make Dean’s impressive showing in his absence any less inimical to Murphy-Bunting’s starting role. The injury last season really limited Murphy-Bunting, as PFF graded him out as the 90th cornerback in the NFL, compared to Dean and Davis’s 20th and 21st, respectively. Murphy-Bunting has shown the player he can be when healthy, though, and if that version of him shows up for competition, he may find his way back into a solidified starting role. As a rookie, Murphy-Bunting showed off his ball skills with three interceptions. While he only has one pick in the next two regular seasons, he was able to reel in an interception in three-straight playoff games in 2020. Which version of Murphy-Bunting the Buccaneers get this season will largely affect the starting roles, but, as mentioned above, Tampa Bay’s nickel defense should allow plenty of snaps for both Dean and Murphy-Bunting.

Now Tampa Bay does have another option. If either Dean or Murphy-Bunting struggle coming into the season, the Buccaneers could move Logan Ryan, whom they signed in the offseason to fill in the free safety role left vacant by Jordan Whitehead‘s departure, back to his natural position of cornerback. Ryan hasn’t played cornerback since 2019, but he serves as a more-than-qualified “break glass in case of emergency” option.

Behind the top three corners, Tampa Bay returns Ross Cockrell, Dee Delaney, and Rashard Robinson. Cockrell is a journeyman cornerback with plenty of starting experience with his past teams. He and Delaney filled in a bit as starters when Davis and Murphy-Bunting were out last year, but, over the course of the season, Cockrell proved the most effective backup cornerback. Delaney made the most of his defensive opportunities getting an interception and two passes defensed in five games of extended action on defense. Delaney is a core special teamer, though, and really only serves as a depth piece on defense. Similarly, though Robinson has starting experience from his time in San Francisco, he mainly served as a reserve cornerback last year in Tampa Bay.

Rookie fifth-round pick Zyon McCollum and undrafted rookies Kyler McMichael and Don Gardner round out the roster for Tampa Bay at cornerback. They may be able to fight their way onto the 53-man roster by proving their worth on special teams, but McCollum is probably the only rookie here who may find his way into the cornerback rotation as a depth piece.

Tampa Bay’s nickel look should field, essentially, four cornerbacks, with Davis, Dean, Murphy-Bunting, and Ryan all surrounding starting strong safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Dean and Murphy-Bunting will compete throughout the preseason to determine who stays on the field in base formations. Cockrell and Delaney will likely continue their role as key backups. Robinson may find himself competing with McCollum for a roster spot, with McMichael and Gardner attempting to beat the odds. The Buccaneers know they can achieve success with this roster of cornerbacks, based on its similarities to last season, but just how they choose to employ their corners will determine how much success they can achieve.

Logan Ryan Files Grievance Against Giants

April 24th, 2022 at 9:38am CST by Rory Parks

Safety Logan Ryan was signed by the Buccaneers in March, one day after being released by the Giants. Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Ryan has filed a grievance against Big Blue (Twitter link).

The Ryan release was not necessarily part of new Giants GM Joe Schoen‘s efforts to shed payroll and make his club cap-compliant; the transaction was only expected to net about $775K of cap space for 2022, since Ryan was not designated a post-June 1 cut. Instead, parting ways with Ryan had more to do with the fact that he is 31 and was deemed to be an imperfect fit in New York’s new defensive regime (and it did clear $12.25MM off the books for 2023).

Ryan was due an $8.5MM salary in 2022, and $5.5MM of that figure was fully-guaranteed. The remaining $3MM, which is at issue in the grievance, was guaranteed for injury. As Duggan reports in a separate tweet, Ryan underwent postseason finger surgery, so his position is that the injury guarantee should kick in and that he is entitled to an additional $3MM. Until the matter is resolved, 40% of the disputed amount, or $1.2MM, will remain on the Giants’ cap.

Schoen has just two safeties on the roster at the moment (2019 fourth-rounder Julian Love and 2020 second-rounder Xavier McKinney). The Giants currently hold the Nos. 5 and 7 overall picks and will therefore have a good chance to draft star Notre Dame safety/do-it-all weapon Kyle Hamilton, but with plenty of other holes at more valuable positions, the club may choose to pass on the former Golden Domer and address its safety needs with later picks or in post-draft free agency.

Ryan, meanwhile, went from a rebuilding team to a championship contender. By reuniting with former Patriots teammate Tom Brady in Tampa, Ryan will have a chance to add a third Super Bowl ring to his collection as part of a safety group that includes Antoine Winfield Jr., Mike Edwards, and fellow free agent acquisition Keanu Neal.

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