Logan Ryan - Pro Football Rumors

Logan Ryan Discusses Free Agency, Jets Rumors

May 14th, 2020 at 9:06am CST by Ben Levine

Logan Ryan is clearing the air. Following reports that the veteran cornerback was close to signing with the Jets, Ryan said on Good Morning Football that he’s “completely open for business.”

“[The] Jets…it makes a lot of sense because I’m from the area, I went to Rutgers. I’m blue collar,” Ryan said (via GMFB on Twitter). “[I’m] trying to do what’s best for my family. Obviously there’s a lot of rumors out there. I can’t confirm any of it because I’m obviously still not signed yet. We’ll see. I obviously want to get a deal done whenever, and I’m open to it. So we’ll see what happens there.

“But I’m also open to pretty much 30 other franchises, except for the Titans, that’s the only one I’ve ruled out thus far. So I’m completely open for business.”

On Tuesday, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported that the Jets organization believed they were on the verge of signing Ryan. However, nothing has materialized 48 hours later, and we’ve since heard that the Dolphins could still have interest in the 29-year-old.

As ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes on Twitter, the cornerback could simply be looking to “stimulate his market” with today’s appearance. Throughout the offseason, Ryan has been pretty adamant that he wants a contract that would pay him around $10MM per season. He previously approached the Titans with a suggested one-year, $9.5MM contract, which they rejected. As a result, Ryan bid farewell to the organization, as he alluded to this morning.

After winning a pair of Super Bowls during his four seasons in New England, Ryan signed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Titans back in 2017. He started each of his 45 regular season games with Tennessee, including a 2019 campaign where he set career-highs in tackles (113), passes defended (18), sacks (4.5), and forced fumbles (four).

Dolphins Still Interested In Logan Ryan?

May 12th, 2020 at 4:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The team with two cornerbacks signed for more than $15MM per year may still have interest in adding another veteran. The Dolphins are still in the mix for Logan Ryan, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link).

Ryan and the Dolphins have engaged in recent discussions, per Garafolo, even if the Jets may now be a better bet to land the ex-Patriots and Titans defender. Ryan has said he will not return to the Titans. The Dolphins were high on Ryan in March, but no deal commenced. The 29-year-old cornerback has remained in free agency for nearly two months.

A report earlier Tuesday indicated the Jets are expected to land Ryan, who still wants $10MM per year. That may be unrealistic at this point in the offseason, but the Jets have a far bigger need at corner than the Dolphins.

Miami extended Xavien Howard on a $15.1MM-AAV deal last year and in March made Byron Jones the NFL’s first $16MM-per-year cornerback. In terms of per-year salary, Jones and Howard are the NFL’s second- and third-highest-paid corners. If that wasn’t enough, the Dolphins drafted Noah Igbinoghene in the first round.

Brian Flores, however, was on New England’s staff throughout Ryan’s Patriots tenure. The Dolphins have already added ex-Pats Eric Rowe, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts and Ted Karras since Flores’ arrival. Ryan could be seen as a slot stopgap while Igbinoghene develops. The Dolphins are still among the leaders in cap space, holding $23.4MM.

New York released the ineffective Trumaine Johnson but signed Pierre Desir shortly after his Colts release. The Jets also brought back slot corner Brian Poole but drafted just one corner — Virginia’s Bryce Hall, in Round 5 — this year. Ryan would fit in as a veteran to play alongside Desir and Poole potentially.

Jets To Sign CB Logan Ryan?

May 12th, 2020 at 10:47am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets believe they’re close to signing one of the best remaining free agents. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the organization “believes” they’ll land cornerback Logan Ryan on a one-year deal. Meanwhile, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano hears that while the Jets are interested, no formal offer has been made just yet. It’s a situation to monitor, but it’s not signed, sealed, and delivered as of this writing.

We heard last month that the Jets were looking to “free up money” so they could make a run at the veteran defensive back. While the organization will eventually have the necessary funds to add Ryan (they’ll have $14MM in space come June 1st), a signing was dependent on “Gang Green’s relatively stringent budget.” Indeed, Mehta notes that the impending signing revolved around “ownership’s willingness to dole out enough cash this year.”

After winning a pair of Super Bowls during his four seasons in New England, Ryan signed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Titans back in 2017. He started each of his 45 regular season games with Tennessee, but it doesn’t sound like a reunion was ever in the cards. Ryan bid farewell to the organization earlier this month, and he later revealed that the front office wouldn’t consider his suggested one-year, $9.5MM contract.

Ryan had one of his most productive seasons in 2019, setting career-highs in tackles (113), passes defended (18), sacks (4.5), and forced fumbles (four). Even if the veteran does eventually transition to safety, Mehta previously opined that he’s “the kind of player that [defensive coordinator Gregg] Williams covets.

The Jets have been busy revamping their secondary this offseason. The front office signed Pierre Desir, traded for Quincy Wilson, and re-signed Brian Poole. They also added safety Ashtyn Davis in the third round of the draft.

Latest On Logan Ryan

May 11th, 2020 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

Last week, free agent cornerback Logan Ryan bid farewell to the Titans. But, before that, he says they rejected his pitch: A new one-year pact to match last year’s salary of $9.5MM.

“I was willing to come back and work with the team on a one-year deal to earn the right for an extension or to go back to free agency next year,” Ryan told the McCourty twins on their podcast (transcript via ESPN.com). “I just wanted my salary that I made last year. You play well in a contract year, you’re going to get paid. I wanted to keep that thing going, but they weren’t really interested in that.”

“It’s just a business. Tennessee really never offered me a contract. They never really talked extension or free agency. They never really tried to bring me back.”

Meanwhile, Ryan is waiting for business to pick up. The 29-year-old started all 16 games for the Titans last year as their top slot man and helped them reach the AFC title game. He also set new career watermarks in tackles (113), passes defended (18), sacks (4.5), and forced fumbles (four).

However, his market has been slow to develop, and his price tag probably has something to do with it. Teams, he says, are “taking their time.” Ryan says he’s received multi-year offers from teams, though he’s still waiting for the right fit.

The Jets and Giants still have needs at cornerback and would make some sense for Ryan. The Titans, meanwhile, are going in a different direction – they selected LSU product Kristian Fulton in the second round and even gave him No. 26, Ryan’s old number.

Logan Ryan Won’t Return To Titans

May 5th, 2020 at 2:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Logan Ryan isn’t sure where he’ll be playing in 2020. The only thing he does know is that it won’t be with the Titans. On Tuesday, the free agent cornerback took to Instagram to bid farewell to his fans in Tennessee.

“To the Titans’ fans: Thank you for all the love. The energy and support this past season is what led to an epic run,” Ryan wrote. “To my Titans teammates: I love all y’all. Being a leader and earning y’all respect is what meant most to me. Win or lose we stuck together and backed down from no one.”

Ryan joined the Titans on a three-year, $30MM contract prior to the 2017 season and became a fixture in the starting lineup. This year, they’re going in a different direction. Ryan finished out 2019 with 113 tackles and 4.5 sacks, showing that he’s still an effective player. With a proven track record and the ability to move around the secondary, Ryan shouldn’t have a hard time finding work – it just boils down to how much he’s asking for.

In March, Ryan refused to accept anything less than the $10MM salary he earned on his last deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Jets, who struck out on most of their targets this spring, would be a logical fit, and they’ll have the cap room to sign someone like Ryan once Trumaine Johnson is off the books. The Giants, who could use some support on both the outside and in the slot, would also make some sense for Ryan.

Jets Eyeing CB Logan Ryan

April 18th, 2020 at 9:35am CST by Ben Levine

Logan Ryan could be heading back to the AFC East. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the Jets have discussed making a run at the veteran cornerback. The Jets would need to “free up money” in order to pursue the 29-year-old.

We heard earlier this offseason that Ryan was hoping to earn at least $10MM in 2020. As Mehta notes, the Jets are currently sitting with around $10MM in cap space, although they’ll open up an additional $11MM in cash after June 1st thanks to the Trumaine Johnson designation. While the financials would obviously work (especially if Ryan is willing to lower his demands), “Gang Green’s relatively stringent budget would have to be loosened,” according to the reporter.

The versatile defensive back would be a logical fit for Gregg Williams‘ defense. Ryan had one of his most productive seasons in 2019, setting career-highs in tackles (113), passes defended (18), sacks (4.5), and forced fumbles (four). Even if the veteran does eventually transition to safety, Mehta is of the opinion that he’s “the kind of player that Williams covets.”

After winning a pair of Super Bowls during his four seasons in New England, Ryan signed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Titans back in 2017. He’s started each of his 45 regular season games with Tennessee, and there were rumblings earlier this month that he could end up landing back with the Titans.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Ngakoue, Titans

April 1st, 2020 at 9:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts clearly made a quarterback upgrade a top priority this offseason. In addition to the research done on Philip Rivers and Tom Brady, and a Nick Foles trade inquiry with a division rival, the Colts looked into Andy Dalton. The Colts discussed Dalton with the Bengals, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets (video link). It is not clear how far the discussions progressed, but Rapoport suggests Dalton would have needed to agree to reduce his 2020 salary. The veteran quarterback is set to make $17.5MM in base salary. The Colts viewed Rivers as a better option than Foles, Rapoport adds, and may well have felt the same about the prospect of giving up assets for Dalton as opposed to paying Rivers $25MM.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

Yannick Ngakoue still wants out of Jacksonville. The franchise-tagged defensive end insists he wants a trade from the Jaguars because of issues with the franchise that do not involve money, the disgruntled defensive end tweets. The Jaguars fired executive VP Tom Coughlin late last season. Grievances came the Jags’ way due largely to Coughlin’s actions, and Jalen Ramsey expressed issues with the since-dismissed exec. Ngakoue still harboring ill will toward the franchise suggests he took issue with Jaguars staffers beyond Coughlin. Ngakoue left Jags OTAs last year, skipped minicamp and broke off extension talks with the organization. The Jags were believed to have taken the unusual step of offering Ngakoue a short-term deal. It appears he will be traded this offseason.
Logan Ryan remains a free agent, but it does not seem the door is closed on the veteran cornerback returning to Tennessee. The Titans have maintained talks with Ryan’s representation, Tennessee GM Jon Robinson said Wednesday. The last we heard on Ryan, the longtime starter was holding out hope for a $10MM-per-year offer. That being nearly two weeks ago points to Ryan maybe needing to settle for less.
Robinson expressed similar strategies regarding his team’s backup quarterback and backup running back situations. The Titans are not satisfied with these spots, though they are not ruling out respective promotions for Logan Woodside and Dalyn Dawkins. However, Robinson said the team will keep monitoring the free agent market and look in the draft for potential upgrades. The Titans released Dion Lewis, their complementary back of the past two years, and predictably let Marcus Mariota walk in free agency.
The Titans also will hold a kicking competition. They signed Greg Joseph off the Panthers’ practice squad last year and moved on from Ryan Succop this offseason, but Robinson adds that the team will bring in another kicker to vie for the job with Joseph. Tennessee kickers made a stunning eight field goals last season, going 8-for-18 on the season.

Titans’ Logan Ryan Holding Out For $10MM/Year

March 19th, 2020 at 12:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Titans free agent defensive back Logan Ryan stands as one of the best players still on the market. With that in mind, he’s not about to leap at any offer thrown his way.

Ryan is entertaining all offers and he’s willing to consider a short-term deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears from someone close to him. However, he’s unwilling to accept anything less than the ~$10MM salary he earned in 2019.

Ryan joined the Titans on a three-year, $30MM contract prior to the 2017 season. He’s been a fixture in the starting lineup ever since. Last year, Ryan finished out with 113 tackles and 4.5 sacks. With a proven track record and the ability to move around the secondary, Ryan figures to find a solid payday in the coming days.

East Notes: Fins, Tua, Peters, Anderson

March 3rd, 2020 at 8:15pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard back in January that the Dolphins may pursue some of the Patriots’ top FAs, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the ‘Fins are indeed expected to go after guard Joe Thuney. Miami also has interest in Devin McCourty, Ted Karras, and Kyle Van Noy, though the extent of that interest is unclear.

Per Jackson, the Dolphins are also high on former Patriots CB Logan Ryan, who spent the last three years with the Titans. And Ryan would seriously consider joining up with Miami if the club does make an effort to sign him.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions, starting with another item out of South Beach:

Recent reports have suggested that the Dolphins are cooling on Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa and that the team is resigned to the fact that he will be off the board by the time they’re on the clock with the No. 5 overall pick. Jackson says Miami gave Tagovailoa the cold shoulder at the combine, but that was likely just a ploy to suggest that they’re not interested when they really are, and draft gurus Todd McShay and Daniel Jeremiah still expect the Fins to land Tagovailoa.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson may want LT Jason Peters back, but the team’s brass as a whole is split as to whether to re-sign Peters or move forward with 2019 first-rounder Andre Dillard, as Albert Breer of SI.com reports. The money they save on a new Peters contract could be re-invested in the rest of the O-line, so Philly could choose to move on from the 38-year-old free agent.
Although Robby Anderson may find himself as the best receiver on the free agent market, the Jets are still expected to try to re-sign him. But according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, New York will not pursue a re-up unless Anderson’s price goes no higher than $10MM per year.
John Keim of ESPN.com takes a stab at how the Redskins will spend their money in free agency. Unsurprisingly, he believes Washington will target CB, TE, WR, and RB.

Titans Place Logan Ryan On IR

December 18th, 2018 at 11:16am CST by Zachary Links

It’s official now. On Tuesday, the Titans placed cornerback Logan Ryan on season-ending injured reserve.

Ryan suffered a broken fibula on Sunday, which automatically 86’d him for the season. It’s a bad blow for the Titans, who are still fighting for a playoff spot with two games remaining in the regular season. Through 15 weeks of action, the 27-year-old had a career high of four sacks plus 76 tackles and eight passes defensed.

Without Ryan, the Titans will need some vintage performances from Malcolm Butler and quality support from reserves Leshaun Sims and Joshua Kalu. Adoree’ Jackson, who is having the best season of any Titans corner, now stands as the club’s unquestioned CB1.

To help fill the void, the Titans promoted cornerback Kenneth Durden from the practice squad to the active roster. Durden, 26, appeared in five games for the Titans earlier this year, and those contests represent the entirety of his NFL experience.

The Titans, without Ryan, face the Redskins this week before a crucial showdown with the Colts in Week 17.