The New York Giants leaned on veteran safety Logan Ryan significantly over the past few seasons to be their captain and leader on defense. Ryan has nine years of experience under his belt and two Super Bowls to go with it. After Xavier McKinney suffered a foot fracture during his rookie season, the Giants called upon Ryan to fill the void, which he did admirably.
In fact, he played so well that he earn himself a big extension, but that quickly came to an end after the Giants fired former head coach Joe Judge and general manager Dave Gettleman retired.
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The New York Giants needed to move on from Ryan due to scheme-relate purposes:
Ryan left an impression on the organization as a great human and productive player. However, the new coaching staff wanted to go in a different direction, which Ryan to personally after he was cut.
“Does it give you a chip that you have on your shoulder? Like, what’s it like to hear that?” Jim Rome’s said during an interview with Logan Ryan on his show recently.
“I think I definitely took it personal,” Ryan answered. “I guess he’s a little bit of a chip because I felt like I gave it all I had in New York.”
Last season for the Giants, Ryan picked up 117 combined tackles, 77 solo tackles, and eight passes defended. He also generated two forced fumbles, showcasing his versatility in the defensive backfield.
Logan aligned in the slot for 187 snaps, 209 snaps in the box, and 527 at free safety. He paired nicely with Xavier McKinney, but the Giants want to go in a different direction after hiring Wink Martindale to be their defensive coordinator.
Ryan isn’t known for his hard-hitting capabilities, and his coverage has degraded with age. Martindale features a heavy man-coverage system that relies on big hitters from the safety position. That is why they went out and drafted Dane Belton out of Iowa to supplement Ryan and Jabrill Peppers’s loss.
However, it seems that Logan is still hurt by the decision to cut him, re-signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a one-year deal for the 2022 season.