logan ryan

New York Giants: Logan Ryan Studying “20 Hours A Day” Before Opener

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New York Giants, Logan Ryan

The New York Giants open up their season soon, and they’ll have Logan Ryan in their starting lineup when they do so. Ryan and the Giants look like a match made in heaven.

While there was some apprehension from fans earlier on, the Giants needed another cornerback and Ryan needed a team. They lost DeAndre Baker to a legal case this offseason and the only other options at second cornerback were very under-qualified for the role. Ryan, on the other hand, just wanted to play after failing to find a team for most of free agency.

It looks so far like Ryan is working pretty hard to make sure his start with the team is a good one. On Monday, Ryan gave some insight on just what he’s been up to.

Logan Ryan studying hard in preparation for season

Ryan claims his prep for the 2020 season includes study. A lot of study. In fact, trying to get his hands on an iPad to study the playbook is one of the first things Ryan did after getting on the team.

“I begged for an iPad, they gave me one. I’ve been studying film about 20 hours a day, a variety of positions. I got to see my mom who lives an hour south obviously. She’s scared to death of the sun right now because of COVID. I got to see her for a half hour and then right back to the film,” Ryan told reporters on Monday. “My wife and kids are back home in Nashville where they’re at. I’m up here by myself. I have nothing to do but watch a ton of film and start preparing for the Steelers.”

Ryan also went into another valuable fact. Experience. Most of the Giants haven’t played under the current head coach or DC, but that’s not a problem for Ryan.

“Luckily, I have played for Pat Graham, I’ve played for Joe Judge before. It’s a system that I’m familiar with. I played in the system before in my career, so I think that helped me a little bit with the terminology and things of that nature.”

It’s important that Ryan adapts quickly, because there’s not much time between his signing with the team and the season opener. NFL playbooks are huge, after all, and a player is only effective if they can carry out the plays effectively.

We’ll see in less than a week if Ryan can be a productive player and run the team’s defensive playbook correctly after such a short time to study it.

New York Giants announce Logan Ryan signing

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New York Giants, Logan Ryan

The New York Giants announced on Friday that they’ve signed cornerback Logan Ryan.

Ryan, 29, spent the last three seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He started 16 games in 2019, totaling four interceptions, four and a half sacks and 113 combined tackles. Across his seven-year NFL career, Ryan has totaled 17 interceptions, 11 sacks and 494 combined tackles.

The Rutgers product was selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, where he resided for the first four seasons of his career.

The Giants signing Ryan comes in the wake of a handful of defensive backs being absent from training camp. DeAndre Baker has been charged with four counts of robbery with a firearm; Sam Beal opted out of the 2020 season; Xavier McKinney suffered a fractured foot last week.

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said in a Wednesday press conference that Ryan “fills a lot of roles” on defense (quotes via Giants.com).

“One of the things you guys will see once we start playing games, we’re going to be pretty multi-dimensional on defense. You are going to see a lot of stuff and Logan fills a lot of roles. It’s at a point where, what does being a starting player mean? It means probably playing 75, 80 percent on defense. He’ll be well up there. We see him as a fit in a lot of different roles. He had quite a year last year, you guys know that. Tennessee used him a little bit differently and it certainly gives you ideas about how to use him. He’ll be fine.”

The Giants active defensive backfield depth chart includes Ryan, James Bradberry, Jabrill Peppers, Julian Love, rookies Darnay Holmes and Chris Williamson and Isaac Yiadom, who was acquired on Wednesday from the Denver Broncos.

The Giants open the 2020 season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, Sept. 14.

Did the Giants Actually Get Better in the Secondary This Summer?

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The New York Giants have suffered some key losses in their secondary this summer with the legal issues surrounding DeAndre Baker, Xavier McKinney’s broken foot bone and Sam Beal’s decision to opt out.

But in recent days, general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge have added several players who could end up actually making the secondary better than it was with those three lost players.

What? Hear me out.

Baker was Elvis “Taost” Patterson redux last year. He was confused and out of place until the very end of the season. There was no indication that he was on the verge of tuning his career around this season. Same for Beal, who was headed into his third season with just six NFL games under his belt in his first two years in Blue.

McKinney is a promising rookie, but still, he’s a rookie and we all know what comes with that: rookie mistakes.

The two constants in the Giants’ secondary coming into this season are still there: cornerback James Bradberry and safety Jabrill Peppers. McKinney’s injury has led to two positive things happening: more playing time for Julian Love and the signing of veteran safety/corner Logan Ryan.

The Giants also traded for cornerback Isaac Yiadom, a former third round pick of the Denver Broncos out of Boston College. Throw in the two free agent additions of Montre Hartage, Brandon Williams, KeiVarae Russell and Jarren Williams along with the already existing players on the roster: Darnay Holmes, Corey Ballentine, Grant Haley, Sean Chandler, Chris Williamson and Dravon Askew-Henry and the coaches have more than enough to choose from when forming their 53-man roster and 16-player practice squad.

I see the starters being Bradberry and Ryan at the corners with Peppers and Love at safety with Holmes in the slot. Of course, you could flip Ryan with Love or Holmes if you wish. That’s the beauty of this lineup. It’s not bad at all. Don’t listen to anyone trying to tell you otherwise. Baker and Beal were unknowns and the rookie McKinney may or may not have been an upgrade over Ryan or Love.

Don’t forget Yiadom also has experience as a starter in this league. He started eight games last season for Denver and the Giants still have Hartage, Haley and Chandler, three players who have seen a lot of action in their short careers and several other promising youngsters.

Nice job by the Giants filling these holes before the season.

New York Giants: Logan Ryan On Top Of Offseason Training

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New York Jets, Logan Ryan, Tennessee Titans

The New York Giants secondary has taken some hits recently with an injury to Xavier McKinney and the absence of DeAndre Baker for now at the cornerback position. However, they took one big step forward by signing experienced corner Logan Ryan, who slots right into the starting lineup on the defense.

There’s some doubters, of course – there usually are with expensive signings, but the Giants didn’t have many options outside of doing this deal. However, based on what Logan Ryan’s offseason trainers told the New York Post, there’s good reason for fans to be on the optimistic side about the new addition.

That’s because Ryan has held nothing back in training so far, even when he was an unsigned free agent and it was questionable if he would play this season.

Logan Ryan working hard this offseason

Ryan dealt with not being on an NFL roster at the start of training camp by bringing in his own trainers, and if their claims are true, Giants fans have reason to be excited about the new signing.

“Logan came out there with his helmet and pads every day, so I had to have the EMTs on high alert. He made me feel like I was going to pass out sometimes,” said trainer Yo Murphy. That’s somewhat impressive because Murphy isn’t your average trainer – he had a football career himself, bouncing between the NFL and CFL and racking up 9 career receptions in the former.

He’s not the only one with that sentiment.

“I felt like there was a chip on his shoulder,” said one of Ryan’s other trainers, Jason Spray. “He’s always kind of trained that way, but this offseason he was determined to prove some people wrong. He understood from the get-go that someone was going to give him an opportunity, and he mentioned several times he was hoping to go back home.”

He says that Ryan wanted to run three miles every day. Sometimes, they had to compromise and Ryan did less – for the sake of his trainers, not himself.

Last season, Ryan had a big increase in tackles and achieved his career high. He had 113 compared to 76 the previous season, and hit the quarterback a career high 8 times for that matter. His passes defended also increased by 10, jumping from 8 to 18.

The Giants are getting an experienced veteran at a position they really needed help at with this signing. Furthermore, they’re getting a veteran that improved quite a bit last season, which is a pretty good reason to be confident the Giants made the right choice on this one.

New York Giants: What is Logan Ryan bringing to Big Blue in 2020?

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New York Giants, Logan Ryan

After months of waiting, Logan Ryan has finally found a home with the New York Giants for the 2020 season:

Logan Ryan will be returning home to New Jersey as he has signed with the New York Giants. The seventh-year veteran cornerback recently signed a new agent who lowered his asking price making many teams interested in Ryan. One of these teams was Big Blue allowing for a New Jersey reunion for Ryan and his family.

The Rutgers product started all 16 games for the Titans last year, where he played phenomenally. Ryan recorded 113 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, four interceptions, and 18 pass breakups. The 29-year-old essentially did everything for Tennessee, and it showed on the stat sheet as he was in the top 15% of cornerbacks in all of these categories. Ryan’s 4.5 sacks, 113 tackles, and nine tackles for loss were all first among cornerbacks. The defensive back also started three playoff games where he recorded two pass deflections, two tackles for loss, 25 tackles, and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown, ending Tom Brady’s time in New England.

Ryan was a swiss army knife for the Titans as he rushed the quarterback at times while also being one of their best coverage men. This offered Tennessee something many teams did not have, a true tackler and capable pass rusher in the slot. Ryan’s ability to do it all in Nashville showed out in the run game as he helped the team allow a mere 104.5 rushing yards per game.

The two time Super Bowl champion will bring this versatility to New York as he will pursue a starting defensive back role in Big Blue’s new-look defense. It is to be determined if he will play in the slot, outside, or even safety, but it appears as the Giants signed Ryan to be a day one starter and potential mentor to the young secondary.

The secondary currently has several players age 25 or younger (Jabrill Peppers, Julian Love, Corey Ballentine, Darnay Holmes, Grant Haley, etc.). Ryan’s thorough experience as a successful defensive back should help mentor and develop these young talents, which the Giants will need to rely on in the future. However, for this year, Ryan should be the day one starter at some secondary position, and if it were up to him, it would be free safety.

With Giants’ rookie safety Xavier McKinney suffering a foot injury, a transition to free safety seems logical for Logan Ryan. As shown by the graphic, Ryan’s numbers last year were at par with or better than the league’s best, and as a full-time free safety, he could look to do even better. At free safety, Ryan would likely continue to get work in the slot and be active in the run and pass rush game in which he excels.

The Giants’ current free safety is second-year Notre Dame alum, Julian Love. The 2019 fourth-round selection played solid for New York, recording 37 tackles, three pass deflections, and one interception in five starts at the end of last season. While the contrary may be believed, the signing of Ryan should actually help Love’s performance as he will now be able to play more in the slot and will receive a great mentor at free safety. Patrick Graham, New York’s new defensive coordinator, likes to use three safety schemes, so it will also not be uncommon to see both Love and Ryan on the field together.

This signing of Ryan also reunites him with former coach Joe Judge as they worked phenomenally together in New England. The two will attempt to bring their pass defense expertise learned from defensive expert Bill Belichick and help a Giants secondary that ranked in the bottom fourth of the league. Ryan will try to recreate some of this work that led to two super bowls under Judge and Belichick as a member of the New York Giants.

BREAKING: New York Giants sign CB Logan Ryan to fill massive void in secondary

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New York Giants, Logan Ryan

The New York Giants signed former New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans cornerback Logan Ryan on Monday afternoon. He will sign of one year, $7.5 million deal, according to Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network.

What does Logan Ryan bring to the New York Giants?

With the Giants losing DeAndre Baker to the commissioner’s exempt list for the 2020 season and Sam Beal opting out due to COVID-19, the secondary has been extremely thin. Relying on youth players like Corey Ballantine, Prince Smith, and a bevy of another unproven talent, signing Ryan provides much-needed support.

At 29 years old, the New Jersey native can play cornerback on the boundary, in the slot, and safety. He played in all 16 games in 2019 with the Titans, posting 113 combined tackles, eight quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks, 18 passes defended, four forced fumbles, and four interceptions. His production in all facets of the game was extravagant, despite allowing five touchdowns in coverage. He missed 11 of 124 possible tackle attempts and posted a 66.0 completion rate against.

Ultimately, he provides serious support at a voided number two corner position. Having an experienced veteran take over will help the secondary immensely, and give the pass rush more time to leave their mark. He will have two weeks with the Giants to learn the system and become a custom with their style before the start of the regular season. Luckily, he is familiar with new head coach Joe Judge.

New York Giants, Logan Ryan have mutual interest (Report)

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New York Jets, Logan Ryan, Tennessee Titans

According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the New York Giants and free-agent cornerback Logan Ryan have mutual interest.

Ryan, 29, spent the last three seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Last season he compiled four interceptions, four and a half sacks, and 113 combined tackles. Across the Titans’ three 2019 AFC playoff games, Ryan compiled one interception and 25 combined tackles.

Across his seven seasons in the NFL, the cornerback has compiled 17 interceptions, 11 sacks, and 494 combined tackles. He was selected with the 83rd pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, where he played from 2013-16.

The Rutgers product recently changed his agent, and his former representation pitched to teams that Ryan can play safety, too.

Ryan is one of several high-profile free agents still unsigned. Defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney, Clay Matthews, and Jabaal Sheard, safety Earl Thomas and defensive tackle Damon Harrison are free agents.

The Giants secondary has taken a hit in recent weeks. Would-be second-year corner DeAndre Baker has been prosecuted on four counts of robbery with a firearm; corner Sam Beal opted out of the 2020 season; rookie safety Xavier McKinney fractured his foot, likely sidelining him for the first half of the regular season. Linebacker David Mayo recently tore his meniscus, likely sidelining him for a month.

The team’s active defensive backfield includes free-agent signee James Bradberry, Jabrill Peppers, Grant Haley, second-year players Julian Love and Corey Ballentine, and rookies Darnay Holmes and Chris Williamson, among others.

Holmes left the Giants’ Friday night intrasquad scrimmage at MetLife Stadium with a “lower” injury, and Blake Martinez missed some time with an undisclosed injury. Both players have returned to practice.

The Giants are learning a new defense under new head coach Joe Judge, administered by defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

The Giants open the 2020 NFL season on Monday, September 14 at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

New York Giants: Logan Ryan Should Be On Big Blue’s Radar

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New York Giants, Logan Ryan

The New York Giants have had a spate of bad luck in their young, talented secondary. First, DeAndre Baker, a potential starter at cornerback this season, got himself jammed up down in Florida in an assault/robbery incident that resulted in him getting indicted and then placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.

Then, third-year cornerback Sam Beal decided to opt out of playing this year due to coronavirus concerns. Now, this week comes the new that stud rookie safety Xavier McKinney broke a bone in his left foot that required surgery and will miss at least three months.

The solutions could come from within, but common sense says it probably shouldn’t.

“Any injury to our roster is a hit to us because we care about every player on our roster,” said head coach Joe Judge. “But it’s our responsibility to have everyone developed and make sure the next man is ready to go.”

At safety, that next man is Julian Love, a fourth round pick out of Notre Dame in last year’s NFL Draft who started at safety the last four games of the 2019 season. The Giants could simply hand the job back to Love and be done with it, but again, common sense says they could do better.

That is why the Giants should probably pursue former Rutgers and New England Patriots defensive back Logan Ryan, who is still available in free agency. Ryan is well known to head coach Joe Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes the Giants can certainly fit Ryan into their plans.

“A career 85-game starter, Ryan played 395 special teams snaps over his first three years with Judge as a special teams coach for the Patriots. Judge favors cross-training positions, and Ryan, 29, can play in the box, roam deep or lock into a one-on-one slot matchup.

The Giants’ reasoning for staying pat makes sense: With the NFL salary cap potentially dropping by 11.6 percent to $175 million per team in 2021, there is value in rolling over unused 2020 space (currently $25.6 million) to soften the blow when the team is more competitive. Ryan was willing to take a one-year, $10 million contract to return to the Tennessee Titans and initially wanted at least that annual salary to change teams.”

The Giants are apparently weighing their options. The salary cap will be going down in 2021 and they have a lot of mouths to feed. Evan Engram, Dalvin Tomlinson, Leonard Williams headline the list of players who will be free agents next year. With less cap room to play around with, they have to be smart with how they deploy their resources.

The rollover will go a long way in helping pay those young stars. McKinney will be back next year. So will Beal most likely and who knows about Baker. Using $10 million of that on Ryan, who could be seen as a band-aid for one year, may not be the direction the Giants feel like going.

In the interim, they appear to be content will sticking with Love next to Jabrill Peppers and free agent James Bradberry at one corner. They still have to fill the opening at the other corner and at slot corner. Rookie Darnay Holmes will likely win one of those spots with the other going to any number of the candidates in camp: Montre Hartage, Corey Ballentine, Chris Williamson, Grant Haley, Jarren Williams, Dravon Askew-Henry, KeiVarae Russell, Brandon Williams and Prince Smith.

None of those players would bring the stability that Ryan brings. Not that anyone can see, anyway. They are in a corner, no pun intended, and the only way out may be to spend.

 

New York Giants: Free Agent Safeties Who Could Fill In For McKinney

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New York Giants, Antoine Bethea

The New York Giants suffered a huge loss today. Rookie safety Xavier McKinney has suffered a broken foot that will keep him sidelined for months. McKinney was one of the most exciting rookies on the Giants. He was primed to play a major role as a starter in the Giants’ new defense.

Now, with McKinney sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Giants have a huge hole to fill on the back end. Julian Love is likely to start at free safety now, but the depth is lacking in the Giants’ secondary.

Logan Ryan

Many Giants fans have been crying out for their team to sign free agent cornerback Logan Ryan. Ryan had an up-and-down season with the Titans in 2019, but he put together a pretty spectacular statistical season.

Ryan is a former member of the Patriots as well, so he is familiar with Joe Judge. Logan could easily slide in as the starter in the slot cornerback position,  but he has experience playing on the outside as well, and even at safety.

If the Giants were to sign Logan Ryan, it would not be cheap. Ryan is reportedly seeking a contract worth more than $10 million. But his versatility would allow the Giants to gain depth at more than one position. Ryan could fill in at safety, slot cornerback, or outside cornerback, depending on where the Giants need him most.

Tony Jefferson

If the Giants want to get a pure safety, there are some veteran options they could take a look at. Tony Jefferson is one of those options. Jefferson is twenty-eight-years-old now and is a free agent after spending the last three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

One area of concern, though, is Jefferson’s injury history. Tony suffered a torn ACL in the fifth game of the 2019 season, sidelining him for the rest of the year. This was a huge loss in the Ravens’ secondary, as Jefferson was on the field for nearly every single defensive snap in Baltimore.

Jefferson was formerly a strong safety, playing in the box and making an impact in the run game. But he moved over to free safety last year. He could be a solid depth piece at either the free safety or strong safety position for the Giants, depending on where Julian Love lines up.

Antoine Bethea

The Giants could bring back a familiar face. It might not go over too well with the fanbase, but general manager Dave Gettleman could look to bring back the Giants’ starting safety from 2019, Antoine Bethea.

Bethea started all sixteen games for the Giants in 2019. He totaled 110 combined tackles, one interception, and six passes defended. But Bethea was very inconsistent for the Giants and struggled at times in coverage. He is also thirty-six-years-old, so he is not a spring chicken at this point in his career. Antoine would not at all be a long-term answer at the safety position. He would have to be signed on a one-year deal. But Gettleman’s familiarity with Bethea could entice him to re-sign the veteran.

New York Giants Have $21M In Cap Space – Should They Spend It?

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New York Giants, Dave Gettleman

The New York Giants have seen their salary cap space expand recently. The team had three players officially opt out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns, freeing up plenty of money for Big Blue. Nate Solder, Sam Beal, and Damari Scott were the three players who opted out.

Now, according to Field Yates of ESPN, the Giants have the twelfth-most salary cap space in the NFL post-opt-outs. New York is sitting with $21,441,129 in cap space available. That is a considerable amount of money, but Joe Judge made it clear this week that the Giants “don’t feel like [they] have money burning a hole in [their] pocket.”

Joe Judge indicated that the team was not planning on spending this money. But that was before DeAndre Baker’s prosecution became official and before Sam Beal opted out of the season. The Giants have a huge hole to fill at cornerback and they might be wise to reach into their pocket in order to fill that hole.

Why Should They Spend It?

If the Giants spend this money, they need to get a player in a serious position of need. The biggest weaknesses on this roster are at center and cornerback. But the Giants seem content with what they have at the center position, preparing Nick Gates to compete with Spencer Pulley and Shane Lemieux for that job.

The Giants have a few young guys at cornerback that could fill the role, but their inexperience could lead to a season full of struggles. Last year, the Giants rolled into the season with a young stable of defensive backs. Week after week, the team’s secondary was torn to shreds. The Giants would be wise to sign another veteran cornerback to their roster for the 2020 season.

There are some notable veteran cornerbacks available on the free-agent market. The biggest name is Logan Ryan, a former New England Patriot and Tennessee Titan. Ryan’s time spent in New England gives him a connection to Joe Judge. Other notable free-agent cornerbacks include Ross Cockrell (formerly of the Giants and then the Panthers, giving him a connection to James Bradberry), and Dre Kirkpatrick.

If the Giants were to sign Logan Ryan, he could provide a huge boost to the team’s defense. Ryan totaled 13 combined tackles, 8 quarterback hits, 18 passes defended, 4.5 sacks, and 4 interceptions. His sack total would have ranked second on the Giants in 2019. Ryan is versatile with the ability to play in the slot or outside. More importantly, Ryan has experience, something the Giants’ defense lacks.

Why Shouldn’t They Spent It?

If the Giants decide to pursue a player like Logan Ryan, he will not come cheap. Ryan is asking for over $10 million, which would just about cut their cap space in half. The Giants could hold onto their money and allow it to roll over into 2021.

New York also needs to get its younger players more experience. Signing a veteran cornerback would take valuable snaps and playing time away from younger guys, such as Corey Ballentine, Julian Love, and Darnay Holmes. Sometimes, the best way to learn is through experience. Failure can be a great teacher (see Dagobah scene in Empire Strikes Back).

These young defensive backs have plenty to learn, and much of it can only be learned on an NFL football field going against the toughest competition. These young guys are the future of the Giants’ defense. Getting them the live experience now will help them develop in the long run. After all, the Giants are a rebuilding team with plenty of young players. It might not be in the best interest of a rebuilding team to spend significant money on a 29-year-old cornerback.