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The New York Giants and the former representatives of defensive back Logan Ryan engaged in multiple conversations and negotiations this offseason, but the two sides were unable to come to a deal.
Ryan was seeking roughly $10 million per season, and the Giants simply weren’t going to fork out that kind of dough. However, a recent change to Ryan’s representation could rekindled New York’s interest.
Over the weekend, Ryan hired agent Joel Segal, while his previous agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, waived the standard five-day grace period. What that means is that Ryan is free to immediately begin negotiations with any interested team.
Paul Scwartz of the New York Post reports that the Giants will be one of them.
The Giants, interested earlier in the process, will be interested again, especially with DeAndre Baker and Sam Beal — two of the cornerbacks expected to compete for a starting job — unavailable for the season.
This is not wholly a cornerback deal, though. The Giants are looking at Ryan as a defensive back, meaning they also see him as a safety — possibly more so as a safety. There is a need at that spot after rookie second-round pick Xavier McKinney — projected as the starting free safety — underwent foot surgery and will be out at least 10-12 weeks.
Earlier this year, Ryan and his former agents sent an e-mail to all 32 NFL teams comparing his statistics to those of other safeties across the league. Of course, the vast majority of his statistics were compiled as a cornerback — he took only 22 snaps at free safety in 2019.
Either way, the Giants have needs at both positions, so they’re not going to split hairs over whether Ryan would prefer to be called a cornerback or safety. The bottom line is that they need a quality defensive back to step in and play at either position.
The Giants also have the advantage of familiarity. First-year head coach Joe Judge spent four years in New England with Ryan, winning two Super Bowls over that span.
If Ryan’s price comes down, expect the Giants to be aggressive.
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