Minnesota saw two of its starting corners from 2019 sign elsewhere in free agency — Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes.
Not only that, but Mackensie Alexander, the team’s nickel corner, also went elsewhere.
So it makes sense that Minnesota would want Logan Ryan, who recently announced that he was leaving the Titans this offseason. Ryan could add a great deal to Minnesota on the field, but do the logistics of the Vikings signing Ryan work out?
Spotrac doesn’t have a value listed for Ryan, but in terms of a contract for a cornerback, signing him would likely take a lot.
The Giants signed James Bradberry to a three-year $43.5 million deal, for an average of $14.5 million per year, this offseason. Bradberry is coming off a season where he had three interceptions and 12 pass deflections.
Those stats are comparable to Ryan, who had had 18 pass deflections and four interceptions.
Ryan’s stats are slightly better, but there are negatives for him if he wants to sign a bigger deal than Bradberry. For one, Bradberry signed his deal in March, when many NFL teams had more cap space at that time. Also, most teams have shored up the cornerback position already, either with free agency signings or through the draft.
Even though Ryan put up better numbers than Bradberry in 2019, Bradberry’s body of work is better. The Giants corner has tallied at least 10 pass deflections in all four of his NFL seasons.
Ryan on the other hand, had just eight pass deflections in 2018 and no interceptions. His four picks in 2019 helped break an interception drought that lasted two seasons. Granted, Ryan has looked serviceable throughout his NFL career, but does a breakout 2019 season warrant the Vikings giving him a deal that’s on par with Bradberry’s? It’s hard to say.
Another factor is age. Bradberry is 26, while Ryan is 29. That might make a difference to teams, especially at the negotiation table.
Still, Ryan put up great numbers for the Titans, and if last year was any indication, he’s one of the better cornerbacks in the league. I think if Minnesota can get him for around $13 million a year, it would be a good deal.
Over The Cap founder Jason Fitzgerald estimated the Vikings are at $7.7 million in cap space after rookie contracts are settled. Cutting or trading Riley Reiff saves the team $8.8 million for 2020, creating $4.4 million in dead money with the move. So doing that likely frees up enough space to sign Ryan.
There’s also the possibility the team could trade safety Anthony Harris, which saves them over $11 million on his contract, per Over The Cap. However, the Vikings would likely receive assets for Harris in return that would cause at least a slight cap hit, assuming they don’t just trade him for draft picks.
Barring Ryan wanting to sign for a lower price to be on a contending team, it seems like Minnesota would have to make some move in order to free up space in order to sign the cornerback.