[jwplayer 3M14JGpL]
It has been clear for quite some time the Cincinnati Bengals intend to overhaul the cornerback spot this offseason.
That could mean pursuing a starter-caliber player in free agency. Thinking along those lines, Logan Ryan is one of the top candidates.
Other free-agent profiles: Derek Wolfe, Joe Schobert, Joe Thuney, Bryan Bulaga, Nick Kwiatkoski.
Background
Ryan is 29 and a former third-round pick out of Rutgers from the 2013 draft. He’s carved out a lenghty career for himself after four seasons in New England and three more in Tennessee. He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion.
Notes
Ryan has been a workhorse for much of his career, playing in at least 82 percent of his defense’s snaps over the last five seasons. He’s missed just three games outright. Last year, Ryan played 99 percent of the snaps in Tennessee, allowing 68 completions on 103 targets (66 percent) with five touchdowns. He added 113 combined tackles with 4.5 sacks and a grade of 64.9 at Pro Football Focus. His grade hasn’t really creeped above 71 since 2015 and his target count in 2019 was well above the next person on the defense (67).
Pros
Ryan is all about consistency. He doesn’t miss time, he generally plays at the same level and he’s a stellar tackler. If that sounds similar to Darqueze Dennard, that’s because it is. But with Dennard heading to free agency and presumably gone, Ryan would make some sense as a replacement. Adding Ryan locks down the slot position and means the Bengals don’t have to go all-in with a high draft pick to shore up the spot. It also prevents overexposure for developing guys like Darius Phillips. Adding some Super Bowl experience to the locker room wouldn’t hurt either. If the Bengals are paying up for Ryan, it might mean moving on from Dre Kirkpatrick so they don’t have so much money invested in the position.
Cons
Ryan is 29 and will be expensive on the market. There’s a chance a bidding war ends up helping him make more than $10 million per season. Sometimes that’s a price teams have to pay while trying to rebuild a locker room and culture but it could handicap the team for a few seasons. There’s already a ton of money invested in the secondary and William Jackson is going to need an extension unless he doesn’t turn it around under Lou Anarumo. But again, this is the price for a guy who is arguably the third-best corner hitting free agency. There’s a risk his play dips now that he’s turned 29.
Verdict
This is a “buy” for the Bengals on a conditional basis — they have to lose Kirkpatrick’s cap hit somehow. They can’t have so much money tied up in one position, especially at its current performance rate. Maybe that’s the plan. Ryan is a very good corner sure to have a hefty market who brings not only consistency but a championship presence. It’s quite unfortunate the team can’t just rely on Dennard and keep him, but Ryan is a good way to have a stopgap solution at a premium spot while giving the team some breathing room to figure it out for the long term.
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