Tag: Logan Ryan

2022 NFL draft: Giants should now be in on Kyle Hamilton

Following the release of Logan Ryan, the New York Giants should very much be in on Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton in the 2022 NFL draft.

The New York Giants hold the fifth and seventh selections in the 2022 NFL draft next month. They were not expected to use either on a safety.

That is, until Thursday when they released veteran safety Logan Ryan in a surprise move. Ryan’s release leaves the Giants with just four safeties on the roster — budding star Xavier McKinney, Julian Love, J.R. Reed and Steven Parker.

Does this mean that the Giants could entertain takin Notre Dame’s stud safety, Kyle Hamilton, with one of those picks should he be available?

That remains to be seen but the argument can certainly be made. What we do know is that Hamilton is the highest-rated prospect by NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein with a grade of 6.88, which projects to “Year 1 Starter” status.

Hamilton is 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 220 pounds. His NFL comparison is former Seattle Seahawks All-Pro Kam Chancellor, the leader of legendary ‘Legion of Boom’ and, oh, he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the NFL combine this year and has 33-inch arms.

From Zierlein:

High-impact safety with unique blend of traits and characteristics that make him a bit of a unicorn at the position. Hamilton has the eyes and speed to play over the top, the strength and toughness to play near the line, and coverage length to guard elite pass-catching tight ends who often mismatch opposing defenses.

It’s rare to find such a ferocious striker and intimidator who has the football intelligence and athletic prowess to go make plays in the passing game, but Hamilton provides it all. He thrives playing downhill or sinking into a robber alignment on the back-end but will have occasional missteps in coverage when in retreat from his pedal. Hamilton has the traits and football character to transition from standout college moments to a standout pro career as a future Pro Bowler with All-Pro potential.

The Giants’ decision on what to do in the first round of the draft this year just got a little harder.

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Report: Ex-Giant Logan Ryan agrees to terms with Buccaneers

Recently released New York Giants safety Logan Ryan has agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The New York Giants released safety Logan Ryan on Thursday evening in what many considered a surprising move. The cut saved the Giants just $775,000 in cap space and left them with a dead money hit of nearly $11.5 million.

But don’t feel sorry for Ryan, whom several in the Giants front office apparently wanted gone.

Less than 16 hours after his release, the long-time NFL veteran has agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will reunite with his former New England Patriots teammate, Tom Brady.

Ryan, while a member of the Tennessee Titans, infamously intercepted Brady’s final pass in a Patriots uniform. The two were also slated to square off last season when the Giants visited the Bucs in Tampa Bay, but Ryan ultimately missed the game after testing positive for COVID-19.

The Giants, meanwhile, now find themselves in the market for a new safety and some defensive leadership.

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Former Titans DB Logan Ryan signing with Buccaneers

One day after being released by the Giants, former Titans CB Logan Ryan has found a new home.

Just one day after he was released by the New York Giants, former Tennessee Titans cornerback Logan Ryan has found a new home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Ryan has agreed to terms with the Bucs, where he’ll have a great shot to win a Super Bowl. He’ll also be with his old New England Patriots teammate, Tom Brady.

“We’ve agreed to a one-year deal,” Ryan told USA TODAY’s Josina Anderson. “I fly down there Tuesday to figure out the rest of the terms. I’m excited to be back with (Tom) Brady.”

Ryan spent three seasons in Nashville before the Titans decided not to re-sign him in 2020. Interestingly enough, Ryan’s last memorable moment with the Titans came when he notched a pick-six off Brady to seal an upset win for Tennessee against New England in the 2019 Wild Card round.

The 31-year-old has been with the Giants for the last two seasons, where he became as beloved as he was in Tennessee (at least, before his comments about the fans). In that time, Ryan also converted to safety.

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Giants release defensive captain Logan Ryan

The New York Giants announced the release of safety and team captain Logan Ryan on Thursday.

The New York Giants released a veteran defensive back on Thursday but it wasn’t the one everyone expected.

Safety Logan Ryan, a defensive captain, was the player let go, not cornerback James Bradberry, who the Giants are still hoping to trade.

Ryan announced his release and said his goodbyes via Twitter. The Giants later confirmed the transaction.

Originally, it appeared the Giants stood to gain just $750,000 in salary cap relief against more than $11.4 million in dead cap. Even as a post-June 1 cut, New York was slated to eat more than $8 million in dead cap.

As it turns out however, Ryan’s 2022 salary would not become guaranteed until March 19. As the result of his release, the Giants save around $6.3 million in cap space and eat a dead cap hit of $5.95 million.

The dead cap is still significant, but that’s a pill general manager Joe Schoen has to swallow. It’s tough to release Ryan — especially if a pay cut was requested one year after his extension — but the band-aid must come off. The Giants have to hit the reset button.

Unfortunately, Ryan was a casualty.

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Taylor Lewan: Titans fans have chance to shut Logan Ryan up

Taylor Lewan says Titans fans have a chance to shut Logan Ryan up on Saturday.

The Tennessee Titans are hoping their fans show up in force on Saturday when the team takes on the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

That’s because opposing fans have routinely invaded Nissan Stadium in large numbers over the years, which can make it sound like a road game for Tennessee.

The Titans are actively trying to avoid that on Saturday by changing ticket transfer rules in the hope that it will deter Bengals fans from showing up.

Back in December, Titans fans took a stray from former Titans cornerback and current New York Giants defensive back Logan Ryan after he called the fan base “non-existent,” something he later apologized for.

“I played in a franchise in Tennessee where the fan base was non-existent,” Ryan said. “You couldn’t even get fans to the game, you had to put tickets half off to get fans to the game.”

Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan would come to the defense of Ryan at the time, but on Thursday he said the divisional-round game against the Bengals would be a great opportunity to shut his former teammate up.

“I think a couple of weeks ago we talked about Logan Ryan and his statement,” Lewan said. “Like I said before, I love Logan, but what an opportunity it is for these fans to shut him up.”

Tennessee and Cincinnati will meet on Saturday, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. CST.

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Giants’ Saquon Barkley backs Joe Judge: ‘This place is going in the right direction’

Saquon Barkley and other New York Giants players and coaches continue to offer their public support of head coach Joe Judge.

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You can’t see it and there’s no measuring stick you can compare it to but despite constant losing, the New York Giants are headed in the right direction.

Just ask head coach Joe Judge.

“I know we’ve got the right foundational pieces [here],” Judge said. “I know we have some players in key positions who are guys that you can build with and keep carrying on. All right? I know we got the right temperament. I know we got the right culture in terms of teaching the players.”

Judge said a lot more in his wild 11-minute rant last Sunday. It was cringeworthy and there was a mild expectation for revolt. But that’s not happening. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

“Coach is a passionate coach. He said things that he felt and that he believed in, and that a lot of players in the locker room believe in, too. What I took from it was the message that this place is going in the right direction,” running back Saquon Barkley said. “It may not look like it right now from the outside looking in, but internally we know what we have here, we know what we’re doing in the locker room, meaning the characters that we have, the personalities that we have, the work ethic that we have. Sometimes, it doesn’t automatically transfer to the football field, but like I said after I talked after him, I believe it’s the only way I know how to get stuff done, how to improve and how to get better is to continue to work and continue to trust the process.”

Fellow team captain, Logan Ryan, agrees.

“I would just say that Joe’s been consistent in his demeanor and his approach with us. I think as a professional, he’s treated us all well with respect in terms of players and listening to the veterans on this team and welcoming any insight that we might have,” Ryan said. “I just think he’s been a coach and a man who’s been willing to listen to his players and still requires the same week in and week out from his players. To me, he’s just been consistent since they hired him in terms of his approach with us and he’s treated us professionally. It’s been respectable, he’s been a respectful head coach in my opinion.”

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has never swayed. He’s close personal friends with Judge and has the utmost respect for him. If not for Judge, Graham likely would have taken a head coaching position last year.

Although he’s now opened the door to that in 2022, Graham still firmly believes in Judge and the long-term future of the Giants.

“I’m here because of Joe. I trust in Joe’s vision. Again, leadership has to have vision and with vision, you can’t be worried about the stuff that tries to sidetrack you from there,” Graham said. “I just know this, I know Joe’s strong, he’s a good leader, smart dude and he’ll handle it how he needs to handle it.”

Giants players and coaches still believe in Judge. Does ownership? Will this support be enough to save his job? We’re going to find out in a few short days.

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Ben Bredeson, Andrew Thomas were highest-graded Giants in Week 17

New York Giants offensive linemen Ben Bredeson and Andrew Thomas earned the team’s highest grades in Week 17.

The New York Giants fell to the Chicago Bears, 29-3, in one of their worst performances of the year on Sunday. The game was over after the first play and that set the tone for all four quarters.

There was a lot of bad. A lot of ugly. And there’s no way around that, but there were some positives as well. At least in the mind of those over at Pro Football Focus.

Guard Ben Bredeson led the team with an overall grade of 94.7. He was followed by left tackle Andrew Thomas (79.5), tight end Chris Myarick (67.6) and right tackle Nate Solder (67.4).

Other notable offensive grades include running back Saquon Barkley (66.7), fullback Eli Penny (56.3) and wide receiver Kenny Golladay (53.1).

The lowest-graded Giant on offense was quarterback Mike Glennon (21.4).

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Jaylon Smith led the way with an overall grade of 78.6. He was followed by linebacker Lorenzo Carter (72.0), defensive lineman Woodrow Hamilton (68.8) and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (68.0).

Other notable defensive grades include safety Logan Ryan (65.5), cornerback James Bradberry (64.9) and linebacker Azeez Ojulari (61.3).

The lowest-graded Giant on defense was linebacker Reggie Ragland (27.0).

Defensive back Steven Parker was the highest-graded Giant on special teams, checking out with an overall grade of 84.9.

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Taylor Lewan defends Logan Ryan, who tries to further clarify Titans fans comment

Taylor Lewan came to the defense of Logan Ryan, and the ex-Titans DB attempted to further clarify and apologize for his comment on Tennessee’s fan base.

After taking a shot at Tennessee Titans fans and then attempting to backpedal on those comments, New York Giants defensive back Logan Ryan further tried to clarify himself on Thursday.

It all started on Wednesday when, unprompted, Ryan called Tennessee’s fan base “non-existent” when answering a question about Giants fans expressing their frustration with another down season.

“I played in a franchise in Tennessee where the fan base was non-existent,” Ryan said. “You couldn’t even get fans to the game, you had to put tickets half off to get fans to the game.”

Less than one day after that, Ryan tweeted this on Thursday:

Later in the day and before practice, left tackle Taylor Lewan addressed Ryan’s comments and attempted to defend his former teammate, per Ben Arthur of The Tennessean.

“I have so much respect for Logan Ryan,” Lewan said. “And when I talk about the culture of this team and where this team was and where it’s going and where it came from, Logan is one of these key players who helped change the culture of the team. I think if we look at everything with an unbiased opinion, when Logan first got here, there weren’t a lot of people in the stands. Now because of Logan and other guys, there are now more people coming into the stands.

“The fans that are upset are the die-hard fans who have been supportive and have been there since the late-90s, that have had season tickets for the whole time the Titans have been (in Nashville). They have every right to be upset. But that comment wasn’t directed at you. As a younger franchise, we have grown and grown and grown and continued to make this great city of Nashville more proud of the football team. 

“And so, although they were harsh words, we are a growing franchise and the loyal fans – and they know who they are –  they shouldn’t be mad about those comments because those comments weren’t directed at them.” 

Ryan then took to Twitter to retweet the clip of Lewan defending him, while also further trying to clarify his comment and apologize.

Ryan also acknowledged that he was thankful for Titans fans who turned this situation into a positive by donating to Ryan’s charity, “Ryan Animal Rescue Foundation,” in response to his comment.

The beef wasn’t necessarily with the topic Ryan was covering pertaining to Titans fans, as there is certainly some truth to what he said, but rather the unnecessary and unprompted swipe he took.

It’s clear Ryan sees the error in his ways, though, and is remorseful for it. He made a mistake, owned up to it, and showed the kind of high-level character we came to know and love during his days in Nashville.

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4 bold predictions for Bears’ final home stand vs. Giants

The Bears and Giants will face off Sunday at Soldier Field, where an historic moment could take place. Our bold predictions:

Though this Sunday’s game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants is the first game of 2022, it’s the final home game for the 2021 season.

Both teams are stumbling towards the finish line of a disappointing season, each finishing with double-digit losses and a myriad of questions heading into the offseason.

But there is still a game to be played that could see an historic moment take place. Here are my bold predictions for Bears vs. Giants on the lakefront.

Logan Ryan ‘meant no disrespect’ in comment about Titans fans

Less than 24 hours after taking a shot at Titans fans, Logan Ryan attempted to backpedal on his comment.

Less than 24 hours after New York Giants defensive back Logan Ryan took a shot at the fan base of his former team, the Tennessee Titans, the veteran attempted to backpedal on the comment.

On Wednesday, Ryan was asked about Giants fans being upset with the team for another down season, and in his response he took a swipe at Titans fans and called the fan base “non-existent.”

“I played in a franchise in Tennessee where the fan base was non-existent,” Ryan said, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. “You couldn’t even get fans to the game, you had to put tickets half off to get fans to the game.”

On Thursday, Ryan took to Twitter to say he “meant no disrespect” to Titans fans, while also rightly pointing out how they supported his charity, a point that makes his original comment even more head-scratching.

Ryan can say he “meant no disrespect” with his comment, but the fact is it was disrespectful and warrants a better apology than that.

Making it worse, the original question Ryan was answering had nothing to do with his former team or its fans, so he went out of his way to denigrate them.

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