5. Logan Ryan, CB, Tennessee Titans
Logan Ryan made Touchdown Wire’s list of “riskiest free agents” this season. As noted in this piece, Ryan is a very solid slot cornerback, but when you dig deeper into his numbers and his film, there are areas for concern. As we noted:
However, there are other numbers to keep in mind when considering Ryan during free agency. According to PFF’s charting data, he was targeted 114 times this past season, which is most among cornerbacks in the NFL. That might come with the territory, given how often teams target their slot receivers, but he also gave up 80 receptions, again the most in the NFL. On those targets Ryan surrendered a passer rating of 97.8, and he gave up 11.8 yards per reception – a first down per catch.
In their two meetings against the Kansas City Chiefs, Ryan was targeted early and often. The result? 13 receptions for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Furthermore, the 11.8 yards per reception he surrendered in the regular season jumped to 13.8 in the postseason.
Ryan also struggled after the catch, with 17 missed tackles (a career high) as well as 426 yards after the catch allowed, another career high. This might be simply due to the number of targets he faced a year ago, but it is an area of concern. Surely the team that acquires him is going to face opponents who have done their advance scouting work. That might make it necessary for his new team to have some rock stars at the safety spot.
*Glances in the general direction of the Minnesota Vikings.*
The Vikings lost two cornerbacks so far this off-season, with the team releasing Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes signing with the Cincinnati Bengals. They would need some depth in their secondary, and they currently have a pair of talented safeties in place, with Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris.