AFC East teams are fighting over ex-Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan
It sounds like former Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan is coming back to the AFC East. Just where, however, remains to be seen.
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 04: Logan Ryan #26 of the Tennessee Titans scores a touchdown against the New England Patriots in the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
Kathryn Riley/Getty ImagesBy Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
Just one day after the New York Jets reportedly expressed interest in signing free agent cornerback Logan Ryan, the Miami Dolphins remain in the mix for the former Patriot, according to the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
Back on the free agent market after a three-season run with the Titans, Ryan's interest from the AFC East comes after a career-high 113 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 16 games for the Titans last year, including 25 tackles and an interception for a touchdown in Tennessee's three-game playoff run to the AFC Championship Game. (That interception, of course, came on what turned out to be quarterback Tom Brady's final pass attempt as a member of the New England Patriots.)
In New York, Ryan would join a Jet secondary that, while led by safety Jamal Adams, could definitely use a veteran presence at cornerback. It would also be a homecoming of sorts for Ryan, too, as he's a New Jersey native and played his college ball at Rutgers before being drafted with a third-round pick by the Patriots in 2013.
Adam Glanzman/Getty ImagesFormer Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan may soon find himself back in the AFC East. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
If the 29-year-old chose Miami, however, he would join what's becoming a loaded cornerback group for Brian Flores' club, with Xavien Howard and Byron Jones as their clear No. 1 and 2, and with Auburn's Noah Igbinoghene drafted by the Dolphins with the No. 30 overall pick at last month's 2020 NFL Draft. Ryan, of course, has some familiarity with Flores from their time together in New England, and would be far from the first Patriot to join Flores in The 305.
It was believed that Ryan was hoping to secure a deal that would pay him close to the $10 million per year payday he had with the Titans, but that may have changed given Ryan's struggle to find a fit through the first two months of free agency.
The 5-foot-11 corner has played in seven NFL seasons between the Patriots and Titans, with 487 tackles, 11 sacks, and 17 interceptions in 109 career games.
Ty AndersonEditor
Ty Anderson is 98.5 The Sports Hub’s friendly neighborhood straight-edge kid. Ty has been covering the Bruins (and other Boston teams) since 2010, has been a member of the PHWA since 2013, and went left to right across your radio dial and joined The Sports Hub in 2018. Ty also writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to the Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox.
