Chicago Bears: Say No to Free Agent Cornerback Logan Ryan
Logan Ryan is not the answer for the Chicago Bears’ cornerback issues.
The Chicago Bears have not had a great start to free agency. They landed quarterback Mike Glennon in a move that seemingly nobody likes. They did make a nice under-the-radar move by adding safety Quintin Demps, but they lost their top free agent in Alshon Jeffery. On top of that, the Bears primary free agent cornerback targets, Stephon Gilmore and A.J. Bouye, both signed elsewhere.
It has not been a great day for Ryan Pace and company, but the off season is far from over. Now is not the time to panic. The Bears were not going to be in a great position no matter what they did in free agency, mostly staying quiet is not necessarily a bad move. However, that could change quickly with a couple of panic moves.
Signing cornerback Logan Ryan would be one of those panic moves. Ryan has not been directly connected to the Bears much, but I have seen a lot of fans mentioning him as a free agent target for the team. The Bears obviously have a huge need at cornerback and Ryan is arguably the best player left on the board, but spending significant money on him would be a major mistake.
Ryan had some success with the New England Patriots last season. He was a real weapon for the team playing out of the slot. However, in past years, Ryan struggled a ton on the outside. The Bears were targeting Bouye and Gilmore because they are shutdown cornerbacks on the outside. Ryan is not that.
He is a solid slot defender, and there is certainly a place in the league for him. But as one of the top available cornerbacks, Ryan is going to get a big payday. It is tough to say for sure, but Ryan seems likely to get at least $10 million on the open market.
The Patriots did a great job of hiding Ryan in their defense. He consistently received safety help over the top. The Patriots counted on Malcolm Butler to be their primary man-to-man defender, allowing Ryan to receive constant help. He certainly played well at times, but paying him that kind of money would be a huge mistake.
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Missing out on Gilmore and Bouye is not ideal, and the Bears obviously still have cornerback needs. However, adding Ryan is not the answer. Instead, the Bears need to attack the lower range of free agent cornerbacks and address the position in the loaded 2017 NFL Draft class.
Logan Ryan is a solid slot corner and nothing more. Whoever ends up paying him like a number one cornerback will regret it. Let’s just hope it will not be the Chicago Bears.