In the middle last week's Senior Bowl, a rumor emerged from Mobile, Alabama saying that the Eagles will be aggressively pursuing a cornerback position in free agency. The initial rumor stated that Byron Jones and Chris Harris Jr. would be the top candidates.
On Thursday, ProFootballNetwork's Tony Pauline gave a new update to the rumor and says the Eagles will be players for pending free agent corner Logan Ryan:
"At this point, I don’t know who will be the best at the position. But I can tell you this – several people tell me Logan Ryan will be in play for the Eagles and it makes sense. He grew up right outside of Philadelphia, he’d be a terrific fit from a scheme and personality point of view and he may be slightly less expensive than Byron Jones."
Ryan was born and raised near Philadelphia in Berlin, New Jersey. He attended Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey and went to Rutgers University. He started his pro career when he was selected by the New England Patriots in the 3rd round of the 2013 Draft. He won two Super Bowls in New England before signing with the Tennessee Titans in 2017, where he has spent his past three years.
In his total seven year career so far, Ryan has played in 109 games, and has registered 494 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 19 QB hits, 11 sacks, 17 interceptions, one pick-six, 78 passes defended, and nine forced fumbles.
With the Eagles lacking a true dominant #1 cornerback, Ryan would be an immediate upgrade at the position. The team itself has had health issues for the past three seasons, but adding Ryan (who has only missed three games in his career) might help turn that tide around. He also has a history of being able to get to the quarterback, which would add a new dynamic to Jim Schwartz's defense. Philadelphia haven't had a successful blitzing corner since Sheldon Brown, who was able to record seven sacks in eight seasons.
As Pauline mentioned, Ryan might be more attractive to Howie Roseman than Byron Jones by the time March comes around. His contract will likely command less money (and guarantees), and Ryan would be almost a permit scheme fit for Schwartz's defense. There are still a few weeks before free agency news becomes a little more serious, but it is becoming clear that the Eagles will have some serious interest in the top cornerbacks in this year's free agent class.
