Logan Ryan the X-Factor?

Logan Ryan was an integral part of the Patriots’ secondary for four years with the New England Patriots. He is a very solid cornerback in this league, and he has natural leadership skills. After stints with the Titans and Giants, Logan Ryan is with the Bucs; and he joins what is already considered to be one of the best defenses in the NFL. He also gets to have Todd Bowles, who is one of the greatest and brightest defensive-minded coaches in the NFL, as a head coach. This should be a match made in Heaven!

Logan Ryan is very excited about the Bucs’ flexibility on defense, and he should be because not only is the unit extremely talented as a whole, but also because there are several guys in the secondary who can play multiple positions and provide different looks against opposing offenses. Logan himself can be interchanged between corner and safety in multiple different packages and coverages.

When asked about whether or not his versatility will be utilized more as a Buccaneer compared to New England, New York, and Tennessee, Ryan responded by saying: “In past stops, I’ve played every snap of defense, so I’ve been used, it just depends on what position. My job and goal are to be ready to play every snap. Wherever they have me, they have me. I want to be productive, as well. Look, I have a lot of great players around me on this team, a lot of great linebackers, a lot of great pass rushers, a lot of great DBs. There are Pro Bowlers at every level, so my job is to kind of facilitate, set the guys up, and allow them to make plays and be successful.”

Last year, the Bucs’ secondary struggled, mainly because of several injuries to key players at corner. When asked about how good the Bucs’ secondary can be this year, Ryan said, “It’s as talented of a group as I have been on for sure. We are really coached hard, and we are coached well. I’ve said for years [that] I don’t think the NFL has the best teachers. There is not enough time, the turnover is too quick, and the rosters are too much. They don’t teach; they replace. I think that Nick Rapone, especially, he is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had and one of the best teachers I’ve ever had in terms of teaching everybody. Even the last man on the depth chart is being taught up and being held accountable. He coached Todd Bowles in college at safety, and now I’m playing for Coach Bowles at safety. I’m kind of learning from his Jedi Master. I’m happy to be taught like that and to be able to pick something up for my game. Safety is a relatively new position for me, I’m only three or four years into this position, so there is a lot to learn.”

I look forward to seeing what Logan Ryan, Zion McCollum, and Keanu Neal can bring to the table to help the Bucs improve at the back end of the defense this season!