One thing that Pace was wise enough to recognize is that the New England Patriots understand what good cornerbacks look like. Cre’Von LeBlanc, one of their undrafted free agents, started for the Bears towards the second half of last season and delivered two interceptions including a pick six. Why wouldn’t they look to dip into that well again.
Especially with the Patriots about to lose several members of their secondary. One name that some people have overlooked is Logan Ryan. In fact Pro Football Focus gave him a higher grade in 2016 than former Pro Bowler Josh Norman. He was a bare one percentage point lower than Patrick Peterson and Richard Sherman.
ESPN now believes the Bears could be the team that will make a push to sign him when free agency opens on March 9th.
“Chicago at heart loves physical cornerbacks who will play the run and make an impact, and Ryan is a fantastic representation of that. He had the league’s third-best run-stop percentage among all cornerbacks, at 2.6 percent of run snaps, and the 24 defensive stops he notched over the regular season for the Patriots were fourth best at the position. Ryan won’t ever be an All-Pro corner, but he can be a solid starting option for a team that needs an overhaul at cornerback.”
Ryan finished the regular season with 92 tackles, two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble. He also delivered a sack and an interception in the Patriots playoff opening victory over the Houston Texans. The guy just knows how to be in the right position at the right time and does everything asked of him. That’s why he has two Super Bowl rings.
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Nobody said the Bears needed to have superstars at corner in order to take the next step towards a top 10 defense. Getting guys who won’t be whipped every Sunday would be a nice step in the right direction. One thing about Logan Ryan is he’ll give you everything he has for 60 minutes and understands how to frustrate receivers to no end.
Money well spent.
