Do the Tennessee Titans already have cornerback Logan Ryan’s replacement on the roster?
Cornerback Logan Ryan is one of the four big free agents the Tennessee Titans have to make a decision on this offseason.
Ryan is coming off a three-year deal worth $30 million that was signed in 2017, and while that contract didn’t start off looking too great, the veteran corner played his best football in 2019 just in time for his impending free agency.
As a result, the soon-to-be 29-year-old is going to have suitors on the open market and will likely command a similar price tag, but will the Titans be willing to pay that once again with guys like Derrick Henry, Jack Conklin and Ryan Tannehill all needing to be paid also?
I don’t think so and it’s because I believe the team had already drafted his replacement in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft in defensive back, Amani Hooker, who would be a much cheaper alternative to Ryan with a 2020 salary of just $768K.
The Iowa product spent the 2019 season in a reserve role at safety and played in big nickel packages. Outside of a few nice plays here and there, Hooker wasn’t really able to shine with an elite safety tandem in Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro standing in his way.
I highly doubt the Titans drafted Hooker in the fourth round to be a reserve safety behind two guys who play nearly 100 percent of snaps on a weekly basis, nor do I think he was taken to just play in big nickel packages.
In fact, I think Hooker was taken with the hope that he could be the heir-apparent to Ryan at slot corner, where he played 70 percent of his snaps in college.
During his final season at Iowa, Hooker recorded the highest slot coverage grade in the FBS with an 88.5, per Pro Football Focus, and he also owned the highest overall grade of any corner playing the slot since 2016 before entering the draft.
When he was taken by Tennessee in the fourth round, Hooker was considered a steal by many. PFF had him ranked as the No. 44 overall prospect of the 2019 draft class before Tennessee nabbed him with the 116th pick.
When general manager Jon Robinson drafted him, Hooker’s ability to cover from the slot and Ryan’s impending free agency after the 2019 season had to at least enter into his mind. Of course, Hooker clearly fell further than he probably should have, which was a reason to take him in and of itself.
Whatever the thought process was, the Titans might have Ryan’s replacement already on the team in Hooker, which would free up a lot of money to work on signing other free agents, including Tennessee’s own.