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Attrition has forced Bucs safety Logan Ryan to evolve from injured to ‘iron man’

The 31-year-old safety hasn’t missed a defensive snap the last two games.
 
Published Dec. 16, 2022|Updated Dec. 17, 2022

TAMPA — On Halloween night, the safety went sinister. Injured Bucs veteran Logan Ryan observed the occasion bedecked as Dr. Facilier, the manipulative villain from the animated Walt Disney classic “The Princess and the Frog.”

A protective boot on his left foot — which had been fractured a month before and required surgery — served as a cumbersome accessory to the purple topcoat and pants, and black top hat with the skull-and-crossbones insignia. At that point, few envisioned the 31-year-old dad of two even masquerading as a contributor to the Bucs secondary any time soon.

But exactly five weeks later, Ryan had to dress up again, out of sheer necessity. Pewter replaced the purple, and villainous transitioned to valiant. With both starting safeties sidelined by injury, Ryan — making his first game appearance in two months — played all 59 defensive snaps in a 17-16 Monday night victory against the Saints.

Wasn’t always pretty, just pretty darned essential.

“It says a lot about who he is,” regular starting safety Antoine Winfield Jr. said.

Six days later, in a 35-7 loss to the 49ers, Ryan played all 63 defensive snaps, totaling a team-high nine tackles and committing a gaffe or two. He got turned around while in single coverage on Christian McCaffrey’s 27-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter and was caught flat-footed on McCaffrey’s 38-yard scoring run early in the third.

“There were times where things weren’t going well, and I was trying to chase plays and make plays for the team to get us back in the game or whatever that might be,” Ryan said. “But I can’t make one play that’s going to score 35 points.”

In a sense, Ryan — signed as a free agent in March — has unintentionally transitioned to the 2022 version of Richard Sherman: a veteran defensive back with lots of tread thrust into extended duty by a dearth of healthy bodies. By Ryan’s own admission, the results haven’t always befitted a durable, seasoned NFL safety with two Super Bowl rings.

But in lieu of glimmering, he has provided gritty.

“He’s got a lot of toughness,” said Mike Edwards, the other normal starter opposite Winfield.

“He does a lot of things for us. Brings leadership, brings experience, and ... coming off an injury like that, having surgery, and to have to come in and fill in and playing all snaps the whole game is incredible for him to do that.”

Signed to a one-year deal in March to provide safety depth after Jordan Whitehead’s departure to the Jets, Ryan had played four years with Tom Brady in New England (2013-2016).

A versatile disciple of Bucs Ring of Honor member Ronde Barber, Ryan hadn’t missed more than two games in nine previous NFL seasons, collecting more than 700 tackles, 13 sacks and 19 interceptions during that time.

“He’s a veteran, he’s savvy, he helps calm the waters down, and the young safeties benefit from him being in the room,” co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote said.

But a broken foot sustained in Week 4 against the Chiefs resulted in the first extended absence of his career. The goal following mid-October surgery was to return to practice the week preceding the Saints game, which he did.

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“The rehab was very grueling and behind-the-scenes and very little glory,” he told reporters on Dec. 1. “But there’s little milestones that you put on there, and today was a milestone.”

The presumption was, Ryan would be on a pitch count — limited snaps at first — while regaining his game stamina. That luxury vanished when Edwards (hamstring) and Winfield (ankle) both were injured during the team’s Nov. 27 overtime loss to the Browns. Former University of Florida star Keanu Neal and undrafted rookie Nolan Turner were the only other safety options.

As a result, Ryan and Neal, 27, suddenly possessed all the job security of Tom Brady. In the last two games, Neal has played one less defensive snap (121) than his older counterpart.

“(Ryan’s) an iron man for us, man,” cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting said.

“It’s crazy,” Winfield said. “This is a hard game. It takes a toll on the body, but he’s been able to come out here and work every day and not miss anything.”

Odds are, the consecutive-snaps streak reaches a merciful end this week. Edwards was a full-participant at Thursday’s practice and could play on a limited basis Sunday against the Bengals at Raymond James Stadium. Winfield, a limited participant Thursday, seems a bit more iffy.

Or the team could again ride Ryan, who insists he’s not yet iron-deficient.

“However many my snap load has to be, I’ll take it,” he said, “and hopefully I’m making good snaps for the team.”

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.

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