The Baltimore Ravens signed linebacker Jake Ryan of Fairview, Ohio from the Jacksonville Jaguars to a one year contract on Saturday according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Financial details were not reported, but are dependent on a physical.
Ryan has not played since 2017 as he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during training camp while with the Green Bay Packers prior to the 2018 National Football League regular season. In last year’s offseason, the Jaguars took a chance on Ryan and signed him to a two year deal worth $7.5 million (of which $1 million was guaranteed), but he only played two games as he had a set back with his ACL. On February 24, Ryan was released from his Jaguars contract and became a free agent.
In 45 NFL regular season games with the Packers from 2015 to 2017 and the Jaguars in 2019, Ryan had one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one sack, 213 combined tackles (144 solo tackles and 69 assisted tackles), 15 tackles for a loss and eight quarterback hits. He was initially selected by the Packers in the fourth round, 129th overall, in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Ryan’s first NFL fumble recovery came in a 27-23 Packers win over the Detroit Lions on December 3, 2015. Then in 2017, Ryan had one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The fumble recovery came in a 35-14 Packers win over the Chicago Bears on September 28, 2017. Ryan’s forced fumble came in a 30-17 Packers loss to the Detroit Lions on November 6, 2017 and his sack came in a 26-20 Packers win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Bay of Pigs battle on December 3, 2017.
It will be interesting to see if Ryan is able to recapture his form not only with the Packers, but with the University of Michigan as well. Ryan was a very productive college player with the Wolverines from 2011 to 2014.
