NY Giants waive CB Ryan Lewis, as CB Depth improves

The NY Giants waived defensive back Ryan Lewis, who started three games last season, on Wednesday

The NY Giants announced that cornerback Ryan Lewis had been released Wednesday, which should not come as a major surprise as secondary depth has improved dramatically over the course of the past two offseasons.

Lewis, 26, was part of the NY Giants’ rotating series of starters at outside cornerback opposite James Bradberry, but was wildly inconsistent.

Lewis’ season was cut short when he suffered a hamstring injury in November, after appearing in five games, including three starts. He produced 13 total tackles and batted down one pass.

According to Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks produced a 96.3 passer rating when targeting Lewis, and wide receivers averaged 19.6 yards per reception as he earned a meager 42.8 coverage grade from the outlet.

This offseason, the NY Giants went shopping at the top of the free agent market, signing veteran cornerback Adoree’ Jackson to a four-year contract.

Jackson is expected to assume the starting outside cornerback spot in 2021, with second-round rookie defensive back Xavier McKinney potentially in line for the starting slot cornerback role, especially if veteran Logan Ryan remains a starting safety alongside Jabrill Peppers.

After signing Jackson and with the emergence of McKinney and fellow NFL sophomore Darnay Holmes, players of Lewis’ caliber have now become expendable for the NY Giants.

Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL