Jets re-sign safety Chuck Clark, source says
Chuck Clark (36) runs off the field following a game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Cincinnati. Credit: AP/Joshua A. Bickel
Before the real free-agent frenzy begins in the NFL on Monday, the Jets addressed one of their needs from inside their building.
They re-signed veteran safety Chuck Clark to a one-year deal on Sunday, a league source said. The Jets acquired Clark last season from Baltimore and were excited about adding him to their already strong defense. But Clark tore his ACL in OTAs and didn’t play a single down.
During free agency, the Jets are expected to spend most of their time and a lot of money on the offensive side of the ball – particularly the line, wide receiver and backup quarterback. On Sunday, though, they worked on the defense.
The Jets also added to the depth of their already talented cornerback room by striking a one-year deal with free agent Isaiah Oliver, an NFL source said.
A second-round pick of the Falcons in 2018, Oliver played for Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in Atlanta. Oliver spent last season with the 49ers. They released him two weeks ago.
Safety was a position that needed attention with Jordan Whitehead and Ashtyn Davis set to become free agents. Tony Adams and Clark are now the only Jets’ safeties signed for next season.
Ulbrich has said he hopes to bring everyone back from last year’s third-ranked defense. Clark gives them some insurance if they don’t re-sign Whitehead, who hasn’t missed a game in two seasons with the Jets.
Clark, 28, is a proven starter. Adams is slated to start at one safety spot. Davis has been used more on special teams than defense the past two seasons, but he’s a valuable player with a nose for the ball. He had three interceptions and three fumble recoveries last season.
The Jets sent a seventh-round pick to Baltimore for Clark, who had been extremely durable and throughout his NFL career. Clark missed just two games in six NFL seasons.
In his last four years with the Ravens, Clark appeared in 65 games and recorded 350 tackles, four interceptions, 29 passes defensed, five forced fumbles and four recoveries. Clark set a career-high with 101 tackles in his final season in Baltimore.
Oliver, 27, was a full-time starter for the Falcons for two-plus seasons before tearing his ACL in 2021. He started out as an outside corner, played some safety and has been used as a nickelback in recent years.
The 49ers signed Oliver last season. He started six games for them and appeared in all of them – but only special teams in the postseason and Super Bowl.
Overall, Oliver has started 44 of the 79 games he’s played and has made 270 tackles, intercepted three passes and forced three fumbles. He joins a cornerback room that features Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed, Michael Carter and Brandin Echols.
The Oliver signing likely signals the end of Bryce Hall’s time with the Jets after four seasons with them. Hall was the Jets’ No. 1 corner in 2021 before they signed Reed and drafted Gardner.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
