The New York Jets have signed free agent cornerback Aaron Berry to a two-year contract now that the player's three-game suspension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is over, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York. The 24-year-old was cut by the Detroit Lions over the summer for the same off-field problems that caused Goodell's ban.
While announcing the deal, Jets head coach Rex Ryan was insistent to reporters that the team believes Berry is capable of succeeding on the field despite his recent issues. Berry was arrested twice over the summer, first for DUI and later for allegedly pointing a gun at three people, leading to his eventual release from Detroit on July 23.
Initially signed as an undrafted free agent by the Lions in 2010, Berry appeared in 11 games (including three starts) with the Lions in 2011, recording 30 tackles and 12 defended passes. In New York, he'll be part of a Jets secondary that tries to survive without star cornerback Darrelle Revis, who's out for the season with a knee injury.