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The Jets agreed to a trade on Thursday. It just wasn’t the one everyone has been waiting for.
As source confirmed the Jets agreed to a deal with the Ravens to acquire safety Chuck Clark.
The Jets are sending a 2024 seventh-round pick to Baltimore in exchange for the safety.
The trade won’t become official until 4 p.m. Wednesday, when the new NFL year begins.
As the Jets wait for word from Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on whether he wants to play for the them, they have continued to make other moves.
In addition to the Clark trade, the Jets have informed wide receiver Braxton Berrios that he will be released, a source confirmed.
Releasing Berrios will save $5 million in salary cap space.
“I couldn’t imagine a better place to play and people to share these memories with,” he said, also thanking the Johnson Family and general manager Joe Douglas by name. “Jets Nation will be absolutely missed.”
Clark, who should be a nice addition to an already stingy defense.
He has played six seasons for the Ravens and started the past four, will turn 28 next month.
The Ravens were expected to release Clark if they did not find a trade partner.
The team signed Marcus Williams as a free agent last year then drafted Kyle Hamilton in the first round, creating a logjam at safety.
For the Jets, safety was a need on an otherwise tough defense.
They started Jordan Whitehead and Lamarcus Joyner at the position last year.
Joyner is a pending free agent and the Clark trade likely means he will not come back.
The Jets also could move on from Whitehead, who has a $10.2 million cap figure for this season.
Clark is in the final year of his contract and will count $4.1 million against the cap. He is a sure tackler and a leader in the locker room.
He played every defensive snap for the Ravens in the past three years in games for which he was active.
He has missed just two games in his career. Clark can also contribute on special teams.
He has five career interceptions, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
Berrios is the first cap casualty for the Jets, who need to clear cap room before free agency begins. ESPN reported the Jets and Berrios’ agent discussed restructuring his contract, but could not reach a deal.
Berrios turned a strong 2021 season, when he was named first-team All-Pro as a kick returner, into a two-year, $12 million contract last offseason.
But Berrios did not have a good 2022 season. He only had 18 catches for 145 yards and had a huge drop in the end zone in the team’s December loss to the Vikings.
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