So the early news is that the New York Jets have signed CB Aaron Berry, formerly of the Detroit Lions. Berry reportedly worked out for the team late last week, although the team temporarily eschewed signing him. Berry, as you may recall, was arrested twice this offseason and, since he has not played through the first few weeks, will avoid a suspension by the league. Had Berry not been arrested, he likely would be a starting cornerback for the Lions as we speak.
From a football perspective, this is a great move. Berry is a starting cornerback and will presumably take the third cornerback slot and push Kyle Wilson for the #2 role. It demonstrates that the team recognizes that Ellis Lankster, Isaiah Trufant, and Joe McKnight simply cannot hack it as a nickel cornerback.
On the other hand, Berry clearly has personal issues that need resolving. I cannot attest to the type of teammate he is in the locker room, but he is clearly extremely selfish on the outside to be arrested multiple times even after the PR nightmare the Lions faced this past offseason. The Jets locker room has, from what I've been told by players and beat writers, to be much stronger than in the past, so hopefully the change of pace will be good for him.
Purely on potential, this is, as I said, a great move. While Berry is nowhere near as dynamic as Darrelle Revis was/is, this should restore our pass defense to one of the best in the league. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Berry has signed on for a two-year deal.
Edit: With Berry now in the fold, Rex Ryan has just said that Joe McKnight will be moving back to offense. Can you say awkward?