The Jets wanted a second chance to see what Chuck Clark has left in the tank.
Clark, a veteran of 96 career games, re-signed to a one-year contract on the eve of NFL free agency, The Post confirmed. He missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in spring OTAs, so it is unlikely that there would have been a big market for his services even once other teams could have bid.
It turned out to be the first of two moves made Sunday to bolster the secondary, as the Jets later signed cornerback Isiah Oliver to a one-year contract.
Re-signing the 28-year-old Clark provides a measure of protection against the possibility of losing Jordan Whitehead in free agency. Whitehead started all 34 games over the two seasons on his $14.5 million contract and had three of his six interceptions during last season’s memorable Week 1 victory against the Bills, which included Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending torn Achilles and Xavier Gipson’s walk-off punt return touchdown.
The Jets originally traded a seventh-round pick to the Ravens last offseason to acquire Clark and play him alongside Whitehead. He was a starter in the final four of his six seasons with the Ravens, where he totaled five interceptions and five forced fumbles, and wore the headset to communicate signals after getting play calls from coordinator Wink Martindale.
Tony Adams, one of the Jets’ few bright spots last season, is penciled in as a returning starter at one of the safety spots. The former undrafted free-agent signing had 82 tackles and three interceptions in 15 starts.
The estimated timeline for most ACL recoveries puts Clark back on the field in plenty of time for training camp.
The Jets still could re-sign Whitehead or fellow in-house free agent Ashytn Davis, or look elsewhere for a safety in free agency, though their primary needs are on the offensive side of the ball. Davis’ primary value is on special teams but he logged 217 defensive snaps last season.
Oliver signed a two-year, $6.8 million contract with the 49ers last offseason but was cut last month after struggling as a slot corner. As in-season addition Logan Ryan seized a bigger role, Oliver played four defensive snaps or fewer in six of the last nine regular-season games and totaled zero defensive snaps (but 35 special teams snaps) during the playoffs.
Oliver, 27, spent the first five seasons of his career with the Falcons. He made 28 of his career 44 starts during the 2019-20 seasons, when Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was in Atlanta as linebackers coach and then as defensive coordinator.
The Jets arguably boast the NFL’s best trio of cornerbacks with Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed and slot specialist Michael Carter II. Perhaps Oliver can challenge Brandin Echols for the primary backup role.
TE Kenny Yeboah, who was scheduled to be a restricted free agent, agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Jets, a source told The Post’s Brian Costello. Yeboah played in five games and had two receptions last season.
