NEW YORK -- A person familiar with the deal said Saturday the Jets have re-signed safety Eric Smith to a three-year contract, keeping the key backup in New York.
Smith, also a hard-hitting special teams player, has been with the Jets since they drafted him in the third round out of Michigan State in 2006. The signing comes after New York lost out Friday night to the Philadelphia Eagles in its pursuit of free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't announced the move.
Smith, 28, has 201 career tackles, along with four interceptions, 17 passes defensed and a sack.
The signing was first reported by The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press