After five seasons in Atlanta, Sharrod Neasman will make his way north. The veteran safety and special-teamer agreed to a deal with the Jets on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Despite having started just two career games, Neasman was with the Falcons from 2016-20. Atlanta picked him up as a UDFA out of Florida Atlantic and deployed him as a steady special-teamer for much of his time with the team. Neasman joins a Jets team fairly well-stocked at safety.
The Jets have Marcus Maye on the franchise tag, and they agreed to a deal with Lamarcus Joyner this offseason. Although the Raiders stationed Joyner in the slot the past two years, the Jets plan to use him at safety. New York also rosters 2020 third-round pick Ashtyn Davis.
Neasman, 29, started two games last season but was a regular on Atlanta’s special teams units during the 2019 and ’20 slates. The Falcons did use Neasman as a part-timer on defense in 2018, when both Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen were lost for the season in September, and last season. The Jets will now give him a chance to make the squad as a backup.