As the smoke cleared following the Jets’ frenetic shopping for new players in free agency, the team took care of one of its own yesterday, signing kicker Jay Feely to a one-year contract.
Feely bailed out the Jets last year when incumbent kicker Mike Nugent was injured in the first game of the season. Feely had a terrific season, successful on 24 of 28 field-goal attempts (85.7 percent) and all 39 of his PATs for 111 points in 15 games.
Though the knock on Feely is that he struggles from long distances, he was 2-of-2 from 50-plus yards and 4-of-5 from 40 to 49 yards last season.
He has an 81.4-percent success rate on field goals for his career (201 of 247), and despite entering his ninth season, Feely seems to be at his best of late. Including a strong season with the Dolphins in 2007, he’s made 45 of his last 51 field-goal attempts.
From the moment Rex Ryan was hired as the Jets head coach, Ravens safety Jim Leonhard said he had little doubt he’d be following his former defensive coordinator from Baltimore to New York once free agency began.
Ryan, as expected, reached out to Leonhard less than an hour after the signing period opened early Friday morning.
In the hours leading up to Leonhard signing with the Jets, though, a significant monkey wrench was thrown into the equation. As Leonhard prepared to sign, his agent received a call from the Broncos, who offered more money than the $6 million over three years that the Jets were offering.
“We were very close to having everything signed and sealed and delivered to New York and all of a sudden the Denver Broncos came out of nowhere and threw a really big number at me,” Leonhard said on a conference call yesterday. “I took a few hours to consider it, but we ultimately decided, regardless of money, the Jets were the place to be. I knew that going into free agency.”
Being heavily recruited was something new to Leonhard, who was a walk-on at Wisconsin and an undrafted free agent breaking into the NFL.
“It’s been a wild ride,” the undersized (5-foot-8, 185 pounds) Leonhard said of his unlikely path. “Going into college as a walk-on, you don’t ever really picture yourself going to the NFL and signing a contract like this.”
Leonhard said he plans to start and hopes to return punts.
“I would love to – and plan to – come in as a starter,” he said. “Having that experience in this defense, I’m looking to help the installation of this defense and help have everyone on the same page. I see that as a big role for me – making it easier on the coaches.
“I know Rex wants to get Leon Washington more touches on offense, [so] if I can get opportunity to return punts, as well I would love to do it.”
Leonhard also said he plans to make it easier for free safety Kerry Rhodes to flourish and make plays, something he said he did with Ed Reed in Baltimore. mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com