NEW YORK (AP) The New York Jets have filled two big holes on offense and special teams.
The team announced on Thursday the signings of running back Isaiah Crowell and kicker Cairo Santos.
Crowell, who had agreed to terms as free agency opened Wednesday, comes to the Jets on a contract for three years and $12 million.
He will help replace veteran Matt Forte, who recently retired. Crowell had 3,118 yards rushing and 21 TDs with 96 catches for 770 yards and a score in his four seasons with the Browns. He hasn't missed a game in his NFL career, and his durability and age - he's 25 - made him an attractive option for the Jets.
Crowell spent his first four seasons in Cleveland after signing with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama State in 2014. He ran for 853 yards and two touchdowns last season, and caught 28 passes for 182 yards.
New offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates will likely use Crowell as a complement to veteran Bilal Powell and second-year back Elijah McGuire in New York's running game.
Crowell shared carries with Duke Johnson the past two seasons, but averaged nearly 4.5 yards per carry during that span. He reunites with quarterback Josh McCown, who played with him with the Browns.
Crowell was also involved in some controversy while in Cleveland. He was frustrated last December when coach Hue Jackson gave him just two carries after a 59-yard run at Baltimore. Crowell liked some tweets from fans critical of Jackson, but the two then spoke and later insisted things were fine between them. Crowell also talked last season about wanting to get a contract extension .
The running back also apologized and donated a game check to a police charity in 2016 after he posted a graphic anti-police image on his Instagram page after the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
Crowell began his college career at Georgia and was selected as the SEC freshman of the year, but was dismissed from the football team the following offseason after a few legal and disciplinary problems. He enrolled at Alabama State and played his last two college seasons there before declaring for the NFL draft.
Santos signed a one-year contract with the Jets, who were in need of a kicker after Chandler Catanzaro signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent.
Santos, the NFL's first Brazilian-born player, had been with Kansas City since 2014 before being released early last season. He kicked in two games for Chicago before being placed on injured reserve with a groin injury.
Santos has converted 84.1 percent of his field-goal attempts, along with 96.2 percent of his extra points in his career.
The native of Sao Paul was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Tulane. He was solid in his first three years with Kansas City, but struggled with injuries last season.
Santos injured his groin during training camp and was forced to sit out the preseason, but was ready for the season opener. He reinjured his groin in Week 3, was placed on IR and then waived by the Chiefs four days later. Santos joined the Bears a few weeks later and kicked in two games before again hurting the groin and landing back on season-ending IR.
''I still believe I'm the same successful kicker I was when I was playing in Kansas City,'' Cairo told the team's official website . ''I needed a franchise that would believe in me that I will be that same kicker. By the way I've been treated by the New York Jets, that's how they see me. Those are my goals: to come in, have a good year and hopefully remain here for a long time. I think we're aligned in those goals and, one step at a time, I pray that we'll get there.''
The Jets have been busy during the first two days of free agency . In addition to signing Crowell and Santos, they also re-signed McCown and safety Terrence Brooks, and added former linebacker Avery Williamson. New York has also agreed to terms on deals, according to multiple reports, with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, cornerback Trumaine Johnson and center Spencer Long - but the team has not yet announced those moves.
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