National Football League

Jets bring back former Bills bust Maybin

Published Sep. 28, 2011 11:22 p.m. ET

foxsports

Aaron Maybin is back with the Jets, and he hopes it's for good this time.

New York re-signed the speedy linebacker Wednesday, hoping the former Buffalo Bills draft bust can boost their pass rush.

''We just wanted to bring in a guy that we felt pretty good about,'' coach Rex Ryan said. ''He's somebody that knows our system and can maybe contribute for us.''

Maybin, a first-round pick of the Bills in 2009, was signed by the Jets in August and waived Sept. 4 after he made New York's initial 53-man roster.

''While it was difficult for me and it was frustrating - I'd be lying if I said it wasn't frustrating - I still understood that the team came first and that was what they felt was best for them at that point in time,'' Maybin said. ''All I could do was continue to work and be ready when the opportunity presented itself again.''

Maybin said the Jets indicated when they cut him that they would be interested in bringing him back this season.

''At the end of the day, I understand that football is a business,'' Maybin said. ''I understand the fact that the team is in a position where they needed guys at certain positions. Even though I had made certain contributions in the preseason, they still needed guys to come in and fill roles that they just didn't have at that point in time.''

He failed to live up to his lofty draft position while in Buffalo, registering no sacks and never making it into the Bills' starting lineup. But the Jets liked his athletic abilities and Ryan repeatedly said he was excited about Maybin's speed and potential as a pass-rushing outside linebacker before they cut him. Maybin had 2 1-2 sacks in the preseason, including 1 1-2 in the Jets' preseason finale against Philadelphia.

''We kind of liked what we saw,'' Ryan said, adding that it's ''a possibility'' Maybin could play Sunday at Baltimore.

''I was ready to play yesterday,'' Maybin said with a grin.

Maybin only learned a portion of the Jets' defensive playbook in his short stint with the team during the summer, but said he ''most definitely'' can come in and immediately help New York's pass rush.

''I just got in last night, so we're still in the process of going over what the expectations are and what the plan is for this week and all that kind of stuff,'' he said. ''But as we have more of an opportunity to talk about it and I have more of an opportunity to get comfortable in this system, we'll be more clear on what the plan is for Sunday.''

Maybin spent the last few weeks staying in shape and dealing with what he called some ''family issues,'' but is excited about being able to jumpstart a career that looked so promising just a few years ago when he was the 11th overall pick in the draft.

''I've been gone close to a month, so there's still a fair amount of things I still have to learn,'' he said. ''But, I've retained all the knowledge from when I was here and everything I had learned, we're still building on all that kind of stuff, but I still have a ways to go, as far as the learning curve.''

In another roster move, the Jets also signed linebacker Eddie Jones to the practice squad.