Report: Panthers signing former Browns DL Chris Smith to 1-year deal

Former Browns’ DL Chris Smith is signing a 1-year deal with his hometown team, the Panthers, per source. Good for him. Smith's girlfriend and the mother of one of his children was killed in September after being struck by a passing car after exiting Smith's car.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2020

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, the Panthers are signing former Browns defensive lineman Chris Brown to a one-year deal. Smith also met with Cincinnati, where he spent one season before his time in Cleveland.

As Schefter mentioned, Smith has recently dealt with some personal tragedy. The Browns released him in December after he played sparingly in 2019, totaling just 151 snaps all year.

Smith has served as a backup defensive end throughout his career. He’s totaled 8.5 sacks and 19 quarterback hits so far in 60 games.

There’s no word yet how much Smith is signing for, but for what it’s worth he was supposed to make $3.75 million from the Browns in 2020.