Former Browns DE Chris Smith reportedly signs one-year deal with Panthers

The Panthers have agreed to sign defensive lineman Chris Smith, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. It’s a one-year deal that will allow Smith to stay local as he returns to football. Smith was away from the game in 2019 after the tragic death of his girlfriend. Recently, Smith’s camp reached out to teams to let them know that he was ready to make his NFL return. The Arkansas product met with the Panthers on Tuesday and the Bengals on Wednesday, but he ultimately circled back to Charlotte to sign his deal. The 28-year-old hails from North Carolina. The former fifth-rounder spent the first three seasons of his career with the Jaguars before moving on to the Bengals in 2017. In Cincy, he appeared in a career-high 16 games and compiled 26 tackles and three sacks, earning him a three-year contract with the Browns. He appeared in 16 games for the Browns during the 2018 season, but he was limited to only nine games this past year. It’s already been a busy day for the Panthers. Earlier, the team made a trade wit

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