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Bound for the Windy City Bears sign CB Smith to five-year deal
Posted: Sunday February 13, 2000 08:36 PM
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -- The Chicago Bears have signed former Buffalo Bills cornerback Thomas Smith to a five-year, $22.5 million contract, the team announced Sunday. The deal includes a $6.5 million signing bonus. Smith visited Halas Hall this weekend, along with Tennessee safety Marcus Robertson and Seattle defensive end Phillip Daniels. Daniels has agreed to a five-year contract worth $25 million, including an $8 million signing bonus. "We feel we got two of the best players available in Thomas and Phillip," said Bears vice president of player personnel Mark Hatley. "Both of them wanted to be here and signing them is a big plus on what we have been working on over the past couple of years." Hatley said the Bears' main areas for improvement are the defensive backfield and defensive line. Chicago ranked near the bottom of the league in defense last season. Smith had a career-high 64 tackles from his right corner position last season for the Bills. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder started all 16 games for the Bills last season. Smith was a first-round draft selection for the Bills in 1993 out of North Carolina. He has missed only two games over his career and has started 95 of the 110 contests he has played. A dozen Bears became unrestricted free agents Friday and may sign with any team. They are defensive tackle Shane Burton; receivers Curtis Conway and Bobby Engram; quarterbacks Craig Erickson, Shane Matthews and Jim Miller; guards Todd Perry and Greg Huntington; safety Chris Hudson; linebacker Rico McDonald; kicker Jeff Jaeger; and punter Todd Sauerbrun. Hatley said the Bears haven't heard from any of their unrestricted free agents, adding that they are testing the market.
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