Browns Release DE Chris Smith Months After He Lost Girlfriend in Car Accident
By Jerry Trotta
The Cleveland Browns made an unexpected roster cut on Tuesday morning, and it comes from a position where they lack depth, thanks to the indefinite suspension of Myles Garrett.
Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the team has released defensive end Chris Smith just a few days after he was a healthy scratch for Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As of this writing, there has been no follow-up word on a corresponding move by the Browns to add a player to their 53-man roster.
The #Browns have released DE Chris Smith, a league source tells me
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) December 3, 2019
Smith appeared in name games as a rotational piece for Cleveland in 2019, during which he tallied just one tackle and one pass defended.
Perhaps that lack of production is the product of the tragedy that Smith endured early on in the season. Back in September, his girlfriend and the mother of his child, Petara Cordero, was killed in a car accident.
The former fifth-round pick out of Arkansas back in 2014 admirably opted to honor her and play that following week against the Jets, but he just hasn't been able to muster consistent production since the tragedy.
#Browns are releasing veteran DE Chris Smith, per @MaryKayCabot. Interesting decision considering their lack of depth on the defensive line.
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) December 3, 2019
For his career (60 games), Smith has amassed 46 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles while bouncing around with the likes of the Jaguars and Bengals before coming to Cleveland in 2018.