Cleveland Browns are adding experience on the linebacker position that became alarmingly thin after starter Mack Wilson suffered a knee injury early in the training camp. The Brown announced on Sunday that they have signed Super Bowl XLVIII MVP Malcolm Smith.
Smith comes to Cleveland after splitting 2019 with Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys. He played a total of four games last season, contributing with five tackles and one forced fumble.
While Browns remain optimistic that Wilson’s injury won’t require surgery, the team still didn’t want to pass on the opportunity to get a proven veteran like Smith. Cleveland previously lost starters Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert in the free agency and doesn’t have much behind Wilson and 2019’s third-round pick Sione Takitaki to show for.
Malcolm Smith, who was a seventh-round pick in 2011, played his best football during the Legion of Boom years with Seattle Seahawks. He was a key player in Seahawks’ Super Bowl XLVIII win against Denver Broncos when he totaled 10 tackles, a fumble recovery and a returned an interception for a touchdown. This made Smith the first defensive player with Super Bowl honors since Dexter Jackson and Super Bowl XXXVII.
After leaving Seattle, Smith also had stints with Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers but wasn’t as successful due to several injuries. The 31-year-old player’s career stats include 395 tackles, 6.0 sacks, nine forced fumbles, four interceptions, and two defensive TDs.
