The Bears are signing veteran tight end Durham Smythe to a one-year deal Thursday, per NFL Network.
Like Bears starter Cole Kmet, Smythe is a Notre Dame alum. He was picked in Round 4 of the 2018 NFL draft by the Dolphins, where he played under future Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who was the wide receivers coach.
Smythe has played in 112 career games, all with Miami, and started 74 times. He’s not a prolific pass catcher, totaling just nine catches for 53 yards over 17 games last year. He had a career-high 35 catches for 366 yards the year before.
Smythe was eligible to be signed before the start of free agency because the Dolphins cut him in the middle of February.
The Bears are in search of tight end depth this offseason after releasing backup Gerald Everett last week. Once Marcedes Lewis hit free agency next week, Kmet would have been left as the only tight end on the team’s roster. Signing Smythe, who turns 30 in August, won’t stop the Bears from pursuing more players at the position, either in free agency or the draft.