Broncos Land Top End

Having freed up money under the salary cap by restructuring John Elway’s contract, the Denver Broncos signed five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Neil Smith to a one-year contract.

Smith, 31, ranks as one of the top sack artists in the NFL with 86 in his career. After getting 12 sacks in 1995, however, he fell off to just six last year, and the Kansas City Chiefs informed Smith last week they could not afford to re-sign him.

Denver offered Smith a deal that reportedly will pay him between $1 million and $1.5 million in base salary, with incentives that could swell it to $3 million.

The San Francisco 49ers have signed restricted free agent Jim Schwantz to an offer sheet, giving the Dallas Cowboys until Friday to match the offer to the linebacker.

Schwantz, a Pro Bowl special teams performer last season, is best remembered for delivering the hit that gave by 49ers quarterback Steve Young his second concussion of the 1996 season.

The San Diego Chargers got rid of defensive end Chris Mims and all his troubles, replacing him with Pro Bowler William Fuller and all his quarterback sacks.

As soon as Fuller told general manager Bobby Beathard he was going to accept San Diego’s offer, Mims, San Diego’s first-round draft choice in 1992, was history.