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Henry Melton, Chris Conte reunite with Bucs coach Lovie Smith

 
Defensive tackle Henry Melton says he teared up when Lovie Smith was fired in Chicago.
Defensive tackle Henry Melton says he teared up when Lovie Smith was fired in Chicago.
Published March 13, 2015

TAMPA — Henry Melton remembers the day Lovie Smith was fired in Chicago. They embraced and Melton vowed to one day play again for the coach that had taken him from a converted running back to a Pro Bowl defensive tackle.

"I grew really close to him when he was in Chicago. When he got fired there, I shed a tear," Melton said Thursday. "We embraced each other and said, 'You never know what might happen. We might meet on down the road.' So here we are."

Melton, 28, who had five sacks for the Dallas Cowboys last season, wasn't alone in his desire to be reunited with Smith and the Tampa 2 defense. His former Bears teammate, safety Chris Conte, also was introduced at a news conference after each player signed a one-year deal with the Bucs.

Conte, 26, started 52 games in four seasons — the first two under Smith — and while the Bucs also re-signed another former Bears starter in Major Wright, Conte said his goal is to be in the starting lineup.

"I intend to come in and compete, to play free safety and be the starter," said Conte, who had eight interceptions in the last three years.

The Bucs also hosted Melton's Cowboys' teammate — nickel defensive back Sterling Moore, who went un-tendered as a restricted free agent.

Moore played a key role this season, starting seven games and getting 46 tackles in 2014.

Conte suffered multiple concussions last season that limited him late in the season, but said he's fully healthy now.

"It's a contact sport and injuries happen," Conte said. "I'm 100 percent healthy now and ready to get going. I'm going to do everything I can to stay healthy. A lot of that happens in the offseason, with preparing, lifting and just being a smarter football player about the way I hit people."

Like Melton, Conte was content to sign a one-year deal, a prove-it pact that he believes will put him in position for a larger deal next year.

"It's a great opportunity for me," Conte said. "It's a defense I know, and I can come in and be effective right away," he said. "I'm going to do everything I can to get on the field and prove myself. The one-year deal is an ability to show these coaches I belong here and I deserve to be paid like a top guy eventually."

Melton said the familiarity with Smith and the defense were big factors in his decision.

"The system, I already know and what it demands," Melton said. "I know a lot of the guys here, from going down to the trainers all the way up to the head coach. It made it a pretty easy decision."

Melton said he's excited to play alongside Gerald McCoy, whom he became good friends with at the Pro Bowl following the 2012 season.

"We've always kept in contact," Melton said of McCoy. "We talked then about it, because I was going to become a free agent then, and we talked about joining forces and it didn't work out. We had an opportunity to make it happen. He texted me and he was real excited to hear the news."

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Conte's arrival means an almost certain split between the Bucs and safety Dashon Goldson. The Bucs will attempt to trade Goldson, but with $4 million of his $8 million salary already guaranteed, it may be tough to find a team willing to take on that contract and there is no timetable. Ultimately, he isn't expected to be with the team in 2015.

While much will be the same for Melton, Conte will face one change with the Bucs. He wore No. 47 for four seasons with the Bears, but said Thursday he'll stay away from the number that John Lynch made famous for Tampa Bay.

"Don't worry. I'll be changing that," Conte said. "I'll move my number and it's time for a fresh start. That's exactly what this is for me. Besides the obvious similarity, he's a hell of a player. I don't think we are similar players — I'm more of a middle-of-the-field player, but he's an awesome player, a Hall of Famer. … I want to create my own identity here, to do my own thing."