Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton and safety Chris Conte are rejoining Lovie Smith with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Melton played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2014 but had his best years with the Bears in Smith’s cover-2 scheme.

Conte is recovering from surgery after a season marred by injuries.

Melton originally entered the league as a fourth-round pick (105th overall) of the Bears in the 2009 NFL Draft and spent the first four years of his career in Chicago (2010-13).

Converted from high school running back to defensive line at the University of Texas, he had 20.5 sacks with the Longhorns and wins with agility. Pairing him with defensive tackle Gerald McCoy could give the Buccaneers their best defensive line in several years, even if free agent defensive end Adrian Clayborn moves on. Tampa Bay released defensive end Michael Johnson on Wednesday.

Conte was maligned for coverage breakdowns in Chicago but also played behind a milquetoast pass rush. A third-roun pick out of Cal in 2011, Conte’s addition could mean the Buccaneers are ready to part with another big-ticket free agent from previous years in Dashon Goldson, who is not an ideal fit in Smith’s scheme.