By The Associated Press

Kendrell Bell signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and Fred Smoot agreed to a deal with the Minnesota Vikings as two of the NFL’s worst defenses plugged holes through free agency Tuesday.

Smoot had 16 interceptions over five seasons with the Washington Redskins and was selected as an alternate to the Pro Bowl. He will form a quality tandem at cornerback with Antoine Winfield, who was Minnesota’s top free agent signee last season.

Bell, the former Pittsburgh linebacker, was AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2001. He played in only three games last season because of a groin and shoulder injuries and Pittsburgh re-signed the much cheaper Larry Foote, who started most of the season in his place.

The New York Giants also passed on Bell last week because of his injury history and salary demands and signed Antonio Pierce from Washington. Pierce had played in a 4-3, while Bell’s experience was in a 3-4. That didn’t seem to trouble Kansas City, which has been desperately seeking an impact player for its defense the past few years.

“He is a quality football player as well as a quality person,” Chiefs president Carl Peterson said of Bell, who signed a seven-year deal.

In other deals Tuesday, Tampa Bay re-signed veteran wide receiver Joey Galloway and Cleveland signed a former Buc, guard Cosey Coleman. The Browns also redid the contract of veteran quarterback Trent Dilfer, obtained from Seattle over the weekend, and extended his deal from one year to four.

“I feel like I’ve got a lot of football left,” Dilfer said. “I love this game. I love the travel. I love the way Mondays feel after a win or a loss. I love the pressure. There’s not a guy who loves football more than I do. I feel like my best football is ahead of me.”

Another wide receiver, Santana Moss, passed his physical with Washington after being traded from the New York Jets for wideout Laveranues Coles. The deal will be completed when Coles passes his physical with the Jets.

And yet another, Cedrick Wilson, left San Francisco to sign with Pittsburgh, apparently ending any chance that the Steelers will re-sign Plaxico Burress. Burress, who has gotten less attention than expected, postponed a visit to the Giants on Monday but is scheduled to be at the Meadowlands on Wednesday.

Safety Robert Griffith agreed to a two-year contract with Arizona, the Cardinals’ fourth free agent acquisition. The team previously signed offensive tackle Oliver Ross (Steelers), quarterback Kurt Warner (Giants) and defensive end Chike Okeafor (Seahawks).

Griffith, 34, left the Browns to rejoin Green, who brought him into the NFL in 1994 with the Vikings as an undrafted rookie out of San Diego State. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Griffith made a career-high 157 tackles, including 93 solos, eight tackles-for-loss, one interception and one sack in 2004.

The Giants also announced the signing of former Atlanta placekicker Jay Feely and are expected to sign Jim Miller as a backup to second-year quarterback Eli Manning.

New England, which lost Joe Andruzzi to Cleveland, re-signed its other guard, Stephen Neal, a college wrestler who never played football at Cal State-Bakersfield.