Tight End Alex Smith signs with Eagles, Curtis cut

The Eagles kept only two tight ends on their initial 53 man roster, Brent Celek and Tony Curtis, leading many to speculate that they would be signing another tight end prior to Week 1. Well, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Eagles have found their third tight end: Alex Smith. No, that's not the Alex Smith who plays quarterback for the 49ers, this is the Alex Smith who played tight end for Tampa Bay for the last 4 years.

Smith recently spent training camp with the Patriots before getting cut last week. Several teams were after Smith, including the Giants, but the Eagles swooped in and grabbed him. There is no word yet on who will be removed from the 53 man roster to make room for Smith although I would bet recently claimed DT Antonio Dixon is a goner.

Smith is a quality pickup for the Eagles and he could easily pass Tony Curtis on the depth chart and be the second tight end. He has 129 catches and 11 touchdowns in his four year career and is known as a pass-catching tight end. Smith isn't much of a blocker, however.

UPDATE: Indeed, Alex Smith has already jumped past Tony Curtis on the depth chart because the Eagles have cut Curtis, giving the team only two tight ends again. Seems strange to me although Smith is clearly the better tight end.

The Eagles sign tight end Tony Curtis

As was rumored a few days ago, the Eagles have signed tight end Tony Curtis, according to Brian Seltzer on Twitter. According to Seltzer, Curtis is recovering from a high ankle sprain and will continue his rehab with the Eagles and should have a good shot at making the team. As a veteran with some NFL experience, if healthy, Curtis should beat out Eugene Bright and Rob Myers for a spot on the roster. There is also the possibility that the Eagles could be looking to cut oft-injured Matt Schobel since he has barely been healthy this preseason, making Curtis a possibility for the second tight end spot.

The Eagles are extremely thin at tight end so the signing of a veteran, even though he is injured, is a solid move to try to build some depth. Curtis only has 11 career catches in two NFL seasons with the Cowboys but those 32 games of real experience give him an upper hand over two unproven tight ends like Myers and Bright. Time will tell if he is healthy enough to make a contribution, however.

Eagles close to signing tight end Tony Curtis

It's not an earth-shattering move, but when you are desperate for some depth at tight end, these are the kind of signings that happen. According to an NFL.com blog, the Eagles are "on the verge" of signing veteran tight end Tony Curtis. Curtis, who had spent two years with the Cowboys and part of this preseason with the Chiefs, has been brought in by the Eagles, who are evaluating him with a plan to sign him if he passes a physical. Curtis was battling injuries this past offseason, so there is no guarantee that he will be healthy enough to contribute.

Curtis, who had 11 career catches and three touchdowns in two full seasons in Dallas, is likely being looked at as competition for the 3rd tight end spot. Currently, the Eagles have Matt Schobel, Eugene Bright and Rob Myers battling for two backup spots behind starter Brent Celek. Schobel appears likely to make the team, so that would leave Bright, Myers and Curtis in a fight for the third spot. After a solid game last night, Myers might be making his move for the spot, but Curtis actually has experience in the NFL and could quickly vault onto the roster.

Again, this move is hardly exciting considering he only had 8 catches last year, but Curtis could have a role to play given how little depth the Eagles have at tight end. Should anything serious happen to Brent Celek, it's safe to say the Eagles are screwed.