Tight end Alex Smith has caught 129 passes for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns in his four NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As good as those numbers have been, the former third-round pick believes that he hasn't "met his potential." The 6-4, 258-pound Smith signed a one-year deal with the Eagles on Tuesday. The Eagles released tight end Tony Curtis to make room for Smith on the roster.
"I would say (my career is) a work in progress," said Smith, a 2005 draft choice out of Stanford. "By no means do I feel like I've met my potential. I don't ever like to make excuses for why that is. Every year I continue to try and get better. This is a very big year for me. I've been blessed to have this opportunity. I think I can take full advantage."
One of the reasons for that is the Eagles' stability at quarterback. Donovan McNabb has been the starter since the end of the 1999 season. In Tampa Bay, Smith worked with six different starting quarterbacks.
"To have that constant rotation and never having chemistry with a quarterback, it speaks volumes when you don't have that chemistry, when you guys aren't always on the same page," Smith said.
Smith's tenure in Tampa Bay ended when he was traded in April to the New England Patriots for a fifth-round pick in 2010. It was around that time when, Smith said, that he had his ankle scoped. The Patriots had a bevy of tight ends in their training camp and Smith was released in the final roster cutdown. Smith acknowledged that he didn't feel completely healthy from the ankle surgery until there were two weeks left in training camp.
To find out why Smith doesn't think it worked out for him in New England and what his role will be with the Eagles, click here.
-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 4:11 p.m., September 7
