In the end, the Eagles like Alex Smith more than they like Tony Curtis. Despite four catches for 40 yards, including one for a touchdown, in Thursday night's game, Curtis was a casualty on Tuesday when the Eagles agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Smith.

Strange goings-on, indeed.

"Alex is a good football player who has had success in the league and who has caught a lot of footballs," said Eagles general manager Tom Heckert. "He fits well into this offense."

Smith had 129 receptions and 11 touchdowns in his four seasons with Tampa Bay before New England acquired Smith from the Bucs for a 2010 fifth-round draft pick. Smith, part of a glut of tight ends in New England this summer, was cut by the Patriots over the weekend as the Patriots got down to 53 players on their roster.

That the Eagles added Smith is not all that much of a surprise. He is a big target at 6 feet 4, 258 pounds. He runs well. He gets down the field and has the ability to make big plays. What is surprising is that Curtis was let go after looking so good on Thursday night, and that the Eagles have two tight ends on the roster while they continue to carry seven wide receivers.

Maybe I'm not looking at the obvious: The Eagles simply think that Smith is an upgrade over Curtis, and that with Rob Myers on the practice squad, they can get by with two tight ends during a game and would have a short-term option in Myers should they need one. Of course, they can always call on Matt Schobel, still unsigned, after he was released on Saturday, if they really have an emergency situation.

Seven wide receivers? Well, something has to give when Michael Vick is reinstated to the roster in two weeks and between now and then the Eagles can explore all kinds of options.

The Eagles probably could have traded for Smith and given up a late-round draft pick to New England, but they wisely held off and waited to see if Smith would be around a few days after the cuts. Smith visited the Giants on Monday and didn't sign there, so the Eagles quickly made a move a day later.

So now the Eagles have a little bit more play-making ability at the position with Brent Celek and Smith. What we don't really know is what kind of blocker Smith can be, and what the Eagles will do if they go to a "heavy" package in short-yardage situations. There are a few decent tight ends still on the streets, including Curtis and the sampling of knowledge he has with this offense.

The Eagles continue to manipulate the roster. They aren't done, you can book that. The Eagles have a little bit of room within the salary cap and can work some moves here and there and they likely will do that down the line.

Can Smith be ready for Carolina on Sunday? He has no choice. The Eagles will feed him the offense in chunks and packages. He won't digest the entire playbook and probably won't even know the entirety of the X's and O's this season. Everything is cut down now, anyway, and at least Smith has the knowledge he gained playing in Jon Gruden's West Coast offense when both were in Tampa Bay.

Did you ever, ever, ever think the Eagles would -- when you started formulating a roster in your mind back in February -- end up with Celek and Smith as the tight ends this year? We knew change was coming, that L.J. Smith would not return, and that Celek was ready for his step up, but this position has gone through some crazy twists and turns. First the Eagles drafted Cornelius Ingram and were encouraged by his rapid development before a devastating knee injury in training camp ended his season.

Then it was Myers, the unknown rookie who made a good first impression throughout camp and the preseason. Then it was Curtis who took Schobel's job and appeared to be in line to make this team for the opening game.

Now it is Alex Smith, who burst onto the scene with 41 catches in 2005 and then had his numbers decline in Tampa Bay -- 35 catches ni 2006, 32 in 2007 and only 21 in 12 games with the Bucs last season.

Are the Eagles done at the position? For now, yes. I think. But then again, I thought they were done when Curtis had such a strong game against the Jets to close out the preseason.

They've got their eyes open and they have the flexibility to continue to make some moves. The latest one gives the Eagles some excellent athletic ability at tight end, so it is going to be very interesting to see what the Eagles do at the position starting Sunday in Carolina.