It appears that former Eagle tight end L.J. Smith is close to signing a one year deal worth $1.5 million with the Baltimore Ravens. Smith is a six year veteran who was a second round draft pick by the Birds in 2003. He best seasons as a pro were in 2005 and 2006 when he caught a combined 111 passes. In the 2006 season he recorded 50 catches and 5 touchdowns. His production dropped off dramatically as injuries took their toll over the next two seasons. With the emergence of Brent Celek this past season the Eagles made no real effort to resign Smith during this off season.
L.J. Smith had all the potential to become one of the leagues top tight ends as he showed flashes of greatness in his early years in Philly. While a good all around tight end, his sporadic play kept him from being considered as one of the best in the league. Another problem were the injuries that plagued him off and on over the past few seasons as an Eagle. This past season he suffered a concussion in the Atlanta game that he never seemed to fully recover from, contributing very little the second half of the season. The Eagles will most likely look to draft a tight end in April to replace Smith’s roster spot and compete for the starting job with Celek.
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