Should The Eagles Have Kept an Extra TE Instead of Seven Wide Receivers?

After tight end Tony Curtis’ performance for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Jets last week, a game in which he hauled in four receptions for 40 yards and one touchdown, there was excitement brewing up in the City of Brotherly Love.

Even though it was only one game, Curtis seemed like he may be able to make a major contribution to the Eagles offense this upcoming season considering their situation at tight end.

Unfortunately for Curtis, the Eagles believed they were better off with Alex Smith at tight end.

The Eagles released Curtis to make room for Smith at the tight end position. Smith was cut by the New England Patriots over the weekend in order to trim down their 53-man roster. He spent his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was acquired by the Patriots in the offseason.

The main question swirling around Philadelphia now is whether or not this was the right move for the Eagles. Smith is an excellent tight end who has major potential, but should they have let Curtis go so easily?

If anything, the Eagles should have considered keeping three tight ends on their 53-man roster, especially since they decided to hold on to seven wide receivers.

Everyone was expecting a move to be made by the Eagles when it came to the wide receiver position. WRs DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin had job security as they never had to worry about whether or not they would make one of the roster spots.

WRs Reggie Brown, Hank Baskett and Brandon Gibson all knew their preseason performance could determine whether or not they would have a spot on the Eagles’ roster in 2009.

Instead, all seven wide receivers were fortunate enough to be part of the 53-man roster after last Saturday’s deadline for teams to trim down their rosters. Seven wide receivers on one roster seems too much, especially with the recent situation the Eagles find themselves in.

If anything, Brown seemed to be the leading candidate to be released by the Eagles to cut down on the number of wide receivers on the roster. After an impressive rookie season in which he hauled in 46 receptions for 816 yards and eight touchdowns, Brown has failed to live up to the potential the Eagles and their fans saw in him.

Over the last two seasons, he seems to be sliding more and more down the team’s depth chart. Last season, he only caught 18 receptions for 252 yards and one touchdown in the 10 games he played in.

With all of the young talent emerging at the wide receiver position for the Eagles, Brown will most likely find himself on the sideline for most games.

If this is the case for the Eagles, would his roster spot have been a better fit for a different player?

Looks like the Eagles and their fans will only have to wait a few days before they find out whether or not this was the right move.

Dan Parzych Is The Eagles Fan Voice For NFLTouchdown.com