The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

AS the NFL preseason comes to a close another player with Bahamian roots looks to continue his career as a journeyman reserve.

Alex Smith survived the latest round of roster cuts as the Cincinnati Bengals trimmed their roster to the league mandated 75 on Tuesday afternoon.

Smith was re-signed by the Bengals this summer, which will mark his second consecutive season with the team.

The Bengals will trim the roster to the final 53 players this Saturday, following the team’s final preseason game 7pm Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts.

The veteran tight end will likely have to beat out third year player Orson Charles for the final spot at the position.

Smith will continue to serve as a third string tight end behind Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert, both of whom missed time last season with injury concerns.

Smith was the only tight end of the trio to appear in all 16 games for the Bengals in 2013. He caught three passes for 12 yards and one touchdown.

According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, Smith signed a one-year contract worth $920,000 – $855,000 base, $40,000 bonus, $25,000 bonus.

Smith is the son of Ed Smith, the first Bahamian drafted to the NFL when the Denver Broncos took him with the 319th selection in the 1973 Draft.

After a storied career at Stanford, the younger Smith was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

During his four-year tenure with the Bucs, Smith started 43 of 58 games, recording 129 receptions for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns.

In 2009, he was traded to the New England Patriots for a fifth round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft but was subsequently released during final cuts in September. He followed with a three-year stint with the Cleveland Browns.

The 32-year old, 10-year veteran has appeared in 119 NFL games, with 57 starts. He has 163 receptions for 1,473 yards and 13 touchdowns.

During his tenure with the Buccaneers, the Smiths became a fixture in the development of local football when they hosted a series of summer clinics for potential players seeking scholarship opportunities in the United States.