The Bucs traded tight end Alex Smith to the New England Patriots for an undisclosed draft pick in 2010.

Smith, a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2005, became expendable when the Bucs traded two draft picks (second-round pick in '09, fifth in 2010) to the Cleveland Browns for tight end Kellen Winslow.

He had only one year remaining on his contract and scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent following the '09 season. 

In four seasons, Smith played in 58 games and caught 129 passes for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He was plagued by a series of leg and ankle injuries and missed at least two games in each of the past three seasons.

Last year, Smith played in 14 games and caught 21 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns.

The Bucs have three veteran tight ends on the roster: Winslow, who is expected to be a featured receiver next season; Jerramy Stevens, who led all Bucs TE's in '08 with 36 receptions for 397 yards and two TDs; and John Gilmore, who is primarily a blocking tight end.

The trade was announced on the Patriots' website.The Bucs had attempted to trade Smith prior to the NFL draft last week.