CINCINNATI -- With their passing offense -- specifically their tight ends -- depleted after the first two games of the season, the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday made a series of roster moves.

First, they placed 10-year veteran tight end Alex Smith on the injured reserve list after he suffered a left biceps injury against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Smith was one of three Bengals lost in the first quarter of a physical game. Overall, five Bengals were sidelined before the game ended, causing the Bengals to get a little creative with their personnel decisions entering this Sunday's contest against the Tennessee Titans.

Since fellow tight end Tyler Eifert is already on the short-term IR, and since teams are only permitted to put one player per season on that designated-to-return IR, Tuesday's news means Smith's season is officially over. He's placed onto the season-ending injured reserve. He appeared in the first two games, helping the Bengals address their depth behind Eifert, who got hurt in the first quarter of the season opener at Baltimore.

Eifert is expected to return Week 10 when the Bengals host the Cleveland Browns on a Thursday night.

In addition to removing Smith from the 53-man roster, the Bengals signed free-agent tight end Kevin Brock and slid him into Smith's old spot. Brock is a second-year player who opened this season's training camp with the Bengals before getting waived two days before the team's preseason finale. He originally was signed by the Bengals last postseason after Smith dislocated a wrist in the regular-season finale. This is the second straight season Smith has ended a year on IR.

Along with adding Brock, the Bengals also released tight end Ryan Otten off the practice squad to make room for offensive lineman Emmett Cleary. The versatile guard/tackle is a first-year player from Boston College. He spent time last season on Tampa Bay's practice squad before getting acquired by Oakland on waivers this summer. He was waived by the Raiders the same day the Bengals cut Brock.

Even with all these moves, the Bengals have the same number of players they did when the day began -- 52. They're still one shy of the 53-man limit, and could hit it Wednesday when they have to make a decision on cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris, whose two-game suspension ended Monday. The NFL granted the Bengals a two-day exemption period starting Monday to determine what they're going to do with him. At this point, it seems they'll either sign him or release him.