The NFL trading deadline came and went without the Eagles adding any of the offensive firepower their fans have been clamoring for.

Tight end Tony Gonzalez? Never made it out of Kansas City.

Wide receiver Roy Williams? Traded to the dastardly Dallas Cowboys. Ugh.

Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh? Still in the witness protection program in Cincinnati. Knowing the incompetent Bengals, they probably think the trading deadline is next Tuesday.

The day wasn't a total waste for the Eagles. They did make a couple of roster moves, releasing running back/fullback Tony Hunt and signing linebacker Tracy White. White, who was released by Green Bay last week after two-plus seasons, was acquired primarily to give their special-teams coverage units a boost.

Hunt's release hardly was a surprise. The Eagles switched the 2007 third-round pick out of Penn State from running back to fullback only 2 weeks before the start of the season, even though he had very little experience as a blocker.

Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg were hopeful he'd eventually get the hang of it, but he never did. Last week, they switched defensive tackle-turned-fullback-turned-defensive tackle Dan Klecko back to fullback and moved Hunt back to running back.

The only reason Hunt wasn't released last week was because they needed a third running back against the 49ers. With Brian Westbrook sidelined with two fractured ribs, they had only Correll Buckhalter, Lorenzo Booker and Hunt. Hunt was on the field for only four snaps Sunday against the 49ers.

Reid seems hopeful that Westbrook will be able to play in 2 weeks when the Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons after the bye. Even if he is, it's possible the Eagles could add another running back.

The Eagles had contacted the Lions about Williams during the offseason, but Detroit wasn't interested in trading him then. With the emergence of rookie DeSean Jackson and the imminent return of Kevin Curtis, the Birds showed little interest in Williams this time around.

Gonzalez was another story. The Eagles were interested in the 32-year-old tight end, but apparently not enough to part with the third-round pick that the Chiefs were looking for for the nine-time Pro Bowler. Several other teams, including the Giants, Packers and Bills, also expressed interest in Gonzalez, who has only 21 catches and two TDs this season.

Gonzalez, who is in his 12th NFL season with Kansas City, had asked Chiefs president Carl Peterson to trade him so that he could end his career with a playoff contender. Gonzalez has said he wants to play only one or two more seasons, which likely was why the Eagles and other teams weren't willing to part with a third-round pick for him.

The Eagles probably would have been willing to throw unhappy cornerback Lito Sheppard into a deal for Gonzalez. But the Chiefs had no interest in Sheppard. They play a Cover-2 defense, which requires physical cornerbacks who can tackle. Sheppard is neither physical nor a particularly good tackler.

The Cowboys' acquisition of Williams no doubt will have the Eagles' wide receiver-obsessed populace gnashing their teeth. But what owner/GM Jerry Jones gave up for the 6-3, 211-pound wideout - first- , third- and sixth-round draft picks - borders on insanity.

Williams has only 17 receptions and one touchdown this season. His '07 numbers - 64 catches, five touchdowns, 13.1 yards per catch - were hardly spectacular. He has a difficult offense to learn in Dallas, and it remains to be seen what kind of chemistry he and Terrell Owens will have, considering that Owens never has been a plays-well-with-others guy.

Williams was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, but the Cowboys signed him to a 5-year extension. *