Brad Smith is not a wide receiver anymore.
Smith, who was listed as a receiver but was genuinely a lot more of a playmaking jack of all trades in his five seasons with the Jets, is now listed as a quarterback on the Bills’ roster. Bills head coach Chan Gailey says he views Smith as primarily a quarterback, but a diverse type of quarterback.
“Brad is a very good athlete and was a very good quarterback coming out of college,” Gailey stated. “He has confirmed he can make plays on the football field in a lot of different techniques. We adore his versatility and what he is going to bring to our football team.”
The Bills have Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starting quarterback and Tyler Thigpen as the No. two, but Smith can do points that Fitzpatrick and Thigpen can’t, and Gailey sounds like he’s interested in giving Smith regular snaps at quarterback. Gailey compared Smith to Kordell Stewart, who played both quarterback and receiver for the Steelers in the 1990s, when Gailey was their receivers coach and offensive coordinator.
“I see him becoming employed in a similar role as I utilised Kordell in Pittsburgh,” Gailey mentioned. “He can play some receiver and quarterback. He provides you a lot of versatility. He can play special teams, cover kicks and return kicks. He can do a lot to help a football team win games.”
Gailey said Smith would also be ideal as the main ball handler in the Wildcat package. He rushed 38 times last season for the Jets for virtually 300 yards and a touchdown in that role, but he has attempted just seven passes in his five seasons with the AFC East rival. Buffalo’s head coach mentioned Smith would also be a kick returner along with C.J. Spiller.
The NFL has eliminated the third quarterback rule and expanded the game-day active rosters from 45 players to 46, meaning Smith could be the No. 3 quarterback on the Bills’ depth chart but wouldn’t be restricted the way third quarterbacks had been in the past.
“You have 46 players to place wherever you want,” stated Gailey. “It is an advantage with a guy like Brad Smith. He can come in and out. He can go in and play, and come out. You do not have to re-designate a person else. In my opinion, it is excellent for teams to have a guy like that.”
There’s a risk of the Bills obtaining too cute, giving Smith too much to do and keeping him from doing any one factor really effectively. But there’s also the possible for Smith to turn out to be a exclusive player who does things with the ball in his hands that no one else in the NFL is performing: Smith could be a threat to run for a touchdown, throw a touchdown pass, catch a touchdown pass and return a kick for a touchdown, all in the exact same game. In Gailey’s mind, the possibilities are endless.
