Tremon Smith: Speed, Value and Potential

Tremon Smith: Speed, Value and Potential – “I’m not the fastest guy in this locker room,” said Tyreek Hill last September. When asked, “Who is?” Hill replied, “Tremon Smith… I can just tell, the kid has wheels.” Perhaps that’s the reason Andy Reid has decided to move Smith from, the defensive, to the offensive side of the ball this past week. At the very least, Smith’s speed had a big part to play in that decision.

At the time, I just assumed the reason for the switch was that Smith was not going to make the 53 man cut as a defensive back. However, since Smith gives the Chiefs flexibility to use him in multiple positions, his move to offense just seems to cement his place on the roster more than anything.

Playing quarterback in high school is a long, long way from playing any position in the NFL. The Chiefs area scout, Willie Davis, who brought Tremon Smith to the attention of the Chiefs higher ups, had this to say about him when he was drafted in the 6th round of the 2018 draft, 196th overall:

“He’s very competitive… He’s very confident… The kid knows he can play…  I think he’s going to be able to come in and be able to contribute on special teams. He gets beat [at CB] but he has the speed to recover. He gets his hands on a lot of balls. He’s always around the ball. He’s always around the ball… He’s by far the second best player to ever come out of Central Arkansas… hahaha (Willie Davis also played for Central Arkansas).”

In my evaluation of Tremon Smith college tape I could see that he didn’t mirror the WR very well and would often have ot use his speed to recover. That’s not a positive for a CB.

On the other hand, one play doesn’t tell the whole story. Tremon Smith was consistent for 4 consecutive seasons and had 15 INTs and 53 passes defense in his four year college career at Central Arkansas, which makes him someone to pay serious attention to. 

Tremon Smith is 6-foot-0, 190 lbs. and runs a 4.3 40 yard dash. It’s been speculated that he could be a replacement for De’Anthony Thomas (DAT) who ran a 4.34 40, but that position presumably belongs to Darwin Thompson… from the line of scrimmage. However, Smith could easily backup Thompson in that role while continuing to return kickoffs, a role DAT has also played in the past. A role Smith flourished in throughout the 2018 season as noted by chiefs.com’s Matt McMullen:

As Sammy Watkins said in that same locker room interview last September, “Tyreek Hill is the fastest man in the NFL” and that appears to continue to be the case. However, it’s not easy for a team to jettison a player with 4.3 speed, especially one who can return kickoffs as well as Tremon Smith… and… who still has potential as a cornerback, even if others appear to have passed him by on the depth chart. Players like, D’Montre Wade, Mark Fields, and presumably 2019 6th round pick, Rashad Fenton. Otherwise, why move Tremon at all?

The move could also mean another possibility: that the depth at CB is perceived to be better than the depth at running back. So, let’s take a look at each of the players the Chiefs have placed in the running back room:

1. Damien Williams – although he’s been sidelined for 5 straight practices with a hamstring injury, he is the odds on favorite starter heading into  the season. This only appears to affect Tremon Smith if DWill is unable to go and Smith becomes another RB to be kept at the bottom of the depth chart.

2. Darwin Thomson – many are projecting D-Train — as he’s called — as the #2 but the time the season get rolling, and his performance in training camp so far would indicate that prognosis is close to accurate. The way that affects Smith is, again, down the line as a depth player.

3. Darrel Williams – the Chiefs brought Darrel in last year as a UDFA from LSU and he’s had his moments to shine, but has yet to break out. Smith could edge his way past Darrel but it doesn’t seem likely considering the investment the Chiefs have made in him and the backup players they’ve been willing to move on from as a result: player like Charcandrick West, Akeem Hunt, Kerwynn Williams, and Spencer Ware.

4. Carlos Hyde – GM Brett Veach brought Hyde in this offseason and signed him to a 1 year, $2.8M contract with a $800,000 signing bonus and $1.5M guaranteed. Although the commitment to Hyde appears significant, it’s his ability between the tackles that makes me think Reid values him as a future RB for the Chiefs. For Smith, it looks like he’d have to beat out Hyde to make the team as a RB, but who knows, perhaps the Chiefs carry 5 RBs?

While Tremon Smith’s path to make the 53 man roster as a running back doesn’t seem clear, he’s clearly faster than any of these running backs. Speed alone has never secured an athlete’s place on an NFL roster, his ability to compete and play football should make him someone Andy Reid, Dave Toub, Eric Bieniemy, and RB Coach Deland McCullough all prize and value.

Like a lot of other position groupings this year, the horse race to the 53 man finish line is going to require a photo finish. I just wouldn’t bet against the guy with sprinter’s speed… and experience.

Go Chiefs!

Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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