The injuries and lack of depth at wide receiver have created a great opportunity for Jeff Smith, a former undrafted free agent who appeared in one game last season as a rookie and caught one pass before an ankle injury. Smith has an interesting background because he began his college career as a quarterback for Boston College. In fact, he was an all-state quarterback at Central Catholic High School in Clearwater, Florida.
Smith struggled at BC, completing 27 of 82 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, so he was moved to receiver as a sophomore. His 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash might have had something to do with it, too.
By default, Smith is practicing with the Jets' starting unit, but he has made some plays. No doubt, his development was hurt by the cancellation of offseason practices, but his skill set intrigues the Jets' coaches. Offensive assistant Hines Ward, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, said Smith needs to work on the mental side of the game. Ward said Smith puts too much pressure on himself, resulting in bad body language.
In the past, the Jets have succeeded with former college quarterbacks. Remember Brad Smith, the receiver/kick returner in the late 2000s? Their most celebrated conversion was Tim Tebow in 2012, but, quite honestly, I still don't know what they tried to do with him.
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Smith struggled at BC, completing 27 of 82 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, so he was moved to receiver as a sophomore. His 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash might have had something to do with it, too.
By default, Smith is practicing with the Jets' starting unit, but he has made some plays. No doubt, his development was hurt by the cancellation of offseason practices, but his skill set intrigues the Jets' coaches. Offensive assistant Hines Ward, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, said Smith needs to work on the mental side of the game. Ward said Smith puts too much pressure on himself, resulting in bad body language.
In the past, the Jets have succeeded with former college quarterbacks. Remember Brad Smith, the receiver/kick returner in the late 2000s? Their most celebrated conversion was Tim Tebow in 2012, but, quite honestly, I still don't know what they tried to do with him.
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