When the New York Giants signed veteran running back Rod Smith, it was viewed as a throw-away transaction. After all, how much of a role could he be expected to have behind Saquon Barkley and Wayne Gallman?
While his exact role remains undefined, Smith has caught the attention of his coaches, who view him as a quiet, hard-working team-first player.
“I think he is a pro. He came in and he has learned our offense pretty quickly,” head coach Pat Shurmur told reporters earlier this week. “There is less and less mistakes in each practice setting. He does a good job with the ball in his hands. He is a big presence and we all know a lot of what he does is on special teams.”
As Shurmur alluded, Smith has not only proven himself a value in the running backs room, he’s also established himself as a key special teams asset early on — a staple of his professional career.
“Big, strong, athletic, smart, playmaker – whenever you can get a guy like that on your roster to provide depth, and having value as a running back,” special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey said on Wednesday. “Mr. Gettleman always talks about having value on offense and defense, not just on special teams.
“[Smith] punches all the tickets. He’s a hard worker, he’s a pro, and he does everything you ask him to do. He’s 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, and has a skillset. He’s one of those guys if you’re sitting in a room, you won’t even know he’s there. He’s quiet, he comes in, and he works, and he does his job.”
Although Smith is quiet behind-the-scenes, the Giants want him to be loud on the field. And so long as he continues to get the team’s offensive and special teams schemes down, they will find ways to mix him in.
