For the majority of OTAs, Bills all-purpose player Brad Smith has donned a red jersey. That changed at the end of last week, and according to head coach Chan Gailey, he’ll be wearing a lot of different hats as well this upcoming season.
“He worked at quarterback, which we needed him to do that,” Gailey told the media Friday. “He’ll go into the season, unless something major changes which I don’t foresee, he’ll be the third quarterback. He’s got to have enough quarterback knowledge to get you out of a game. He’s a very good special team’s player, lines up and does that. He can play receiver and help us there. There are a lot of things.”
One of those things will be working at reinstituting the Wildcat into the playbook. Gailey told reporters Friday that he would have liked to use Smith in that role more last year if it weren't for the amount of injuries. But now that the roster is back to full health, they will definitely be practicing more in that formation.
“We still plan to use it ... We’re going to keep it," Gailey said. "We’re going to keep working with it. The better Brad gets at quarterback … now he’s a threat to throw it and run it and that helps your Wildcat.”
Gailey said Friday he thought you needed “the right person” to run the Wildcat, and that Smith was it. Getting Smith back into a versatile position that will give him the option to either run or throw the football will definitely keep opposing defenses on their toes against an already balanced run/pass attack.
Buffalo will need to be careful with Smith, however, if their plans are to keep him as their third-string quarterback. Though Smith has been a warrior for the majority of his career in the injury department, the last thing the Bills need to see is their last option behind center on the front end of a season-ending hit via special teams. But as far as Smith is concerned, as long as he’s on the field he’s OK with it.
"We’ll see what happens," Smith said. "I’ll just keep working with whatever they tell me to do each day and try to be the best I can be at it. Whatever helps this team wins that’s what I’m going to do."
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