Mobility
Remember the days of Robert Griffin III, Tim Tebow and Colin Kaepernick tearing the league up with their read-options and spread offenses?
Well, those days are long gone. The only reason the read-option worked so well a few seasons ago was because it was fresh. Defenses took the offseason to figure it out and the college-fad worked its course.
Now, RGIII and Kap are struggling because they simply aren’t classic, pocket-passing guys.
Regardless of the read-option fading from the pro-game, it’s still used in increments, and possessing a quarterback that can feature a little mobility is always a positive.
Smith, despite not being thought of as a classic read-option guy coming out of college, has done efficient work with that look. He’s piled up seven touchdowns and 704 yards on the ground through four seasons.
When he’s using his legs in improvisation, it provides a valuable weapon to go along with his pocket game.