New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - The Advocate Tre'Quan Smith's promise — literally — and these other traits have Saints WR on upswing

BY NICK UNDERHILL | nunderhill@theadvocate.com Oct 25, 2018 - 1:36 pm

Vonn Bell asks Tre’Quan Smith the same question every week.

“Hey, you got a big play for me this week?”

The New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver always promises the Saints safety one, but Smith is now delivering frequently and emphatically. In the past two games, the third-round pick has looked like the guy who provided daily highlights throughout training camp.

It started against the Washington Redskins when Smith made a seemingly impossible catch on the sideline. It is hard to adequately describe just how quickly his momentum was carrying him to the sideline and how close his feet were to missing the green. But Smith managed to complete his out route by tapping his toes with cornerback Quinton Dunbar in tight pursuit for a gain of 14.

But it wasn’t a fluke, because Smith made one of the more important catches of the young season on the sideline during a late scoring drive against the Baltimore Ravens. It required some athletic prowess, as he stood on the sideline and caught a 26-yard pass from Drew Brees, but Smith was stationary this time. Success was as dependent on fooling the cornerback as it was maintaining control of his body.

“I saw the defender coming in my peripheral vision,” Smith said. “I was like, let me make it seem like the ball isn’t coming so he won’t push me that soon. So, I had to act like the ball wasn’t coming, but at the same time catch the ball. I had no idea my feet were that close to the sideline.”

Smith's summer highlight reel was extensive, as he showcased the ability to high-point the ball down the field and torque his body. But he wasn't afforded an extended opportunity to showcase his talents until the Washington game when Ted Ginn Jr. was sidelined with a knee injury that eventually placed him on injured reserve. In the two games since, Smith has six receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He had one catch for 18 yards before that.

"He did a lot of good things in the offseason," general manager Mickey Loomis said during an appearance on Sirius XM. "Very impressive, his intelligence and the way he’s grasped the playbook and the nuances of playing the position have been quicker than you would expect a rookie receiver. I think that’s a tough position to come in and make an impact immediately in our league, and yet he’s shown some good things."

There is still room for Smith to grow, and he needs to display consistency, but he has made a positive impression on another important person.

“He’s tall, lean, so he looks like a receiver, kind of like a gazelle that can just get out there and run,” quarterback Drew Brees said. “But I think he’s a little deceiving in some of his transition skill. His ability to get in and out of routes is really good.

“Talking about just picking up the offense for a rookie receiver, and that’s not easy. I feel like he’s been able to do that pretty well. He has playmaking ability to go up and get the ball on those challenged catches, and we just keep opening up the offense for a guy like him.”

While Smith has stood out quite often for making deep catches, including the one Brees used to set the all-time passing yardage mark, he has shown the ability to run several routes. He’s been targeted on post, corner, fade, hitch, crossing, out and go routes, which checks just about all of the boxes. He proved similarly capable at Central Florida, where he ran the full route tree.

Making difficult catches isn’t new for Smith. He says he’s had his body control for a while, he’s just now refining it, and those two catches were the result of his work. Every day before practice or games, he works with wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson doing different drills where he stays inbounds. Johnson always tells him to just catch the ball and “let the referee decide if you’re inbounds or not.”

What is somewhat new for Smith is playing with a quarterback like Brees, who, he says, has made him better. The quarterback’s approach to the game has also caused Smith to lock in on every snap in a way that most receivers do not until playing with someone like Brees.

“It makes playing a lot harder in a sense that, if you’re open, it’s a good chance the ball is going to come your way,” Smith said. “It’s not just one guy is going to get the ball every time even if they’re covered. If you’re open, you’re going to get the ball in this offense.”

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore praised Smith when asked about how the rookie has been performing in practice.

“I see him,” Lattimore said.

Soon, everyone else will see Smith if he keeps performing.