KC Chiefs moving Tremon Smith to running back in training camp

Training camp is always a time for teams to try new things and the KC Chiefs are trying a very new thing. They’re slotting cornerback and return man Tremon Smith in at running back.

The Kansas City Chiefs are mixing things up at training camp and the recent buzz is the transition of cornerback and special teamer to running back for former sixth round pick Tremon Smith.

Smith, who is entering his second year as an NFL player, was drafted as a cornerback for the Chiefs, but he mostly spent time on special teams as a return man. He had 33 kick returns as a rookie last year, totaling 886 yards on those returns.

Smith’s role with the team last year was mostly what he did in college at Central Arkansas, but he played both offense and defense in high school. Smith also has blazing speed, so it makes sense that Andy Reid might want to see what he has to offer on the offensive side of the ball.

The Chiefs didn’t use Smith as a corner much last season (though with the recent injury to Keith Reaser, maybe he could see some snaps at the position) and maybe this move is a sneaky way to keep him on the roster.

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This also could end up being nothing or next to nothing. Maybe Reid wants to get Smith involved on one or two plays a game where he gets the ball as a halfback. After all, the Chiefs have Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde, Darwin Thompson, Darrel Williams, and plenty of other running backs on their roster heading into training camp and the preseason.

At the same time, however, Smith is fast. With Mecole Hardman coming in and potentially being the new return man on special teams, it makes sense that the Chiefs want to keep a quick guy like Smith on their roster to have him at their offense’s disposal.

At this point, any positive production the Chiefs can get out of Smith should be considered a win. The 2018 draft class has looked disappointing so far, but it’s only been a year since these guys made it to the NFL.

Whether this move to running back ends up being permanent or not, it’ll be interesting to see how the Kansas City Chiefs utilize Tremon Smith for the duration of the summer/season.