Tight Ends Coach Lunda Wells -- December 27, 2019
Q: What is it about Kaden Smith that he’s had so much success here?
A: He’s done a nice job doing the things that we’ve asked him to do. He’s consistently gotten better with a lot of the techniques that we’re asking him to do, so I think that’s a contribution to him in terms of his work ethic and what he brings to the game. So, he’s done a nice job with everything we’ve asked of him.
Q: He said in college it was hard for him to transition the technique from practice to games. He said he would rush it in games and he would lose his technique. He said that’s something you guys have really worked on and you’ve kind of stressed to him the importance of keeping that…
A: Yeah, I think with any guy, with all the guys in that room, you just try to be persistent and consistent in what you’re teaching them so that then when they get to the game on Sunday they play fast and a lot of the stuff that you’ve worked on becomes muscle memory. That’s what we emphasize— just being persistent and consistent so that when they get to the game on Sunday it’s just muscle memory for them.
Q: How much has his blocking maybe surprised you?
A: I wouldn’t say it surprised me, because again, when you work at something every day and you’re emphasizing it, you just stay very intentional with your work with them. It doesn’t really surprise you. You kind of sort of expect it to show up on game day. So, that’s kind of what we’ve done. We always talk about taking the drill work to the team work at practice, and then taking that to game day. It hasn’t really surprised me.
Q: What’s made him effective as a receiver? It doesn’t look like Evan’s (Engram) speed or anything, but how has he made an impact there?
A: With him coming out of college out of Stanford, it didn’t take me long to see that the guy is very instinctive. He understands how to get open. One of the biggest things that people don’t give him credit for is he can stick his foot in the ground and separate. So, being instinctive and being able to stick his foot in the ground and separate has been probably the biggest contribution in terms of his success in the pass game.
Q: Did we see that on the game winning touchdown? Is that a route where he got some quick separation there?
A: Yeah, the touchdown pass was a really good design by Coach Shurmur and Coach Shula. But you look at some of his routes throughout the game where he might not have gotten the ball thrown to him, you can see him sticking his foot in the ground and separating from defenders in man coverage.
Q: Evan has missed pretty much half of the last two seasons with different kinds of injuries. Do you chalk that up to bad luck or do you believe in guys who maybe get banged up more than other guys based on the way they play?
A: You know, it’s a man’s sport and our tight ends are asked to do a lot. They are not just receiving tight ends. So, I don’t think it’s a string of bad luck. I just think it’s kind of his road that he’s on right now. I do believe in faith in terms of, hey, you have some road blocks early on, but ultimately there’s a plan for you down the road, so you’ve just got to stay persistent. He’s very encouraged to get back and I believe there is a big plan in his future for him to have some success.
Q: As a coach, coaching your position now, you kind of ran the gamut this year at that position. Back in the spring, we talked, maybe not you talked, about how deep your position was—you had returning talent, young guys, and everything else. Now you go into a Week 17 game where Kaden, a guy who wasn’t even on your team, is the last man standing. How have you handled that position? I know there’s the next man up thing, but there’s something about coaching next man up, too, right?
A: Again, I’ve said it before, when you’re coaching a group, whether or not it’s deep or whether or not it’s thin, you coach the back end of the room, meaning you coach the guys who are not necessarily playing. When you’re in that meeting room, you’re not just talking to Evan (Engram) and Rhett (Ellison), I’m talking to Garrett (Dickerson), I’m talking to Scott (Simonson), I’m talking to Kaden. I’m asking those guys the questions, keeping them involved when they’re not on the field because getting the guys when they’re playing, they’re getting experience on the field. It’s the guys that are not on the field that you’ve got to really do a nice job paying attention on the meetings, coaching those guys, coaching the room through those guys so that they get it so that when they step on the field, you’re not coaching twice. Those guys have gotten the coaching points, they’ve been involved throughout the meetings, and now they’re able to step on the field and know what to do, and then now you just emphasize them being relentless and executing what they’re asked to do.
Q: When you talk about Evan, you talk about the demands of the position, right? It’s a tough position, you’ve got to block defensive ends and then run routes the next play. What’s your confidence level that he can hold up and that he is built to be able to do that long-term?
A: Again, I don’t have a crystal ball. My confidence is in his work ethic and his character, his determination to be an NFL tight end, a good tight end. So, my confidence lies in his work ethic and him being determined to get back. Whether he holds up, again, I’m not a psychic, but I’m confident in him in terms of the character makeup that he brings to the game.
Q: I’m thinking more of just like, they talk about a body, just how your body is kind of built and where your weight is and stuff. That seemed to be one of the concerns coming out, and now he’s kind of having the same concerns here. Do you see that, or do you view it differently?
A: Again, I don’t even look at all that measurables and all that stuff. When the guys are here, you train them for war and just see where he goes. Whether or not he holds up, I don’t worry about that. I just worry about getting him better at what we’re asking him to do so that he can do his job to the best of his ability, which in turn allows us a chance to win.
Q: What do you say about the notion that wide receiver might be the better home for him, because he wouldn’t have to deal with some of the stuff that tight ends have to deal with?
A: If he’s in the tight end room, which I enjoy having him in the tight end room, we’re going to put him in the position to be successful as an NFL tight end for the New York Football Giants. If he goes to the receiver room, I know Tyke Tolbert is going to get him ready to be the best player he can be there, but I don’t really worry about them saying that wide receiver is the best position for him. Hey, best position is whatever position he’s playing at, and him executing.
