One of the main reasons the Redskins signed veteran tight end Alex Smith after Derek Carrier sustained a season-ending knee injury was because of his familiarity with coach Jay Gruden’s offense.
Smith had previously played for four teams, including 16 ames with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013 when Gruden was the offensive coordinator. Gruden was also an offensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Smith played there from 2005-08.
That’s why despite being signed just five days before the Redskins’ 35-25 win against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, he was able to quickly transition into the offense and play 16 snaps on offense.