The Indianapolis Colts added more competition to the tight end room Wednesday, signing free-agent Kaden Smith to the roster.
With OTAs beginning this week, there will be plenty of roster movement to come over the next few months as training camp is set to arrive at the end of July.
Here are five things to know about the newest addition to the tight end room:
1
Sixth-round pick
Smith initially was a sixth-round pick (No. 176 overall) with the San Francisco 49ers in the 2019 NFL draft. However, he was waived right after the start of the season and claimed off waivers by the New York Giants a few days later.
2
Stint with Giants
Smith has spent the majority of his career with the Giants after being claimed off waivers. He spent parts of three seasons on the roster (2019-2021), appearing in 33 games and making 22 starts. He recorded 52 receptions on 66 targets for 413 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 8.6 yards per reception.
3
Missed all of 2022
Smith was placed on the injured reserve list in December of the 2021 season due to a knee injury, and the Giants wound up waiving him with an injury designation during the 2022 offseason, likely stemming from that initial injury.
Whether it was due to the knee injury or just a general lack of interest from NFL teams, Smith didn’t play during the 2022 season.
4
Athletic traits
Smith attended the 2019 NFL combine but didn’t perform all that well. While he measured in at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds with 32 1/4-inch arms, he posted a 4.92 in the 40-yard dash to go along with some pedestrian numbers in the vertical and broad jump.
With pick 176 in the 2019 NFL Draft, the #49ers select Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford.
Kaden Smith posted a Poor #RAS with Good size, Poor speed, Poor explosiveness, Okay agility at the TE position. pic.twitter.com/udep2xYa7o
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 27, 2019
5
Crowded TE room
It will be interesting to see how Smith competes in the Colts’ crowded tight end room. The Colts already have Mo Alie-Cox, Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson and Andrew Ogletree returning from 2022, and they added free-agent Pharoah Brown and fifth-round pick Will Mallory to the fold as well.
