Cyril Grayson has played in two games for the Buccaneers this season and impressed in both. One more such game could solidify his spot.
The Buccaneers looked like they had the best wide receiver room in the NFL at the start of the season. The top-three was indisputable, but the depth was where this group was able to prove that it went beyond a top-heavy unit.
Two returners from last season that had great playoff performances and a fourth-round rookie this season looked like a great way round out the group, but this season hasn’t gone the way we expected.
None of the initial depth receivers were able to take a commanding lead of the starting jobs when injuries occurred, and this sport is all about people make the most of chances, no matter how few they may be.
Enter Cyril Grayson.
Grayson hasn’t been the most popular name over the years where he mostly stayed on the practice squad, but as previously mentioned, this sport is all about guys making the most of their chances.
The young receiver came up huge earlier in the season on a big play against the Saints, and he was able to prove that his big play ability wasn’t a fluke by repeating against the Panthers as the number two receiver behind Antonio Brown.
Mike Evans is back in the mix today, but this shouldn’t change Grayson’s prospects too much going forward. We have all seen that Grayson is good in all aspects of the receiving game, and his ability to run and block make him a likely candidate to take over the third role today.
What does Grayson need to keep that spot? One big play.
Tampa has guys that can be volume receivers like Brown or Evans with five to ten receptions a game, but they need a home run hitter. This was the appeal of Scotty Miller last season, and Tom Brady has missed having this type of player in favorable matchups while the defense focuses on the All-Pro-caliber receivers on the other side.
This opens the entire offense up, and someone with Grayson’s speed and versatility makes him a perfect fit for the role. One play would just make it impossible for the coaching staff to ignore him any longer.
Cyril Grayson doesn’t need anything crazy today; he already has the momentum. If he shows up and plays his game like he has in his other two appearances, the third spot in the playoffs should be his to lose.
Here’s to hoping that he pulls it off.
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