The Buccaneers have a lot to be excited about with Russell Gage joining the team, but he isn’t the only receiver to keep an eye on.
Russell Gage is obviously going to get a mountain of the media attention for the Buccaneers receivers this offseason as the newest guaranteed starter.
Gage is a talented player that should move into one of the best situations of his career with this Tampa team, but he may not be the guy on the roster in a position to make the biggest leap.
Instead, that player could be wide receiver Cyril Grayson.
While Grayson still isn’t a guarantee to make the roster, he should be. Given how the cards are falling right now, Grayson is more versatile than Scotty Miller, more consistent than Breshad Perriman, and Jaelon Darden isn’t even a real competition yet.
If Perriman and Miller get the axe, which is certainly on the table, the depth in the receiver room would be Grayson, Tyler Johnson, and Darden. This would then become a great situation for Grayson to shine.
We didn’t get to see much of Cyril Grayson last season, but when we did, he played like one of the best receivers on the field.
When the Bucs needed someone to step up during a disaster, Grayson was able to make huge plays with two touchdowns to keep the team in the game.
Grayson only played in five games and started in three, but the numbers there show a player that could do even more when he starts to get more comfortable.
In the last two games where he was a starter, Grayson averaged 81 yards through the air through a variety of means. Grayson wasn’t a one-trick pony either with his deep route. In those two games he had nine receptions on 11 targets.
The sample was then skewed by two games where he barely played and then one reception for a huge 50-yard touchdown in a loss to the Saints, but what we saw from Grayson was plenty to show that this kid is ready for a greater share in 2022.
Grayson doesn’t need to be a starter to make his presence known either. If the Buccaneers do rightfully make him the fourth receiver, Grayson has a way of making big plays happen even if he is only on the field for around 40-50% of the snaps.
A lot of this is projection, but you have to hand it to a guy who has worked his butt off to get where he is at. That kind of hard work is a need for the Bucs, and the team would get rewarded for playing Grayson more with a guy that can stretch the field, blocks with all of his energy, and clearly values every moment he is on the field.
Keep an eye on Cyril Grayson in 2022.
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