Kyle Shanahan is Impressed With how Danny Gray Responds to Tough Coaching
Kyle Shanahan can be an extremely tough coach on players, especially rookies.
And while Brandon Aiyuk wasn't a rookie last year, he felt that tough coaching from Shanahan. It didn't resonate with Aiyuk well at first, but he did end up handling it and rising back into a favorable player for the 49ers.
One player who is definitely hearing it from Shanahan during 49ers training camp is Danny Gray. It never fails that Shanahan will pick on a young receiver and Gray has certainly been hearing it from him. The couple times I went to practice, Gray was atrocious. He was getting mauled at the line of scrimmage and couldn't create any space coming across the field. But Gray is bouncing back from the erroneous practices and is handling the critiquing well. How he's been able to come back after tough coaching and practices is something that is impressing Shanahan.
“He's coming along," Shanahan said. "He's got his rookie stuff, just like all of them pretty much do, usually. But I've liked how he has responded. It's pretty much guaranteed that a rookie, especially a rookie receiver, is going to do something to bother me in every practice. But that's how you coach guys to get them better and I've really been impressed with him that every time we get on him for something and the next day he responds. He doesn't feel sorry for himself. He doesn't think we're picking on him. He hears us, he listens and he goes out and usually fixes it the next day.”
This answer from Shanahan on how Gray is performing in 49ers training camp is exactly why he is going to find a role in the offense. It is all on Gray from here on out to continue to show consistency and improvement in areas that Shanahan and other coaches are critiquing him on. Right now, his stock is rising, which I wouldn't have believed from the practices I saw him in.
Gray was abysmal in both of those practices. I cannot understate that point. Following those practices, Gray has stepped up and making a huge comeback. That is exactly what you want to see if you're Shanahan -- seeing how you can rise above that negativity. It is the same thing as when Shanahan referenced offensive linemen getting beat. How do they respond? Do they get scared, or go back out there to play strong?
Rookies cannot let some low moments in training camp snowball, or else Shanahan will stop taking that player seriously. The same goes for players with only a few years under their belt. So for Gray, this is excellent to hear the perspective Shanahan has on him. All he needs now is to make some impact plays throughout the preseason and he will likely find himself on the field several times a game for the 49ers.
