Eric Gray Looks to Grow in Giants' Returner Role
New York Giants rookie running back Eric Gray knows the score.
He knows that for this year, at least, the top two dogs at his position are Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida and that any snaps that he might potentially get on offense will likely be few and far between.
But that doesn't mean Gray won't have a role on this Giants team this year. The former Oklahoma back is getting a chance to claim the kickoff and punt return specialist roles as his own this preseason, an opportunity he'll continue to have in the Giants' second preseason game this week.
So far, it's been a mixed bag for Gray, the team's fifth-round draft pick out of Oklahoma. While not the most experienced return specialist on the team--Gray returned nine punts for 47 yards and four kickoffs for 72 yards during his four-year college career--he had an encouraging showing last week against the Lions that saw him 20.7 yards per return on three kickoffs and 4 yards per return on punts.
He also had an impressive 36-yard kickoff return in the first quarter, but the play was wiped out by a holding penalty called against Habakkuk Baldonado.
But there were a couple of clunkers in his night. The first was when he stumbled forward to field a punt, securing it despite being off balance. The other clunker came on the second-half opening kickoff when he didn't field a mortar kickoff, the ball luckily going out of bounds to draw a penalty on the Lions.
"He’s a typical young returner," said special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. "They have to understand situational football, as far as being able to protect himself with a fair catch like that last punt as he is running laterally.
"He probably should have just fair caught the ball, as opposed to trying to catch it and just trying to make a play. You have just got to be smart because the most important thing is the ball."
Overall, though, McGaughey was encouraged by what he saw from Gray.
"Eric has great power, quickness, really good short-area quickness, and he runs tough, and he’s a good kid," he said.
Gray was asked about fielding those mortar kicks that a lot of teams are now deploying to force a kickoff return after the fair-catch rule was implemented on a trial basis this year.
"You know, it's a difficult ball to see because it's right on you," Gray said. "It's like if you're playing center field and they hit a line drive right at you; you gotta make a decision quick. So it's just something you gotta get used to, something you gotta get your eyes on because it can twist on you. Just gotta get your feet set in the ground and get ready for it."
With Gray seemingly destined to cut his teeth in the NFL on special teams, he also hopes to earn a few snaps here and there with the offense.
"I don't wanna make too many projections yet for the rookie year," he said when asked about his potential contributions. "Just kind of taking it day by day, getting better, learning from our coach, learning from our players, have been in the room taking it day by day."
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