Why Giants Are Sticking with RB Eric Gray as a Kickoff Returner

Is it insanity, strictly need, or does New York Giants running back Eric Gray legitimately offer something special as a kickoff returner?

The results thus far would suggest the former. Gray, in 81 career touches, has six fumbles. As a kickoff returner, he’s logged 17 returns for 344 yards, a 24.2 average, and only half of his kickoff returns have gone beyond the Giant’s 20-yard line.

Last week, in his first game of the season after spending the year on IR, Gray picked up where he left off as far as shaky ball security went, as he muffed his first return opportunity, the ball recovered by the Giants.

Although he made up for it in overtime when he returned the kickoff to the 30-yard line, and he demonstrated good decisions in blocking for fellow returner Gunner Olszewski, the continued adventures of whether the Giants are going to get ball security out of Gray make the whole decision to keep putting him out there in that role a headscratcher.

The question was put to special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial, who cited Gray’s experience in returning kickoffs and his being a running back as the two most attractive features for the role.

“He understands the vision, how to set up blocks,” Ghobrial said. “Although that was his first game, he obviously wants that one return back.

“I know after that mistake was made, he came up to me apologizing. I’m like you don't have to apologize, you’ve just got to make it right, and part of making it right is his intent and his deliberation in practice.”

Ghorbrial also praised Gray for spending extra time in practice with the Juggs machine to make sure he was cleanly fielding the ball.

“It's cool to have guys that come back to the drawing board, want to fix things, and ultimately we'll keep looking ahead and keep trying to improve and keep trying to put our team in position to win,” he said.

But what’s not cool is when the problem, despite endless reps, doesn’t go away and ultimately comes back to bite the team in the backside.

“While a muffed return opportunity could happen to everyone, logic would dictate that you go with the more secure option at the position, especially when it’s obvious that the opponent, when given a choice as to who to kick off to, will go with the less secure option every time.

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