birdz4i Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Posted Aug 22, 2016 Andrew Hirsh atlantafalcons.com Twitter Free agent signing Cyrus Gray has joined a crowded backfield in Atlanta, and while he doesn’t have much time to earn a permanent job with the Falcons, he got off to an impressive start against the Browns The night before Atlanta’s preseason opener, the Falcons were gathering at a hotel when their newest teammate, Cyrus Gray, arrived and introduced himself. It was not an ideal time to join a new franchise. All of Gray’s competition at running back had been immersed in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme throughout the offseason; less than a week of training camp remained. Getting up to speed, and building a strong case for the 53-man roster, would require some fast learning. Gray made sure to absorb information as quickly as possible. He dedicated himself to the playbook, and he spent a lot of one-on-one time with running backs coach Bobby Turner. That effort paid immediate dividends: Gray turned in a solid debut with the Falcons, earning 18 rushes for 76 yards – a 4.2 average – against Cleveland, helping the Falcons win their second-consecutive game of 2016. “His opportunity was there, and he took it,” head coach Dan Quinn said about Gray. “So now, it’s like, ‘Hey man, you’ve shown it. So what can you do now on (special) teams? What can you do to back this performance up?’ Because he showed that he can do it. He looked healthy, he looked quick. I came away really impressed.” Gray’s longest run of the night, an 11-yard sprint, illustrated why he is equipped to succeed in Atlanta’s outside-zone offense: After taking a handoff from Matt Simms, he sidestepped a would-be tackler at the line of scrimmage, found an open lane and cut downfield for a first down. “He can stick his foot in the ground and get vertical,” Quinn said. “So in the scheme, it’s one gap at a time. … That’s what this (offense) is about: making a decision and getting vertical. And he has the speed to do it.” Gray’s sudden emergence has made a fierce position battle even more complex. Between him, Brandon Wilds, Gus Johnson and Terron Ward, the Falcons have no shortage of options for the No. 3 RB job. And with only two games left before the regular season begins, this storyline should only get more compelling in the next several weeks. http://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/blog/article-1/RB-Gray-Makes-Strong-First-Impression-in-Atlanta/1341cd50-0dc7-4b93-8f8a-4cc34f57655c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papachaz Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Good read, I was impressed with him too. Going back to something Quinn said, 'it's one gap at a time, this offense is about making a decision and getting vertical' I see that as really the ONLY thing holding Coleman back from really being explosive, he seems to have a bit of trouble reading and seeing the lanes/creases. That video RandomFan found the other day and posted explained it very well.... but I can see Gray getting a good shot at making the 53, hopefully he's got some strong game in ST play and that will help him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dem Birds Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Its gonna be a heavy weight fight between him and Wilds. I feel for Ward he's all but out I think due to his injury. But based on what he showed last season, I think he may have been anyway. Unless his pass blocking and special teams play was just that much superior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lornoth Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Looked slow but as the #3 it's more important that he can block and play ST. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HASHBROWN3 Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 He looked good. But he'll have to light it up for two more games to unseat Wilds imo... Wilds ain't going to sit quietly. Props to this kid. We're going to have some tough cuts across the board this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLFalcons11 Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 What the article pointed out what many may not be taken into consideration is that Gray is fresh into the scheme and still showed a heck of a lot of skill. I truly don't think he is as far away from Wilds as some may think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mazetti Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 (edited) 12 minutes ago, HASHBROWN3 said: He looked good. But he'll have to light it up for two more games to unseat Wilds imo... Wilds ain't going to sit quietly. Props to this kid. We're going to have some tough cuts across the board this year! Wilds' 6'2" and 220 works for me.... Edited August 24, 2016 by Tim Mazetti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerSteve Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 55 minutes ago, papachaz said: Good read, I was impressed with him too. Going back to something Quinn said, 'it's one gap at a time, this offense is about making a decision and getting vertical' I see that as really the ONLY thing holding Coleman back from really being explosive, he seems to have a bit of trouble reading and seeing the lanes/creases. That video RandomFan found the other day and posted explained it very well.... but I can see Gray getting a good shot at making the 53, hopefully he's got some strong game in ST play and that will help him Gray definitely won me over with his effort against Cleveland. I really hope he can stick on the roster. If we let him go he'll get a call from some other team the same day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel_Bird Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Love the competition between this group. They have all looked good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FentayeJones Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 45 minutes ago, ATLFalcons11 said: What the article pointed out what many may not be taken into consideration is that Gray is fresh into the scheme and still showed a heck of a lot of skill. I truly don't think he is as far away from Wilds as some may think. I don't think he is that far behind Wilds either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momak Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Let the best man win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Door Gunner Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 I like Gray and Wilds over Coleman at the moment. However, I want to see them both play against the 1s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mazetti Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 2 minutes ago, Door Gunner said: I like Gray and Wilds over Coleman at the moment. However, I want to see them both play against the 1s. Wow, the RBs are good, hugh? I DO want Coleman to succeed. I love his speed. But if he can't get the vision thingy thing down....may be a career backup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dem Birds Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 1 hour ago, Tim Mazetti said: Wilds' 6'2" and 220 works for me.... Dan Quinn just converted him to corner so, Gray gets the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mazetti Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 4 minutes ago, Dem Birds said: Dan Quinn just converted him to corner so, Gray gets the job. Good one. Well done Sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappywhite Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 2 hours ago, ATLFalcons11 said: What the article pointed out what many may not be taken into consideration is that Gray is fresh into the scheme and still showed a heck of a lot of skill. I truly don't think he is as far away from Wilds as some may think. I totally agree, I think this battle is one of the most intriguing for the team. Both have looked great and its nothing but good for the team, and players. Because whichever gets cut, will make another team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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