Marqueis Gray ... Interesting Player

[Mahdi]

This guy has a unique set of skills. He was a QB and WR/RB at Minnesota.

Had some success as a WR as a sophomore but had most of his impact as an option QB as a junior and senior.

This kid can run by people or over them, has natural hands and can even throw.

Would like to see him get regular time on offence as he can be a mismatch.

http://youtu.be/T2O2-3puXH4

http://youtu.be/53tsKuwrNJo

http://youtu.be/U8_y6Xs6Kxs

[trapezeus]

if he can get rid of lee smith and push chandler to be more consistent, great pick up. good first game.

[feldspar]

It didn't register for me for a while just who this guy was when I saw him on the field. Surprised to see him out there so soon, but he made some plays, particularly that long catch.

[wolfpack]

Funny thing is, he was a 4 star recruit at QB out of high school, Bellow E.J. Manuel and above Robert Griffin. :shocked:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-MarQueis-Gray-62076

[Fletch]

if he can get rid of lee smith and push chandler to be more consistent, great pick up. good first game.

Really?

There's something really enlightening. Not that that is completely obvious or anything.

[Night Train]

As a Big 10 watcher, I remember him starting at QB for Minnesota.

He is very fast and should get more looks immediately over Chandler, who struggles with seperation in most games.

[Fletch]

Funny thing is, he was a 4 star recruit at QB out of high school, Bellow E.J. Manuel and above Robert Griffin. :shocked:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-MarQueis-Gray-62076

Curious why he didn't do more last year in Cleveland or in Minnesota this year.

[Dr. Who]

Could be that he did well because no one game planned for him, but why not hope we got lucky and found someone who can end up contributing on a regular basis?

[Yasgur's Farm]

I'm getting real tired of seeing Chandler taken to the turf after a catch like he's Roscoe Parrish FCOL

[Fletch]

Could be that he did well because no one game planned for him, but why not hope we got lucky and found someone who can end up contributing on a regular basis?

Agree

Who would have thought that he wasn't lining up just to block.

[OpIv37]

He had two big gains. The only thing I didn't like is it looked like he ducked out of bounds when there were a few more yards to be had, but that's something that can be taught. He might have just been out of breath.

[DraftBoy]

Curious why he didn't do more last year in Cleveland or in Minnesota this year.

He was transitioning from being a predominant QB/WR at Minnesota. He had to bulk up some and learn blocking tech.

Many Browns fans were quite upset when he got released. They think he's a higher upside Delanie Walker type.

[better days]

Could be that he did well because no one game planned for him, but why not hope we got lucky and found someone who can end up contributing on a regular basis?

No, it must have been a fluke game by Gray.

We have been told by the "experts" on this board that Whaley & the Bills scouting dept SUCK.

There is no way they could have added a talented player to the team is there?

[WagonCircler]

He had to bulk up some.

He certainly succeeded at that.

Someone needs to tell him that he can crush tiny Defensive Backs when they're the only thing standing between him and six points.

I still can't believe he ran out of bounds at the end of that great run yesterday. He at least needs to get some stiff arm tips from Fred.

[chernobylwraiths]

if he can get rid of lee smith and push chandler to be more consistent, great pick up. good first game.

you need at least one tight end who is a responsible blocker and can catch a ball or two

[WagonCircler]

No, it must have been a fluke game by Gray.

We have been told by the "experts" on this board that Whaley & the Bills scouting dept SUCK.

There is no way they could have added a talented player to the team is there?

Whaley picked up a tweener off the waiver wire who made two nice plays.

Prepare a bust in Canton!

[better days]

Whaley picked up a tweener off the waiver wire who made two nice plays.

Prepare a bust in Canton!

At 6'4", 246 lbs, Gray is no tweener.

He is a full sized TE with some speed & athletic ability.

We will see if he can continue to play like he did against the Browns after being on the Bills only 10 days.

[kingJofNYC]

Early in the second half Orton missed him, made the wrong read, up the seam. He got up and by the LB in the seam so fast, was pretty open. Would have gone for 20+ yards.

[WagonCircler]

At 6'4", 246 lbs, Gray is no tweener.

He is a full sized TE with some speed & athletic ability.

We will see if he can continue to play like he did against the Browns after being on the Bills only 10 days.

He's a tweeter at all the other positions he played. Whether or not he pans out as a TE remains to be seen. I like what I saw yesterday. He sent me scrambling for the program yesterday trying to figure out who the hell he was.

[YardRat]

you need at least one tight end who is a responsible blocker and can catch a ball or two

Smith whiffed on Haden on the blocked FG yesterday, didn't even acknowledge his presence on the outside and actually turned in toward center to double the second guy in leaving an untouched, shorter angle for Haden to get to the ball. However, I don't think he got his obligatory weekly penalty yesterday.

[better days]

He's a tweeter at all the other positions he played. Whether or not he pans out as a TE remains to be seen. I like what I saw yesterday. He sent me scrambling for the program yesterday trying to figure out who the hell he was.

In college he played QB & WR.

I don't know where you get tweener from.

A tweener is a guy too small to play one position & too big or slow to play a different position.

I think he is an ATHLETE & that is the reason he played more than one position.

The Bills got him off waivers from the Vikings where he caught one pass as a TE for 16 yards.

Like I said at 6'4" 246lbs, Gray is a full size TE. He is NOT a tweener.

[justasportsfan]

Lecter is a tweener. He's a woman trapped in a mans body.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I too was like, "who the hell is that?"

Would like to see a lot more of him making tough catches in the middle.

[better days]

Lecter is a tweener. He's a woman trapped in a mans body.

Well, I think that is the case with SpikedLemonade.

What real man likes a womans drink so much he has it for his user name?

[WagonCircler]

In college he played QB & WR.

I don't know where you get tweener from.

A tweener is a guy too small to play one position & too big or slow to play a different position.

I think he is an ATHLETE & that is the reason he played more than one position.

The Bills got him off waivers from the Vikings where he caught one pass as a TE for 16 yards.

Like I said at 6'4" 246lbs, Gray is a full size TE. He is NOT a tweener.

Well, he certainly looks to wide and bulky to be a QB. And to be a WR, for that matter.

And to me, the term tweeter doesn't just apply to size. Also to skill set. Like Brad Smith. Same type of guy, just not as big.

So, with both guys, they have a lot of athletic talent, but not enough skill to succeed as a QB or a WR or RB. So they get bounced around to different positions, never quite finding one that's perfect for their skill set. In other words, their misfits, talent wise. Tweeners.

He may be very athletic, but may not be a good blocker. He may be a fumbler.

There's usually, in fact, almost always, a reason a guy can't stick with a team.

He may be a valuable FA pickup. But acting like he's a Jason Peters multi-Pro Bowl acquisition at this point who validates Whaley as a competent GM is just silly.

[yordad]

So basically u just don't understand what the tweener term means.

[WagonCircler]

So basically u just don't understand what the tweener term means.

Yeah, maybe I should go look it up in Webster's dictionary. Because everyone knows that made up words only have one very specific meaning.

[Scumbag College]

I'd like the Bills to bring him back for a full training camp to see what they have in him. He adds athleticism that the Bills haven't had at TE in a long time. To break a counter blocking play action pass caught at the LOS for 30+ yards of RAC yards takes some speed and running abilities. I've never seen the Bills run a play like that, so I think it was as much showing something Cleveland's never seen on tape as it was his athletic ability. He and Gragg add some real speed to TE. Might be something to explore for the rest of the year and show a few different things to opponents.

[swiper]

Could be that he did well because no one game planned for him, but why not hope we got lucky and found someone who can end up contributing on a regular basis?

Same reason Manziel appeared to be effective for the Browns.

[better days]

Yeah, maybe I should go look it up in Webster's dictionary. Because everyone knows that made up words only have one very specific meaning.

Tweener is a term used about a guy that has size & skill between two positions. Tweener.........in between. He doesn't really have the prototypical skill set for either.

Example: LB/DL, A tweener is too small to play DL but too slow to cover to play LB.

Gray is NOT a tweener. He has the size & speed to play TE. He may have issues that prevent him from being a GOOD player such as fumbling or inability to catch the ball, but those would not make him a tweener, just a bad TE.

And I doubt Gray weighed 246 while in College. So he may have been a big QB, but that is not all that unusual.

[EricStratton]

He was listed at 250 his senior year in college

[DraftBoy]

He was listed at 250 his senior year in college

He played at around 225-230. He's a big kid no matter how much we split hairs.

[better days]

He was listed at 250 his senior year in college

OK, so he was a BIG QB in College, like Mettenberger & Lorenzen the Hefty lefty.

Still in no way is Gray a tweener.

[WagonCircler]

Tweener is a term used about a guy that has size & skill between two positions. Tweener.........in between. He doesn't really have the prototypical skill set for either.

Example: LB/DL, A tweener is too small to play DL but too slow to cover to play LB.

Gray is NOT a tweener. He has the size & speed to play TE. He may have issues that prevent him from being a GOOD player such as fumbling or inability to catch the ball, but those would not make him a tweener, just a bad TE.

And I doubt Gray weighed 246 while in College. So he may have been a big QB, but that is not all that unusual.

Fumbling or inability to catch the ball ARE skill set issues. Especially inability. Inability = lack of skill.

[DraftBoy]

OK, so he was a BIG QB in College, like Mettenberger & Lorenzen the Hefty lefty.

Still in no way is Gray a tweener.

Mettenberger was 6042, 224
Gray was 6032, 240
Lorenzen was 6032, 288

[trapezeus]

lee smith just seems like a collosal waste. every game he's mixing it up after the play and he routinely misses a block and the one ball thrown his way.
i'd rather have another lineman in than have smith. you know he's not a receiving threats, and like another poster pointed out, he's not a great blocker either.

[starrymessenger]

As a Big 10 watcher, I remember him starting at QB for Minnesota.

He is very fast and should get more looks immediately over Chandler, who struggles with seperation in most games.

Is 4.7 something very fast?
Maybe acceptable for a TE and better than Chandler's combine time 4.88 in the 40, but sorta middle of the pack.
I liked the way he kept slapping Jim Leonard in the head. That made me laugh.
But I would rather he had just run him over instead.
Best thing about him so far is he seems to inspire Hackett to make uncharacteristically intelligent play calls.
Im sure Marrone will break Nate of that habit before it gets out of control.

[better days]

Fumbling or inability to catch the ball ARE skill set issues. Especially inability. Inability = lack of skill.

They may be skill set issues. Like I said the lack of ability makes a player a bad player rather than a GOOD player but it has nothing to do with if he is a tweener or not.

And Sunday, it did not look like Gray had any issues.

Again tweener stands for in between. A player not quite fitting one position or another because of size or speed.

And just because a player may be a tweener, that does not mean he can't be a good player.

London Fletcher is a good example of a tweener.

He was SMALL for a LB, the size of a safety, but London was not fast enough to play safety.

He became a GOOD LB despite not having prototypical size for that position.

[better days]

Mettenberger was 6042, 224
Gray was 6032, 240
Lorenzen was 6032, 288

Yeah, like I said, Gray is right there with those two.

I'm sure you know better than me DraftBoy, other QB's that were big like those three.

[ublinkwescore]

He is our Tim Wright.

[DraftBoy]

Is 4.7 something very fast?
Maybe acceptable for a TE and better than Chandler's combine time 4.88 in the 40, but sorta middle of the pack.
I liked the way he kept slapping Jim Leonard in the head. That made me laugh.
But I would rather he had just run him over instead.
Best thing about him so far is he seems to inspire Hackett to make uncharacteristically intelligent play calls.
Im sure Marrone will break Nate of that habit before it gets out of control.

Gray's 4.68 40 at the combine in 2013 would put him tied for fourth and SS time would of been 2nd among the TE's that ran that year.

[starrymessenger]

He is our Tim Wright.

I don't know how good he will be but I do agree with the OP that he's an interesting player.
They thought he was going to work out with the WRs until his disappointing 40 time (4.73).
So he went in with the QBs and apparently was very impressive in all passing drills.
Now he's a TE.
Unusual guy.

[DraftBoy]

I don't know how good he will be but I do agree with the OP that he's an interesting player.
They thought he was going to work out with the WRs until his disappointing 40 time (4.73).
So he went in with the QBs and apparently was very impressive in all passing drills.
Now he's a TE.
Unusual guy.

He ran a 4.68.

[starrymessenger]

He ran a 4.68.

I see it reported as 4.73 (said to be "4th highest amongst quarterbacks").
Now, apparently he was still dealing with a tender ankle at the time and afterwards ran a 4.67 (though not at the Combine it would seem).
Anyway, didn't c. gragg run a 4.5 flat or something like that?
Just for comparison I mean.

[better days]

I see it reported as 4.73 (said to be "4th highest amongst quarterbacks").
Now, apparently he was still dealing with a tender ankle at the time and afterwards ran a 4.67 (though not at the Combine it would seem).
Anyway, didn't c. gragg run a 4.5 flat or something like that?
Just for comparison I mean.

Gray was signed because Gragg was injured.

I like the way Gray played against the Browns much better than Gragg in any game he has played.

[DraftBoy]

I see it reported as 4.73 (said to be "4th highest amongst quarterbacks").
Now, apparently he was still dealing with a tender ankle at the time and afterwards ran a 4.67 (though not at the Combine it would seem).
Anyway, didn't c. gragg run a 4.5 flat or something like that?
Just for comparison I mean.

4.46

and Gray ran a 4.65 at his Pro Day not a 4.67.

[Mahdi]

4.46

and Gray ran a 4.65 at his Pro Day not a 4.67.

Some serious speed at TE we have.

Pats would make good use of them. Not sure we will.

[starrymessenger]

4.46

and Gray ran a 4.65 at his Pro Day not a 4.67.

Only CBS Sports seems to say Gragg ran 4.46.
Everybody else says 4.5 flat.
Go figure.
Oh well, Vernon Davis ran a 4.38 or something like that.
Now, on a more substantive level, I wonder why Gragg has not made more of an impact as a receiving TE
He has the measurables.
Maybe Chandler has that role nailed down but still I wonder why Gragg has not been able to compete with him.

[DraftBoy]

Only CBS Sports seems to say Gragg ran 4.46.
Everybody else says 4.5 flat.
Go figure.
Oh well, Vernon Davis ran a 4.38 or something like that.
Now, on a more substantive level, I wonder why Gragg has not made more of an impact as a receiving TE
He has the measurables.
Maybe Chandler has that role nailed down but still I wonder why Gragg has not been able to compete with him.

CBS Sports has an agreement with NFL Draft Scout for exclusive draft content. They are the most complete free source of draft information on the internet.

To answer the concern about him being a receiving threat I think the answer is in his routes. You can have speed for days but if you can't run the right route or make it precise that speed won't matter. He may be able to outrun a LB on a seam route but if that seam route doesn't properly split the two deep safety look then he's not open.

[Tatonka]

he has already done more than chris gragg