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About the Author: Jon Ledyard

Avatar Of Jon Ledyard
Jon Ledyard is PewterReport.com's newest Bucs beat writer and has experience covering the Pittsburgh Steelers as a beat writer and analyzing the NFL Draft for several draft websites, including The Draft Network. Follow Ledyard on Twitter at @LedyardNFLDraft

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There’s been a lot of conversation about how little value the Bucs depth wide receivers have provided this season. The Bucs have been without at least one of their top two wideouts in all but five games this season. And yet, there has been hardly any production from the team’s youngest receivers despite favorable matchups on the field. But on Sunday, all that changed thanks to seldom-used Cyril Grayson.

Grayson, a former track star at LSU, played a career-high 53 snaps against the Panthers. That’s as many snaps as Antonio Brown played, for those keeping track at home. In a game without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Breshad Perriman and Jaelon Darden, Grayson caught three passes for 81 yards. He also added a 14-yard rush on an end around. It’s by far the most productive game by a non-Evans/Godwin/Brown wide receiver on the Bucs roster this season.

“Cyril is a ferocious blocker,” Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said. “He’s a speed guy, but he will block. At that position you’ve got to be able to block. He’s gotten so much better. If there was a most improved player in the last two years, he’s worked harder than anybody that we’ve had on our practice squad. Every time he’s gotten an opportunity he’s flashed with it.”

Bucs Wr Cyril Grayson

Bucs WR Cyril Grayson – Photo by: USA Today

The opportunities have been rare for Grayson, who struggled last year in limited reps. He was activated for three games in 2020, but dropped two of his three targets. One pass would have gone for a long touchdown, but Grayson let it go off his facemask instead. Realistically, playing in the NFL would be an uphill battle for the young receiver. After all, Grayson hadn’t played football since high school. He was purely a track athlete in college, where he was four-time NCAA Champion.

However, the developmental receiver has been highly impactful this season. Grayson has really only played meaningful offensive snaps in two games. Against the Saints, Grayson made his eight plays count. He caught a 50-yard touchdown from Tom Brady with under six minutes left in Week 8, for what should have been the game-winning score. That was Grayson’s only target of the season until Sunday.

The 7-time All-American hauled in all three of his targets against Carolina, including a game-changing 62-yarder to set up a touchdown before halftime.

But Grayson’s most significant contribution may have been on a running play. During Ke’Shawn Vaughn’s 55-yard touchdown run, Grayson’s hustle helped get him in the end zone. He came across the field to get in the way of the Panthers final defender, allowing Vaughn to weave into the end zone.

“That was a great block,” Brady said after the game. “That’s the team game. Nothing’s accomplished without everybody doing their job. That was a great effort by Cyril. It wouldn’t have scored without Cyril’s effort, so I love seeing that. That’s what great team football is all about.

“That’s what we’ve got to become. We’ve got to all fight for each other. The receivers have to block for the running backs, because a lot of times the running back has to sit in the backfield and block in the pass game to get the receivers the ball. When it’s time to run the ball, the receivers have to do their job in the run game. That’s what complimentary football is all about. That’s what being a great teammate is all about. I love seeing those plays.”

“Cyril works as hard as anybody on our team in practice,” Arians said on Bucs Total Access this week. “And he has for 2-and-a-half years. He’s just gotten better and better. And he blocks. For receivers, and the position he played taking over for Chris (Godwin), playing in his spot. You have to block. So many guys won’t do it, they just wanna catch passes. But he’ll do whatever it takes to get on the field. Now he gets to stay on the field.”

Sounds like the Cyril Grayson experiment is just beginning for the Bucs.

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