Packers prospect profile: RB Marion Grice
Player Information:
Marion Grice RB, Arizona State, 6-0, 208 pounds Hometown: Houston, TX
Personal Pro Day:
40 time: 4.61 (unofficial)
Vertical jump: 32″
225 lb. bench: 14 reps
Broad jump: 8′ 01″
News and Notes:
Did not participate in NFL Combine or ASU’s Pro Day workouts due to a leg injury suffered late last season. . .Second team All Pac-12 in 2013. . . scored 20 touchdowns in 2013, one of only fifteen backs in the Pac-10/12 to accomplish that feat in the last 36 seasons. . . 2013 Hornung award finalist (nation’s most versatile player). . .scored at least one touchdown in 10 straight games in 2013. . .507 kick return yards in 2013
What they’re saying about him:
- CBSSports.com: Shows good plant-and-go burst with the patience and instant acceleration to let defenders over-pursue before surging for positive yardage. Talented ballcarrier, willing blocker and reliable pass catcher out of the backfield. Isn’t the most impressive-looking prospect with a lean body type and upright running style. Needs to show more finishing toughness and lacks many distinguishable traits.
- NFL.com: Good balance and body control. Has loose ankles and very good lateral agility. Explosive one-cut ability. Displays vision and elusiveness in the open field. Sees the cutback and weaves in and out of traffic. Has some wiggle to shake tacklers in space. Good receiver — bursts into routes, adjusts to passes and has soft hands. Fumbled only once the last two seasons. Blue-collar work ethic. Solid character. Has a lean, narrow frame. Needs to bulk up and get stronger. Not equipped to pound between the tackles — gets tall inside and doesn’t push the pile (soft on contact). Weak tackle-breaker who cannot be counted on for yards after contact. Can become a more disciplined route runner. Questionable awareness in pass protection. Statistical production belies inconsistency.
Video:
Video Analysis:.
- Has quickness and can elude tacklers despite a lack of burning speed
- Here’s the versatility: runner and pass catcher. Good hands and ability to find an open spot in passing game
- Very poor in pass protection and could be a liability in that area
- Has a decent burst through the hole but doesn’t create much for himself. Not always very decisive
- Is best with the ball out in space. Kick return would seemingly be his best role in the NFL
If drafted by the Packers:
Green Bay did scout Grice at his personal pro day and with four running backs and a fullback already under contract, their interest in Grice is strictly as a returner. If he should fall into a spot where he offers good value, the Packers may pluck this hard-working back in the hopes that they can finally take receiver Randall Cobb off of return duties for good. Grice would not be an ideal running back in Green Bay’s system, minus in emergency spots. May be good in the screen game, but lacks the needed skill set to excel as a true running back. The chances are not great that Grice ends up in green and gold but the team does have an interest, even if only slight.
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Jason Perone is an independent sports blogger writing about the Packers on AllGreenBayPackers.com
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Can he play the Safety position?
No, but he can outblock a certain OT who just signed with the Bengals.
So we’re “previewing” UFA-type guys, now.
Why?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s5xsVHOJQs (:20 – :30)
Awesome.
That was the best possible response you could have provided.
Well done.
Ted loves loose ankles….not that there’s anything wrong with that. Finally getting headlines, first Sederrik and now Marion the 4.6 kick returner.
Amusing.
Let’s just hope grandpa Teddy doesn’t convert all his draft picks in 7th round picks and selects a dozen Marion Grices of the world as he is so want to do. Aside from the good lord making only so many big guys, TT’s other hallowed theory is that the more picks he has, regardless of how low they are, the more chances he has to hit on a good player. That might be true were all picking just a random event but any of us are capable of randomly picking names. Surely a GM should be able to do better the higher the pick. Why does TT think a 6 and a 7 is better than a 5? Maybe a 2 and a 3 is better than a one, in the right hands. But a 6 and a 7 over a 5 or a 4 and a 5 over a 3? In TT’s case, time and again, we have seen the trade down fail to create value. In 2011, he passed on two future Pro Bowl TEs in the 3rd round to trade down and take two two other TEs. The two he traded down for? One is out of football altogether, the other has been cut by GB and is hanging on to a back-up job in NE because of Aaron Hernandez’s imprisonment. I must admit that TT has begun trading up some (finally). CMIII is the best example. He also hit it big when he traded up for Casey Hayward. Not so much with Morgan Burnett and Jerel Worthy.
The depth of this draft suggests that trading down could be wise this year. But that is in the early rounds. The idea of trading out of the middle rounds for low round picks is bankrupt if you never hit it big on your low round picks. Yes, Ron Wolf often hit it big on R6 and R7 picks but this GM does not. This GM’s best picks seem to come between R2 and R4. Brad Jones may be the only 7th round pick on the current roster. And he is eminently forgettable.
We’ll put Archie……fact is a couple of elite players in this draft instead of 9 Ted projects can put the Pack back where they belong. He totally ignored proven FA talent that would have accomplished that because he wanted last years roster to remain in tact for the most part….Raji a waste even at that price, Starks good player, not necessary etc. Now, hit in the draft or else. Rather trade one of the 3’s for one of the two safeties and move up again to get a TE and/or ILB (One if not both of those guys have to go) wouldn’t care if we had 4-5 total picks if Old Man River would hit big on 3 of them. Waste of time….he’s trading down of course
Go back to Minn. Just another viqueens troll!
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