So help me out here. I definitely saw the fumbles attempting to field punts and kickoffs ... the two most challenging catching activities. But do you really think that after he has possession of the ball Grant is a big fumbler? Because that's not something I've seen. His only issues to me seem to be the act of catching ... not the act of losing the ball while running. I'm not saying he doesn't fumble ... all ball carriers do, regardless of whether they are RB's, TE's or WR's. But I don't really see a high incidence of fumbling after the catch with Grant. Please point that out if I'm missing something.
To me, it's about his hands catching the ball in punts, kicks and as a WR. That's what I said when we drafted him, and that's how I continue to see it now. I stated that if he can be sure-handed fielding punts in the pre-season, he would make this team. He was, and he did. I think moving forward he will need to re-prove that ability, but if he can, the staff is committed to giving him a shot in the run of play. He has the speed to spell Stills as our safety-threatening deep threat outside. He has the quicker-than-a-hiccup change of direction that nobody else currently in the NFL can match. If Gase can get him the ball in space, something Gase is very good at doing, then Grant can have some truly gamechanging plays. He may get stopped for a loss or minimal gain two or three times, then break off a chunk 40 yard play that completely changes the momentum of the game. He may get jammed half the time and taken out of the play, but if that safety cheats up toward the box or to the opposite side of the field, eventually Grant will have a TD over the top. His movement skills are simply unmatched in the NFL today.
If he had Jarvis Landry's hands and Julio Jones' size, he would be an All-Pro and may have been a top 5 pick. But he doesn't, so these flaws require him to work hard to minimize and Gase to scheme around. But guys with Barry Sanders-esque start-stop ability are exceedingly rare. Guys with his speed are exceedingly rare. Get the good out of this guy and he will become a phenomenal offensive weapon. IMHO, that's worth putting in the time to develop and see if we can do it.
