What impact will Nic Grigsby have in Hamilton?
Nic Grigsby wasn't out of the CFL for long. After asking for (and receiving) his release from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers over a lack of playing time last week, Grigsby officially signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Tuesday. Grigsby still leads all CFL running backs with eight touchdowns this year (which ties him with Calgary QB Drew Tate for the overall lead) and is fourth in the CFL with 744 rushing yards, so there's no question he's shown the ability to be a promising running back at this level. The question is if he'll get the chance to show that off in Hamilton, or if he'll be just a depth piece for the Tiger-Cats.
On one level, Grigsby should have a great opportunity in Hamilton. With running backs C.J. Gable and Mossis Madu both hurt (although Madu could return this week), the team's depth chart isn't huge. Delone Carter and Sam Ojuri combined for just 69 yards on 14 carries (4.9 yards per carry) Friday against Ottawa, and while both have potential, Grigsby comes in with much more CFL experience. That could lead to him getting the start when the Ticats face the Toronto Argonauts in a crucial contest for playoff position Saturday.
Grigsby is still having to answer questions about why he wanted out of Winnipeg. As The Toronto Sun's Mike Koreen writes, though, Grigsby feels the labeling of him as a quitter isn't fair:
“A lot of people make it seem like I’m a quitter — there’s no quit in me at all,” the running back said on Tuesday after his first practice with the Ticats at Tim Hortons Field.
“I haven’t been raised like that. I (was) out there grinding with those guys and we were going through tough times over there. I loved the city, I loved everything about that place, it was just a business decision.”
That's reasonably fair on Grigsby's part. The Bombers made it clear that they prefer Paris Cotton (who had a good game in their loss to Calgary, collecting 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries), benching Grigsby two weeks in a row, so given what he's accomplished this year, it's not ridiculous for him to try and see if he could receive more opportunity elsewhere. Hamilton appears inclined to give him that chance, at least for a week, and that could potentially work out very well for both parties. The Tiger-Cats have lots of talented running backs, and Grigsby's certainly going to have to battle Madu, Gable and potentially Carter and Ojuiri for playing time, but his impressive raw athleticism (he played college football for the University of Arizona, had some NFL tryouts, but then went back to school at Arizona Christian University for baseball and had a stint in the Minnesota Twins' organization before heading to the CFL) and good totals to this point will give him a chance. Yes, his average of 4.6 yards per carry on the season isn't great, but a lot of that's been about Winnipeg's recent issues on the offensive line and in the passing game. He seems like a player who could still be quite productive, especially considering that he's only 25.
However, it may take a while to get Grigsby up to speed. Learning a new playbook can be difficult even with a full training camp; trying to pick one up in a week is exceptionally tough. That may be even more the case in Hamilton, where head coach/general manager Kent Austin places huge amounts of importance on a running back's ability to block in pass protection. Grigsby showed potential there in Winnipeg, helping Drew Willy put up great passing stats, but blocking responsibilities on certain plays can take a particularly long time to install. We'll see how Grigsby does in practice and if he gets a chance to start this week. This may wind up being a move that's much more about the long-term picture, though.
