Not all 10 of the NFL clubs represented at Arizona State running back Marion Grice's pro-day workout Tuesday necessarily need a third-down back, but that's the skill set Grice showed them.
And that, according to Grice, is what they see in him.
"A lot of them said I'm a third-down back," Grice said, according to azfamily.com. "Over time, I'm going to prove that I'm an every-down back. I would say I'm balanced, a little bit of all of it. I don't want to be listed just as a power guy. I can run fast, too. I'm working on my form and showing that I can run in open space, use my speed, and catch the ball."
Scouts who witnessed the speedy back with some of the softest hands in college football were from the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers. And for now, it's Grice's hands that attract most. He made 91 receptions over the last two years at ASU, a whopping total for a running back, including 14 touchdown catches.
Grice broke a bone in his leg while playing against UCLA in November, and missed both the NFL Scouting Combine and ASU's primary pro day as a result. His rehab, however, was successful enough for him to record unofficial 40-yard dash times in the 4.6 range on Tuesday, along with a 32-inch vertical jump.
The most interested club? One never knows for certain, but Grice said he has a private workout scheduled next week with the Redskins. Roy Heluled Redskins running backs in receiving last year with pedestrian totals of 31 catches for 251 yards and no touchdowns. By comparison, some of the NFL's top receivers at the running back position last season included San Diego's Danny Woodhead (76-605-6) and New Orleans' Darren Sproles (71-604-2).
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