Chicago’s coaching staff continues to come together under new GM Ryan Poles and new head coach Matt Eberflus.
And their newest addition is the latest with a Cleveland Browns connection to land an NFL coaching job.
Former Browns tight end Jim Dray will coach tight ends for the Bears in 2022.
Dray played 2 seasons in Cleveland, and also served on the Browns’ coaching staff in 2019.
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Overall, Dray enjoyed an 8-year playing career as a blocking tight end.
Upon retiring, he immediately took a coaching job at his alma mater, Stanford University.
Freddie Kitchens utilized Dray as an offensive quality control coach the following season.
Dray served 2 more years as a QC assistant in Arizona before getting the call from Chicago.
Dray’s Days As a Cleveland Brown
Jim Dray’s Cleveland Browns stint lasted the length of head coach Mike Pettine’s tenure.
And just like Pettine’s record, Dray’s 2014 effort was more impressive than his 2015.
Dray put up a career-high 242 yards receiving and a touchdown in his first season with the 7-9 Browns.
He played 57-percent of the offensive snaps in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
The Browns take a 14-13 lead over the #Bears on a 1-yard touchdown catch by Jim Dray.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) August 29, 2014
Under John Defilippo the following year, Dray played fewer snaps and his rare targets were at a shorter range.
Cleveland released Dray with a year left on his free-agent contract after the 2015 season.
He would play just 7 more games for 3 teams over the final 2 years of his career.
Dray caught 56 passes for 605 yards and 3 touchdowns before going into coaching.
Is Dray Ready To Be a Tight Ends Coach?
Quality Control Assistant or coach is an entry-level job in the NFL coaching circuit.
It requires significant attention to detail in what can be a monotonous and thankless task.
Their primary role is to scout future opponents on film, chart tendencies, and other stats for the coordinators.
Sometimes, the QC assistants work with other coaches during the season to prepare for future roles.
Great coach!
— Zach Ertz (@ZERTZ_86) February 6, 2022
Almost every current NFL coach spent some time as a quality control coach or a college graduate assistant.
Jim Dray’s 3 years will help him appreciate the stats and tendencies provided by Chicago’s QC coaches.
And his 8 seasons of play will help him relate to the players.
Odds are, he is as ready as he’ll ever be to start advancing a bright coaching future.
NEXT: Dolphins Tab Former Browns Assistant As Head Coach
