Jim Dray returns to the Arizona Cardinals to continue to build his coaching resume

Climbing the coaching ladder is tough in the NFL.

There are a number of ways to go about breaking into the business but maybe the easiest and most common is going into coaching after playing in the league.

Now, it is by no means and easy road, especially if you are looking to move through the ranks.

That's what Jim Dray is doing as he returns to the Arizona Cardinals to continue to climb the NFL coaching ladder.

From the team:

Dray returns to the Cardinals as an assistant coach after spending the first four years (2010-13) of his playing career with Arizona. He entered the league with the Cardinals as a seventh-round selection (233^rd overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft out of Stanford. Dray spent last season with Cleveland as the Browns offensive quality control coach after beginning his coaching career in 2018 as an offensive assistant at his alma mater, Stanford.

The 33-year old Dray played eight seasons in the NFL as a tight end, appearing in 94 games (38 starts) and catching 56 passes for 605 yards and three touchdowns. He played with Cleveland (2014-15), Buffalo (2016), and San Francisco before finishing his career with the Cardinals in 2017.