Why are we still listening to Jon Gruden?
ESPN viewers know that it’s impossible to avoid him during NFL draft season thanks to his popular segment Gruden QB Camp, which puts prospects through the paces for an entire day with the Monday Night Football analyst. Even the many who have chosen to avoid ESPN networks entirely, save for watching live sporting events, will find it difficult to escape him during the offseason. Draft coverage in non-ESPN-related outlets routinely references Gruden’s analysis of QB prospects, seemingly valuing it above all others. There are precious few places that didn’t report on Gruden calling Carson Wentz “the most NFL-ready quarterback” in years.’
Gruden’s evaluation was seen as a huge boon to the stock of Wentz, the heavily-debated prospect out of North Dakota State. But considering Gruden’s track record – this is the QB expert who predicted NFL stardom for Johnny Manziel and Tim Tebow – Wentz may want to see what kind of jobs he can get with his Health Education degree because Gruden endorsements are often the kiss of QB career death.
It hasn’t always been that way. Last century, in the late 1990s, Jon Gruden gained acclaim for his knowledge of NFL offenses and the quarterback position. And it was mostly deserved.
He was named head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 1998 at the age of 35. In the previous three seasons he had coordinated some middling offenses for Ray Rhodes’ Philadelphia Eagles, but the NFL saw a young coach on the rise and Al Davis swooped in. Gruden’s Raiders saw a four-win improvement in his first season from 4-12 to 8-8, miraculously doing so with Donald Hollas leading the team in passing.
In Gruden’s second year, the quarterback position upgraded via 33 year-old career backup Rich Gannon leading the West Coast-style attack, the offense took off, finishing among the league’s highest-scoring units in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
Gruden was the NFL’s undisputed young offensive mastermind and, when Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer wanted to replace Tony Dungy with a coach who could get his talented team over the hump, he gave the Raiders four high picks and $8m in cash to get the 39 year-old coach.
In the short-term, the deal was a clear success as the Buccaneers immediately won the Super Bowl. Long-term, the Buccaneers mortgaged their franchise for a guy who believed Chris Simms was a franchise quarterback.
Yet more than 13 years after Gruden’s career peaked by winning a Super Bowl on a team with the NFL’s No1 defense, ESPN is still presenting the guy as a some sort of unmatched quarterback whisperer, a man who can glare intensely into the eyes of any prospect seated across from him, read his soul, divine his intangibles, say “Spider 2 Y Banana” like it’s “abracadabra” and – with 100% accuracy – determine the young man’s future greatness or failure.
But having Gruden evaluating quarterbacks every night is like putting Matt Millen on as a wide receiver expert. Or, if you prefer a pop culture reference: ESPN wants you to think that Gruden is beautiful and powerful Melisandre, but his resume makes him look like a haggard old woman.
Gruden is no doubt a valuable resource ... if he was kept to the veteran journeyman beat. He had his greatest career successes with Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson. As his time in Tampa went south, he eeked out a couple 9-7 seasons with Jeff Garcia at the helm. If there is a discussion on how Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh McCown or Mark Sanchez can be used on a team, by all means, let’s hear what Gruden has to say. But if the discussion goes to young QBs or how to develop a franchise quarterback? Cut the mic and go to commercial.
While most analysts can’t boast that they’ve won a Super Bowl, most analysts all can’t say they’ve gone all-in on Rob Johnson, Tim Rattay, Luke McCown, Bruce Gradkowski, Brian Griese, Simms, Tebow, Manziel. You name the disastrous NFL QB, Gruden has probably been high on him.
In 2005, he put Simms and Griese on the field all season after bypassing Aaron Rodgers in the draft to take Cadillac Williams. In 2007 he said of Simms: “I’m going to have to screw things up pretty good for that kid not to turn out really special.” In 2014 he said Johnny Manziel has a lot of “magic” to him and openly begged the Raiders to draft the Texas A&M man. The Raiders passed on Manziel and took Derek Carr with the 36th pick. Carr is arguably the best under-26 QB in the NFL, while Manziel is out of the league and possibly on his way to jail. Gruden remains on the air, being wrong about a whole new class of quarterbacks, telling teams that Christian Hackenberg is worthy of a first-round pick.
Evaluating football prospects is hard work. Doing it for quarterbacks is even harder. But it’s not near as hard as Gruden makes it look.
The man undoubtedly has more football knowledge in his center-parted head than you, me and everyone reading this combined. That may also be his fatal flaw. Jon Gruden loves football. Maybe more than anyone ever. It borders on adorable. In fact, if you find a person in life you like one-tenth as much as Gruden loves breaking down film, propose marriage on the spot. And even more than football, Gruden loves quarterbacks. If a prospect can throw a ball a little bit, identify some defenses on film, say some leadership buzzwords and give a strong handshake, Gruden is smitten. That player has a fan for life. Gruden will look past all the flaws, no matter how glaring, and predict greatness for that quarterback. Because he wants greatness for them and he wants them to make his beloved sport even better.
Gruden may be football’s No1 fan and its worst scout. If you were doing a draft of quarterback talent evaluators, Gruden would deserve to be the very last pick. Mr Irrelevant. Yet this time next year, after another draft of blown quarterback evaluations, he’ll be everywhere, still somehow relevant as ever, as we all sit on our couches – same as Simms, Tebow and Manziel – watching him be wrong all over again.
