Monday Night Football's Jon Gruden Discusses QB Camp Series And
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
April 21, 2016 ESPN Conference Call Transcript: Monday Night Football’s Jon Gruden Discusses QB Camp Series and NFL Draft Prospects ESPN conducted a media conference call on Thursday with Monday Night Football’s Jon Gruden to discuss the SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp series and ESPN’s 2016 NFL Draft coverage. ESPN will provide live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the NFL Draft from the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago, April 28-30, and Gruden will provide analysis on the main set the opening night in prime time. Full audio replay; Gruden’s QB Camp TV schedule and photos). Transcript: Q. I wanted to ask you about the concept of pocket presence and pro readiness and what those mean to you? Pocket presence and pro readiness, particularly in relation to Jared Goff? GRUDEN: Well, pro readiness, I think you've got to use some different tiers. Number one, you've got to rally with the mental quickness, the arm quickness, the body quickness of each candidate, how well they communicate, their interaction with others, what is their interest level, their football intelligence. Can they teach the game themselves? They have to be able to do that at this stage of the game. Then you've got to go to the film and really take a good look. Can they make tight window throws? Are they tough in the pocket? Can they solve problems? How are they in the tight red zone situation? Could they take care of the ball? Can they bring their team from behind? There are so many different things that you have to evaluate. And then, obviously, you look at the system, the training ground that they come from. Not a lot of pro-style systems at the college level. Jared Goff comes from a no-huddle, shotgun, spread offense where most of the information comes from the sideline, so that will cause him to have some serious adjustments, I think. But after spending a day with him, he is a quick study. He's got a real strong group of intangibles for him. He's got a great family background that has pushed him and pushed him to this level. To answer your question, I think Jared Goff has everything I'm looking for in the pocket. He has great feet. He keeps his feet alive at all times. He takes punishment. He'll create new launching spots, he's a very talented pocket passer. I would want him if I were still coaching. Q. Carson Wentz, Fargo is a long way from Philadelphia. Why do you think he will or won't be able to play with the kind of pressures that he'll face in Philadelphia, especially after the team gave up so much conceivably to get him? GRUDEN: Oh, that's the million dollar question. That's something you're going to have to prove, no matter who you are, whether you're a player or a coach in the NFL, and especially in Philadelphia, given what the Eagles just gave up to get a player. Let's just say it is Carson Wentz, there is a tremendous amount of pressure. But the one thing that stands out about Wentz is his off-the-field intangibles. He's a two-time captain, he's a 4.0 GPA, he's a fifth-year finishing senior, valedictorian in high school, very faith oriented. If anybody can stand the mental pressure that comes with playing in Philadelphia and withstand the physical pressure that it takes to play at a high level, it's Carson Wentz. Q. What kind of job do you think Reggie McKenzie has done the last couple years and what it’s meant for the Raiders? Teams are trading up to get quarterbacks in this draft, what it meant for the Raiders to get Derek Carr in the second round in terms of the franchise development a couple years ago? GRUDEN: Well, I think Reggie's done a really good job. Obviously, the Derek Carr selection at the top of the second round is his signature, I think, acquisition. When you have a quarterback, as you know, you're a football program or city becomes a desirable destination for free agents. People want to go where they have a quality quarterback because they know they have a chance to win. So I think Derek Carr and his performance over the last couple years has made the Raiders once again a destination for free agents. I can't tell you how happy I am to see that as an ex Oakland Raider. Q. You haven't aired the Connor Cook special yet, but after sitting with him, what did you see both on tape and breaking down things with him about offenses? And also what did you see about him personality-wise that made you say he's one of the best potential quarterbacks in this draft? GRUDEN: I'm a big believer in body of work, and Connor Cook's body of work at the college level is as good as anyone in this draft and in many drafts that I've seen in recent years. He's 34-5. He beat five Top 10 teams. He's the all-time leading passer at Michigan State. He had a chance to red-shirt and watch Kirk Cousins for a full season, and I think that's beneficial. I love the system of football that this kid comes from. He's not completing a bunch of pop screens and bubble screens and quick screens like all these other quarterbacks. He's coming out of the huddle and he's ripping it down the field. Is he perfect? No. But I really like his body of work. I like the degree of difficulty that he thrives under. He's brought his team back to win six times. He's the MVP of the Rose Bowl. I saw what he did in the Cotton Bowl, and he played through some injuries this year, helping Michigan State once again to another Big Ten championship. He's 6'4", over 220 pounds. I really like him at the top of this draft, given all the other prospects that I've studied. Q. You've seen these quarterbacks and you've got a pretty good understanding, obviously, of what Andy Reid likes. Who are the quarterbacks that you can see fitting in Andy's system and why? Give me some thoughts on guys that you think would be a good fit and maybe where in the draft too. GRUDEN: Andy Reid, he's been able to coach all kinds of different quarterbacks. He took Donovan McNabb out of Syracuse. I coached Donovan in the Senior Bowl. Donovan was a freeze-option quarterback that did most of his damage running. I could see Andy Reid coaching a lot of these guys, starting with (Dak) Prescott in the second round, third round. Bring a guy in here that has similar traits, a dual-threat. It looks like Andy Reid likes that kind of quarterback. They have Brad Childress there that monitors what's going on in the college game. You see a lot of college principles added to Andy Reid's diverse background. I think Paxton Lynch could fit in here. I think a lot of quarterbacks in this draft could fit Andy Reid's style because he's stayed on the cutting edge of what's going on at every level of football. But I have five quarterbacks in this draft going in the top 35 picks. I think the strength of this draft is at the quarterback position. I just don't see a lot of dropback quarterbacks at the college level on the horizon, and there are so many teams that need them desperately. Q. After spending a little time with Paxton Lynch, what are your general impressions? What do you think his future will be and what is going to be the biggest challenge for him at the next level and the biggest thing he's going to have to pick up, whether it's in the classroom, foot work, etc.? GRUDEN: Lynch is to me the most intriguing man in this draft because of his size and his athletic ability. You don't find guys that are 6'7", 245 that can run this fast. He's got a 37-inch vertical jump, and he put Memphis on the map of college football. This man is winning a lot of games at Memphis where football really was an afterthought. He's a dual-threat, over 280 career rushes. Has a poor man's Cam Newton style about him. You don't realize how much they rely on him as a runner in this offense. I like the way he's been coached. (Justin) Fuente, the head coach, coached Andy Dalton at TCU. I'm not saying he's Cam Newton, but I'm saying he's big like Cam Newton, he's athletic, and this kid is a dual-threat that has a lot of people curious about what he could actually bring to an NFL offense and how long it might take. I think he could have used another year, but when you win 22 games in Memphis for three years and beat Mississippi, the way he played against Cincinnati, you know with the right coach and given a little continuity and supporting cast, this man can play at the next level. Q. What are your thoughts about Vernon Adams? How do you project him to the NFL? What issues besides his height do you think he might face at the NFL level? GRUDEN: Obviously the people that have studied him play know the comparison is to Russell Wilson.