By Rob StatonThis is must-view stuff. Jon Gruden met up with Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy and put them to the test as we approach next week's draft. With Tebow, Gruden takes him to his kids high school and gives him a thorough work out whilst barking instructions. The former Buccs coach sits down with Bradford and basically hammers him for getting injured. Gruden: "You are one of the worst sliding-down quarterbacks I've ever seen." He doesn't let up on Jimmy Clausen either, demanding greater discipline from the Notre Dame quarterback. But the one I like the most is Gruden's assessment of Colt McCoy's Texas accent. He doesn't like it. He wants it to change. I'm not sure McCoy took it too well, but that in itself was probably part of the test.
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Bradford is so fragile, he better play behind a great line because those aren't big hits. Mccoy and Tebow aren't starting NFL QBs ever in their careers. Mccoy has a better chance if he goes to the right system though, if a Holmgren gets him. Why isn't anyone talking about trading for Haynesworth, uncle Allen Pleeease.
Couldn't agree more about Haynesworth. The 60 pick sounds like it could be enough to get discussions rolling.
Haynesworth is a great All-Pro player, but only when he wants to be. I would worry that if he can't be motivated to play in DC, it isn't gonna happen in Seattle either. If he is motivated, combining him with Mebane would make for a great DT tandem that would make the rest of the D that much better. He is a risk, just like Marshall was.
I wouldn't hate the move if it was made for #60, but I wouldn't love it either. I have reservations he'd be fired up to perform in Seattle.
I don't think it's so much Bradford is fragile, the dude just does not know how to fall. You don't need a 300 pound lineman to screw over your shoulder if you're going to direct every ounce of the blow through your acromion.
I thought it was interesting the first thing Tebow said was, "First, are you sure you want me on your team?" Kind of a weird question...
I think too many of these young QB's are basically reading scripts in things like this. Tebow has an idea of how he wants to portray himself and that question is part of the deal. Colt McCoy keeps going on about preperation in every interview he does and it sounds about as convincing as a car salesman trying to flog you a tired old three wheeler.
But when there's money involved - they have to do what they think is best. Being yourself... being natural... teams might want to hear all these buzz lines instead.
I watched the Jimmy Claussen one and loved that (at least it looked like) he was taking notes on what Gruden was telling him. That gets him a little more of my respect.
Jamsies
Yep i saw that too, i like this kid.
Clausen: "Charlie Weis told me I was ready"
McCoy: "I won 45 games"
Bradford: "This was my only injury in my career"
Tebow: "Hard Work!"
If I were a coach I'd tell them to turn off the repeater and be real with me. Guys like Gruden though are all ego and probably like the a$$ kissing.
I'm curious what these guys are like without the camera. I do think Clausen's bad attitude is way over-hyped. Is he really any worse that Roethlisburger or Rivers?
I like that McCoy called out Gruden for choosing to criticize his accent as opposed to looking at any positives he has and he does have some positives. The guy seems to have a little chip on his shoulder and I like that.
As much as I'm turned off by Tebow's religious agenda, it's tough not to respect the guy. He's going to need the right coach to pat him on the back a little though. I get the feeling that he's not 100% confident that he'll be a good NFL QB. It's more like he has faith that God will make him good if he works hard enough. Not sure how I feel about that.
Bradford basically just sat there while Gruden told him how great he was. I didn't get much from that one but I think that he's going to be the real deal.
Rob,
I'm curious as to your response to Rob Rang's recent Mock Draft with the Hawks taking Okung and D. Morgan with #6 and #14. In that mock scenario, do you still view Okung as a "bad pick"? That is a situation that COULD play out and it seems that if Trent Williams and Bulaga are gone our next best option would be either E. Berry or Okung.
I get the BPA argument with Berry as he is definitely the more highly rated prospect. But, he plays a position that could be filled in the 2nd round. T
There is a HUGE dropoff in projected talent at OT after Bulaga, Trent Williams, and Okung. Why not snag the best remaining one and in some circles seems to be the best OT in the draft?
I'm not a proponent for either scenario...I'm just asking because I thought Rang's mock scenario was interesting.
The funny thing about this to me is has Gruden really ever developed a QB? The only QB's I can ever remeber him having success with are Gannon, Johnson and Garcia.
I don't necessarily think it means he can't evaluate or teach QB's, but it is worth noting.
Scott,
I have no information on how the Seahawks view Okung and whether he comes into the equation at #6 if he's still on the board. When I watched Okung, I didn't like what I saw. Kyle Rota (our resident scout) gave Okung a late first round grade. I agree completely. In my opinion, I don't think the drop off is that huge at #14 if you're talking about Anthony Davis and Charles Brown being available there. Davis I believe never indulged in a work ethic at Rutgers and the concern is - will it change with money in his pocket? Would a coach like Alex Gibbs grab hold of him and make him good? There'd have to be some give from the prospect too. However, Davis is the best pure pass protector in this draft and if you can get his work ethic right, you could be talking about major upside and potential.
Charles Brown is a perfect scheme fit and someone I like a lot. Great initial punch which none of the other first round OT's possess. Agile, nimble, decent in pass protection and a willing cut blocker. Needs to become more aggressive and find an edge, but that can happen in time. Personally, I rate both Davis and Brown ahead of Bulaga and also above Okung.
Okung to me just switches off way too much. When I watched the tape, I saw him just make some basic flat out mistakes that made me cringe. I also appreciate that whilst people like me don't like Okung in the top ten, others very much do. Which category does Seattle fall? Personally, I think if Berry is there at #6 you're looking at the next Seahawk (and I speak as someone who has been very critical of Berry's tackling). Just based on what I've been told. They will have options at #14 or even if they move down to get a tackle. If Williams is there at #6 they have a choice to make. We'll have to see if Okung is viewed as enough of an alternative to pass on Berry but I'm unconvinced.
Gruden has quite the reputation for being tough, or outright disliking, rookie QBs. This certainly doesn't dispel that. Great stuff.
Tebow is really putting the effort in and it continues to show. Its just a 7 step drop, but he made that drop like his shoes were on fire.
As polarized as opinion is on Tebow in the internet world, NFL organizations are no doubt equally divided. Any team that ends up drafting Tebow will have its share of Tebow detractors as well as proponents in the draft room. His selection will probably be made in spite of strongly voiced objections by some staff who would regard it as a wasted pick. I think that's what Tebow's getting at with his question "Do you really want me on your team?" It's not enough that an egomaniacal coach or an embattled GM (who could be fired before Tebow even is ready to hit the field) or an owner desperate for ticket and jersey sales pull the trigger. You need buy-in from the whole organization, and a real plan for Tebow. I think these are issues that are far more troublesome for NFL teams than the simple merits of Tebow as an NFL QB prospect.
On Clausen, a couple red flags jumped out at me. When they talked about the interception, Clausen correctly explained how the pick was all the receiver's fault for not altering his route based on the audible. But coaches, personnel people, teammates and Gruden don't necessarily want to hear the QB point the finger without at least accepting some of the blame. Even when he's in the right, a QB can't alienate and humiliate his teammates. And he's got to show that he has the humility to to try to learn from all bad outcomes whether they were fully his responsibility or not. Second, when he talked about wanting to be a "film rat" or "gym rat" it was kind of funny how he glanced away and the words sort of croaked out. Not sure, but it seemed like he didn't believe what he was saying.
Thanks for the link to the videos, Rob.
Good point on Clausen, Steve. We all remember that game losing INT Matt threw in OT in the "we want the ball and we're gonna score" game in GB. It wasn't until Holmgren spoke up that we learned that Alex Bannister ran the wrong route on the play, there was no way Matt was gonna throw his teammate under the bus. Although I can understand in this case why Clausen might have felt the need to explain himself to an evaluator that didn't know all the circumstances of the play. But if I was a coach, I'd make sure he learns this lesson early, because one slip up could take him a couple years to fix in the locker room.
Clausen was with a Coach breaking down film for God's sake! Just like he's been doing ever since High School! It's not like he was standing at a podium after a game answering reporters questions. Maybe he should have been aware that this time this one may get on the tube, but before and after every game players and coaches go thru this routine. He didn't throw his team mate under the bus, he was explaining to his Coach what happened on that play.
As far as being a film and gym rat... all his Coaches at ND say he is and thats good enough for me.
Looks like the Eagles want to trade up to get Berry or Thomas, maybe they should be talking to the Hawks. They have picks #24,35,55 and 70. Lets make a deal!
Redskins fan here responding to the Haynesworth talk. I can tell you that there is absolutely no way in hell the Redskins will trade Albert for what basically amounts to a third round pick unless Mr. Allen is willing to cut Mr. Snyder a 21 million dollar check. A second to third rounder is what we were looking for BEFORE we gave him his bonus, we're not going to take that.
Haynesworth won't be dealt period. He's worth far more to us than what anyone will be willing to offer him. Bruce Allen is a shrewd and frugal guy, he won't let Albert go without getting maximum value from him and so it's just not going to happen. All of the "concerns" with him are blown way out of proportion by an NFL media spitballing for a story. He's missing VOLUNTARY workouts to train on his own. The scheme transition isn't all it's made out to be because, as a rich man's Haloti Ngata, Albert will be a dominant 5 technique.
Oh BTW, Haynesworth was completely dominant last year. I don't know where this idea that he under-performed got started but it's absolutely false. He had the fourth best individual season among DTs last year according to PFF, and we basically doubled our team sack totals from the previous years. He's still the best defensive lineman in the league, in his prime. Anyone who tells you differently didn't watch him play last year or doesn't really know what they are talking about.
This is a good bunch of QBs character wise. Each of them have good heads on their shoulders and seem well prepared for the NFL. Of the group, Clausen seems the youngest and least mature but he also seems serious and eager to learn/please. Tebow comes off as a coaches wet dream and basically a football playing robot. Bradford comes off as the sharpest and most intelligent. He's a born playmaker--used to being the best guy on his team in every sport his entire life. You can tell the game comes easily to him.
But McCoy's interview was my favorite, and he is definitely the most charismatic and mature one of the bunch. He seems like the kind of guy that can completely command a locker room. The guy has "it" whatever that means.
I agree with Gruden. Colt McCoy's accent makes him sound like a dumb ass. I'll totally admit that if I'm honest with myself, it factors into why I think he's going to suck as a pro. You listen to him speak and nothing about him sounds like a guy you want to lead your team. Combo that with the fact that I think all people from the south sound like absolute hilljacks. :P Oh, and that out of bounds throw with 1 sec left from this season was one of the dumbest things ever and only reinforced my opinion of him.
Bradford "Yuup" "Yup" "Uhhh" He sounds absolutely bored and emotionless. The guy doesn't inspire me at all.
Clausen had a little bit of the "mhhmm" "mhmm" but I saw him writing things down and the look on his face told me that he was looking at Gruden like he was the Oracle of football.
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