Gruden QB Camp on ESPN

[cstjohn17]

This was great, I didn't get to see the whole thing but it starts to show the complexity of the system. Gruden can be hard to take at times but he has a passion for the game. Best thing I have seen on the draft this year.

NFL: ESPN analyst Jon Gruden evaluated NFL QB prospects Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Jimmy Clausen and Tim Tebow during workouts in Tampa, Fla. - ESPN

 

[Metaphors]

Was waiting for this thread. Liked this because it gave some insight into what coaches should be doing in their interviews with players in general but QBs in particular. My take:

- Clausen was clearly the best in this setting. Seemed the most self-reflective and coachable. With the QB essentially being an extension of the coach for the offense, this is huge.

- Thought Tebow also did well but seemed to take his confidence a little too far. He will never again QB a team with the talent differential to the competition that he had at Florida. I look for some serious growing pains. He really needs to go someplace with a strong locker room and level-headed, stable coach.

- McCoy was way too contrived. Everything seems forced. While he didn't bomb, I didn't get a good read on anything from his session.

- Bradford just seemed either overmatched or uninterested. I can't tell which but it really doesn't matter for me. He didn't strike me as someone who is anywhere near ready to step in and command a huddle.

So if I'm looking for a QB in this draft, Clausen is my guy. Don't want Bradford as someone I'm counting on anytime soon. Got bad vibes on McCoy as well. Wouldn't mind Tebow as long as I had the environment to develop him right.

Loved this series and it should be expanded.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Was waiting for this thread. Liked this because it gave some insight into what coaches should be doing in their interviews with players in general but QBs in particular. My take:

- Clausen was clearly the best in this setting. Seemed the most self-reflective and coachable. With the QB essentially being an extension of the coach for the offense, this is huge.

- Thought Tebow also did well but seemed to take his confidence a little too far. He will never again QB a team with the talent differential to the competition that he had at Florida. I look for some serious growing pains. He really needs to go someplace with a strong locker room and level-headed, stable coach.

- McCoy was way too contrived. Everything seems forced. While he didn't bomb, I didn't get a good read on anything from his session.

- Bradford just seemed either overmatched or uninterested. I can't tell which but it really doesn't matter for me. He didn't strike me as someone who is anywhere near ready to step in and command a huddle.

So if I'm looking for a QB in this draft, Clausen is my guy. Don't want Bradford as someone I'm counting on anytime soon. Got bad vibes on McCoy as well. Wouldn't mind Tebow as long as I had the environment to develop him right.

Loved this series and it should be expanded.

After watching those clips...

I agree Clausen presented himself the best - I love how he immediately started taking notes as Gruden trotted out his critique.

Bradford didn't give me any negative, but I'd want to follow-up to see if he was being thoughtful and absorbing the critique, and applies what he learned to the next session, or if he was just grunting for effect.

McCoy was okay, I think his reaction was more a personality thing and not something where he's disregarding the coaching. It may take a bit of effort for the coach and QB to sort out how each communicates, but I think he'll be fine.

Tebow I'd like to see more of, his intensity is interesting, I have no doubt if he were one of my subordinates that we could work together and I can see why BB would be interested.

 

[Mike the Brit]

That was totally fascinating.

I really admired the way that Gruden played it. Sure, he was hard, accentuating his authority (look at the body language of him lounging back in his chair). You can easily see how he has a reputation for arrogance. But I had the sense that he knew exactly how to use his position. He was self-confident and controlling but perceptive at the same time. And it was very interesting to me how he interacted slightly differently with each of them.

Bradford came across to me as a nice boy -- the one you'd like your daughter to date (lovely smile!). And I liked his answer about the injury (stuff happens). But Gruden's right: if a team is going to invest in this guy, he has to learn to take care of himself!

I don't know if I was watching the same tape but I wasn't very impressed with Clausen. I didn't have a sense that he was very smart and his ambition came across to me as disconnected from reality. But maybe that's a cross-cultural thing I'm missing.

The McCoy interview didn't seem very revealing. Going on about McCoy's Southern drawl was probably just a way of getting a rise out of him, seeing if he would react and get angry. As it was (naturally enough) McCoy seemed rather passive. Looking at Gruden's comments though, it's obvious there was much more there to work on.

The one who surprised me was Tebow.

While the others seemed, in different ways, very young, it was Tebow who came across as the most forceful and self-assured personality. I'd always assumed that an NFL quarterback was the essence of an "Alpha male" and Tebow certainly showed that. As does Gruden.

And you could see that the two of them interacted differently. With Bradford and McCoy Gruden was a big brother/father figure, taking them down a peg or two, but complimenting them as well. With Tebow I had the feeling (if I may trespass on General O Rocks's territory) that he was a senior officer dealing with a field officer. I have no views at all on Tebow's throwing motion, but, after that, I'd draft him -- if you could pay Gruden $4m per to be his quarterback coach!

 

[Metaphors]

I don't know if I was watching the same tape but I wasn't very impressed with Clausen. I didn't have a sense that he was very smart and his ambition came across to me as disconnected from reality. But maybe that's a cross-cultural thing I'm missing.

The thing you have to bear in mind is that Gruden's father coached at Notre Dame when he was in high school. So Gruden has always had a connection to the school (and his name often pops up for the coaching job) and that came across in the interaction with Clausen. I think that was the "ambition" you were reading.

 

[Water Boy]

Tebow I'd like to see more of, his intensity is interesting, I have no doubt if he were one of my subordinates that we could work together and I can see why BB would be interested.

It makes me wonder if the allure with Tebow is that he gives the coaches a boner because of his work ethic.

 

[Nonentity]

I loved Tebow. I loved Bradford.

McCoy I liked. A little bit relaxed, I'd like to see him pissed off, but I still got good vibes from him.



I despised Clausen. Taking notes? Some may think that that shows maturity, but I don't agree. You have a Super Bowl-winning NFL head coach giving you some of his time, imparting some of his valuable knowledge.

LOOK INTO HIS EYES. Take in every single word. You are Moses, this is God handing down the Ten Commandments.

Making notes is usually fine, but he just didn't seem to be paying attention.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I loved Tebow. I loved Bradford.

McCoy I liked. A little bit relaxed, I'd like to see him pissed off, but I still got good vibes from him.



I despised Clausen. Taking notes? Some may think that that shows maturity, but I don't agree. You have a Super Bowl-winning NFL head coach giving you some of his time, imparting some of his valuable knowledge.

LOOK INTO HIS EYES. Take in every single word. You are Moses, this is God handing down the Ten Commandments.

Making notes is usually fine, but he just didn't seem to be paying attention.

My goodness, the role model for Professor Snape, Potions instructor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

 

[Nonentity]

My goodness, the role model for Professor Snape, Potions instructor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

The funniest thing about this is that I have a Harry Potter DVD on in the background right now

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

The funniest thing about this is that I have a Harry Potter DVD on in the background right now

 

[eagle eye]

Well the reads I got from them is that Clausen is smart, confident but knows that the film room is where its at in the NFL. Taking notes is something that shows the guy listens and takes in everything he is told. I think Clausen is ready to go in the NFL and will get better and better as time goes by.

I thought Bradford was good too but I have to admit that I was taken aback by the film where he failed to protect himself. Gruden pointed this out, he has to learn how to slide. I would be very worried about him at the Rams because he will get frustrated when they are losing games and might just try for the big play when he should be sliding and protecting himself.

Colt McCoy just seems too laid back for my liking. It just all seemed like fun and games to him in that interview. Its very hard to take much from his interview, and its like when Gruden asked him what he should be doing in certain situations that he was just repeating what he has been told before many times.

Tim Tebow is the guy I'd want more than any other if I was a coach. The guy is willing to work hard at his game and he is brings leadership and belief to the locker room. He has so many things going for him. And when he was doing the drills I was waiting for him to just once let that arm go back to far but he didn't. He has changed his mechanics and his throw looks like its not going back where it was in college.

 

[drpatriot]

Seems like I'm the only one who liked McCoy the most after the interviews.

Bradford seemed too quiet a personality to lead an NFL locker room. Barely had anything to say to an evaluator. I would not have been impressed if I was an NFL coach.

Clausen seemed like a thug to me. He seemed too quick to throw his teammates under the bus to me.

Tebow reminded me vaguely of Manning. We all know what his deal is, and we will see it play out somewhere.

McCoy in a way reminded me of Brady with his conversation. He was laid back, but clearly cared about the feedback he received. I was really impressed that he thanked Gruden for both negative and positive feedback at the end of the interview. Though McCoy has things to learn, he clearly cared about learning them. I was really impressed, and I think that whoever drafts McCoy will get a hell of a quarterback.

 

[Adam Seward]

Seems like I'm the only one who liked McCoy the most after the interviews.

I liked McCoy the most as well, he seemed to open up to his true personality after the scripted opening. Gruden asked him what he was gonna do when people gave him crap in the huddle, he responded same thing I did as a freshman with 5 seniors on OL, earn the respect. Great answer in my book, surprised Gruden too, I think he liked that one. Then they joke about McCoys southern drawl and how it will sound in the huddle calling out plays.

Bradford seemed disinterested after the intro when Gruden kept digging deeper and deeper into the sack vs Texas. Upon listening to the rest of the interview though, even when Sam gets into describing the touchdown play they have on tape and he still talks very calm so maybe he just has a really mellow personality and wasnt being snotty as I first though.

Tebow and Gruden seemed to really connect on a buddy to buddy, jock to jock level. Gruden was clearly the most friendly towards Tebow compared to the other 3. Getting Tebow to be NFL ready. Hardwork on 3. One, two, three - Hardwork!

Jimmy seems very sincere with the things he says. Gruden really lays into him with the missed hot route and starts rambling about looking undisciplined and mentioning his reads in the same sentence as Ryan Leaf. Then starts talking about how Clausen disrespected ND and the QB position, it sure sounds like hes trying to make a point but he sounds as lost and confused as a Jets fan. He then goes onto say he thinks Clausen is ahead of his time and will be a good QB with good X and O knowledge so its clear he just wanted a reaction outta Jimmy with the previous comments.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

outside of a sporting event, that's the best thing i've seen on espn in a long time. that's the kind of stuff they should be doing more of instead of the sports version of "the view". so much unrealized potential from espn.


i thought they were all good but bradford seemed a little disinterested or immature. tebow i liked the most.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Tebow reminded me vaguely of Manning. We all know what his deal is, and we will see it play out somewhere.

Mmm ... I thought more Favre (with a dash of Roethlisberger). Talented and confident (and obviously well schooled by Meyer) but you wouldn't want him going "rogue" on you. Well worth any risk if you have a coach who knows how to develop quarterbacks, I now think.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Twitter / Ross Tucker: Great point. RT: @15miller ...

Great point. RT: @15miller Small but big point about Gruden show. Jimmy Clausen taking notes constant. That is a nice trait to have.
8:46 PM Apr 15th via OpenBeak

Take that Professor Snape.