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Like the fans, ESPN's Jon Gruden is fond of (and frustrated by) the Cleveland Browns
By Tony Grossi
November 15, 2009, 6:06PM
UPDATED: 7:47 p.m.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jon Gruden has sympathy, Browns fans. The NFL coach-turned-ESPN analyst is one of you.
"I grew up a big Browns fan and my dad still is today," Gruden, a native of Sandusky, Ohio, said. "My dad was a high school coach at Fremont Ross High School. He went to Heidelberg College. He idolized Paul Brown and Blanton Collier.
"I was just a little kid when I first went to a Browns training camp. I remember Bo Scott, Bill Nelsen, Jerry Sherk, Don Cockroft. I used to put my white-on-white Cleveland Browns uniform on and dive in the mud."
Gruden, thus, will be fired up -- much like he was on the sidelines -- when he joins Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski in the ESPN booth to describe Monday night's Browns game against the Baltimore Ravens.
A pair of Super Bowl-champion coaches who are both currently without a team, both Bill Cowher (left) and Jon Gruden figure to be courted in the upcoming off-season. Gruden admits he hasn't lost the passion for the sidelines.
He's also curious to see firsthand what on Earth is going on with the Eric Mangini edition of the Browns.
Gruden's homework has delivered him all the preposterous statistics of offensive ineptitude.
"Somebody told me they scored five touchdowns in [the last] 14 games," Gruden said. "Someone also told me Jim Brown had five in one game. I just saw Tom Brady throw five touchdowns in one quarter a couple weeks ago.
"It's unbelievable. I don't get it. I just don't. I know they've made multiple trades, traded down to accumulate some picks. I just don't see anybody really exploding on the scene yet."
Gruden is glad that Mangini made the move to start Brady Quinn against the Ravens. As Tampa Bay coach in 2007, Gruden personally scouted Quinn and JaMarcus Russell prior to the draft. The Bucs selected fourth and chose defensive end Gaines Adams after the Browns took Joe Thomas at No. 3. The Browns traded future picks to select Quinn at No. 22.
"I spent a whole day at South Bend, Ind., then flew down to Louisiana to work out JaMarcus Russell and get a comparison," Gruden said. "I liked Brady Quinn because he flourished in two systems. He played for Tyrone Willingham and for Charlie Weis. I felt he flourished in a multiple attack with two different head coaches.
"I thought he was a winner, liked his size, liked his leadership. I was impressed. I put him through the works, man. I thought he had an excellent workout. I thought he was sharp. I thought he had a desire to be great. I do not know why the car stalled. I really don't. I'm anxious to see him play."
From the outside looking in, Gruden observes that part of the problem for Quinn, and Derek Anderson, has been a lack of playmakers around them.
"I don't know who's the No. 1 clear-cut receiver," he said. "I know the kid out of Georgia [Mohamed Massaquoi] is the leading receiver. I haven't seen [brian] Robiskie do much yet. [Mike] Furrey comes in and he's playing offense and defense. I just don't know if the receiving corps is quite ready yet.
"Jamal [Lewis] is still a very physical runner. I don't know who the tight end is, the go-to pass receiving threat like [Kellen] Winslow. And that right side of the line has been in and out of the lineup, and they've got a rookie center.
"The films I've looked at they struggle at times getting the center-quarterback exchange. They've had trouble protecting at times, don't have a sustained running game. I don't know that the cast supporting the quarterback is one that's going to allow the position to be great right now. It's a work in progress."
Gruden was fired as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January after a second successive 9-7 season. His 11-year record as an NFL head coach, 100-85, is better than all but four active coaches.
He is enjoying his work as ESPN analyst, but admits the fire to coach will never go out.
"I love it. I coach my son's flag football team. Probably one of my better coaching jobs," Gruden said.
"This has really been a great experience for me. I've had a chance to see the game from a different angle. I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had. But my wounds are still open, man. I'm still in some ways depressed that I'm not on the field."
Gruden is 46. In 11 years as coach of the Raiders and Buccaneers, his teams had three losing seasons. He took a Tampa Bay team built by Tony Dungy and put it over the top, winning the Super Bowl following the 2002 season.
Gruden said he's done a lot of self-evaluation since the Bucs made a stunning decision to fire Gruden and GM Bruce Allen in January and replace them with Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik. The Bucs are 1-8 following Sunday's loss to Miami.
"I really feel looking in the mirror that I did the very best I could," Gruden said. "I may not have led the league in anything, but I was in the top two or three in working at it, I know that. It's hard to win nine games. It's a hard business."
And, yes, he has the energy to start up a team from scratch.
"That's the thrill of it, to teach and create an environment where players can flourish," he said. "Whether it be a free agent from another team or a rookie player or a collection of guys. That's the thrill. Assembling a staff, exciting people and developing your identity as a football team. That's something you miss."
Like the fans, ESPN's Jon Gruden is fond of (and frustrated by) the Cleveland Browns
By Tony Grossi
November 15, 2009, 6:06PM
UPDATED: 7:47 p.m.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jon Gruden has sympathy, Browns fans. The NFL coach-turned-ESPN analyst is one of you.
"I grew up a big Browns fan and my dad still is today," Gruden, a native of Sandusky, Ohio, said. "My dad was a high school coach at Fremont Ross High School. He went to Heidelberg College. He idolized Paul Brown and Blanton Collier.
"I was just a little kid when I first went to a Browns training camp. I remember Bo Scott, Bill Nelsen, Jerry Sherk, Don Cockroft. I used to put my white-on-white Cleveland Browns uniform on and dive in the mud."
Gruden, thus, will be fired up -- much like he was on the sidelines -- when he joins Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski in the ESPN booth to describe Monday night's Browns game against the Baltimore Ravens.
A pair of Super Bowl-champion coaches who are both currently without a team, both Bill Cowher (left) and Jon Gruden figure to be courted in the upcoming off-season. Gruden admits he hasn't lost the passion for the sidelines.
He's also curious to see firsthand what on Earth is going on with the Eric Mangini edition of the Browns.
Gruden's homework has delivered him all the preposterous statistics of offensive ineptitude.
"Somebody told me they scored five touchdowns in [the last] 14 games," Gruden said. "Someone also told me Jim Brown had five in one game. I just saw Tom Brady throw five touchdowns in one quarter a couple weeks ago.
"It's unbelievable. I don't get it. I just don't. I know they've made multiple trades, traded down to accumulate some picks. I just don't see anybody really exploding on the scene yet."
Gruden is glad that Mangini made the move to start Brady Quinn against the Ravens. As Tampa Bay coach in 2007, Gruden personally scouted Quinn and JaMarcus Russell prior to the draft. The Bucs selected fourth and chose defensive end Gaines Adams after the Browns took Joe Thomas at No. 3. The Browns traded future picks to select Quinn at No. 22.
"I spent a whole day at South Bend, Ind., then flew down to Louisiana to work out JaMarcus Russell and get a comparison," Gruden said. "I liked Brady Quinn because he flourished in two systems. He played for Tyrone Willingham and for Charlie Weis. I felt he flourished in a multiple attack with two different head coaches.
"I thought he was a winner, liked his size, liked his leadership. I was impressed. I put him through the works, man. I thought he had an excellent workout. I thought he was sharp. I thought he had a desire to be great. I do not know why the car stalled. I really don't. I'm anxious to see him play."
From the outside looking in, Gruden observes that part of the problem for Quinn, and Derek Anderson, has been a lack of playmakers around them.
"I don't know who's the No. 1 clear-cut receiver," he said. "I know the kid out of Georgia [Mohamed Massaquoi] is the leading receiver. I haven't seen [brian] Robiskie do much yet. [Mike] Furrey comes in and he's playing offense and defense. I just don't know if the receiving corps is quite ready yet.
"Jamal [Lewis] is still a very physical runner. I don't know who the tight end is, the go-to pass receiving threat like [Kellen] Winslow. And that right side of the line has been in and out of the lineup, and they've got a rookie center.
"The films I've looked at they struggle at times getting the center-quarterback exchange. They've had trouble protecting at times, don't have a sustained running game. I don't know that the cast supporting the quarterback is one that's going to allow the position to be great right now. It's a work in progress."
Gruden was fired as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January after a second successive 9-7 season. His 11-year record as an NFL head coach, 100-85, is better than all but four active coaches.
He is enjoying his work as ESPN analyst, but admits the fire to coach will never go out.
"I love it. I coach my son's flag football team. Probably one of my better coaching jobs," Gruden said.
"This has really been a great experience for me. I've had a chance to see the game from a different angle. I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had. But my wounds are still open, man. I'm still in some ways depressed that I'm not on the field."
Gruden is 46. In 11 years as coach of the Raiders and Buccaneers, his teams had three losing seasons. He took a Tampa Bay team built by Tony Dungy and put it over the top, winning the Super Bowl following the 2002 season.
Gruden said he's done a lot of self-evaluation since the Bucs made a stunning decision to fire Gruden and GM Bruce Allen in January and replace them with Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik. The Bucs are 1-8 following Sunday's loss to Miami.
"I really feel looking in the mirror that I did the very best I could," Gruden said. "I may not have led the league in anything, but I was in the top two or three in working at it, I know that. It's hard to win nine games. It's a hard business."
And, yes, he has the energy to start up a team from scratch.
"That's the thrill of it, to teach and create an environment where players can flourish," he said. "Whether it be a free agent from another team or a rookie player or a collection of guys. That's the thrill. Assembling a staff, exciting people and developing your identity as a football team. That's something you miss."
But he's happy doing the MNF broadcast in the interim, and is lining up a return to the booth there when he finally gets tired of coaching (IMO). That's what the extension with ESPN was about. He'll wait until the time is right and that may not necessarily be next season.
