Jon Gruden: 'I want Manziel'

[Tenebrous]

Jon Gruden: 'I want Manziel'
April, 30, 2014
APR 30
2:00
PM ET
By Paul Gutierrez | ESPN.com
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Johnny Manziel might be the most polarizing quarterback in next week’s NFL draft, but he has a fan in former Oakland Raiders coach-turned-ESPN "Monday Night Football" analyst Jon Gruden.

And if Gruden was still coaching an NFL team?

[+] EnlargeJohnny Manziel
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Jon Gruden on QB Johnny Manziel: "He will excel at whatever you ask him to do."
“I don’t have any concerns,” Gruden said Tuesday in a conference call with reporters. “I'm a Manziel -- I don’t know what the word I should use is -- advocate, proponent. I want Manziel. I realize he's under six feet tall. Maybe he can't see over the line. We blew that theory in the water last year with (Russell) Wilson and (Drew) Brees. I know he can learn. I spent two days with him, and I know he wants to learn. He had four different offensive coordinators at Texas A&M. He had two different head coaches. It didn't matter. He adapted and did extremely well.

“This is the first Heisman Trophy winner as a freshman. In two years at Texas A&M, he had the most productive back-to-back seasons in SEC history. I don't know what you want him to do. He threw for eight thousand, ran for two thousand, he has 93 touchdowns. All I know is I want Manziel.”

The Raiders hold the No. 5 overall pick, and though they did acquire Matt Schaub to be the starting quarterback for the next two years at least, their QB-of-the-future situation is murky at best.

Manziel has visited the Raiders' complex, as has Central Florida’s Blake Bortles and Pittsburgh’s Tom Savage. Oakland has also had reported meetings with Fresno State’s Derek Carr, San Jose State’s David Fales, LSU’s Zach Mettenberger, Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater and Clemson’s Tahj Boyd.

But taking Manziel and all that his celebrity entails would seemingly work against the Raiders’ mission after acquiring Schaub. Fans would want to see Manziel immediately, or as soon as Schaub, who needs to get his confidence back after a down year in Houston, throws his first interception.

None of that, though, matters much to Gruden, from afar. Even if Manziel is lacking in some areas.

“He has no experience coming out of the huddle really, handling the pass protections, doing some of the things that you've seen some of the conventional pro quarterbacks do,” he said of Manziel. “It's going to be a huge adjustment for him. It might not happen for him by opening day.

“But I'm convinced that he will learn it. He will excel at whatever you ask him to do. But, remember, he did redshirt at Texas A&M. Maybe he needs a redshirt year in pro football. I'm not going to say that's going to happen or that's a certainty. But it will be an adjustment for Manziel making the adjustment as a young player at this position at the next level. But I'm sure he can do it.”

[Tenebrous]

Gruden talks draft

By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Wednesday, April 30th, 2014 at 12:15 pm in Oakland Raiders.

Some quick conference call hits from ESPN analyst and former Raiders and Tampa Bay Bucs coach Jon Gruden on the NFL draft:

Which quarterbacks would be intriguing for Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who worked under Gruden in Tampa Bay . . .

Gruden: I think Greg Olson is like a lot of NFL coaches today: you’re looking for a quarterback that can run any play that you dream up. That’s the beauty of Russell Wilson. He can run read options, speed options. He can run a west coast offense. He can run any play you dream up. You’re seeing more and more of the dual threats becoming a force in the NFL with (Colin) Kaepernick, obviously Cam Newton. You’re seeing quarterbacks being coveted that can run it, throw it, run an up-tempo style. (Blake) Bortles from Central Florida. Bortles did a lot of options, drop-back stuff in the pro-style system. I can see Olson liking Johnny Manziel. Greg Olson is a guy with tremendous imagination. I can see him liking a lot of these quarterbacks.

Thoughts on Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel . . .

Gruden:: I don’t have any concerns. I want Manziel. I realize he’s under six feet tall. Maybe he can’t see over the line. We blew that theory in the water last year with (Russell) Wilson and (Drew) Brees. I know he can learn. I spent two days with him, and I know he wants to learn. He had four different offensive coordinators at Texas A&M. He had two different head coaches. It didn’t matter. He adapted and did extremely well. This is the first Heisman Trophy winner as a freshman. In two years at Texas A&M, he had the most productive back-to-back seasons in SEC history. I don’t know what you want him to do. He threw for eight thousand, ran for two thousand, he has 93 touchdowns. All I know is I want Manziel.

The chance of Manziel slipping all the way to No. 18 and the New York Jets . . .

Gruden: If Johnny Manziel is there at No. 18, I’ll give you my cell phone number and I’ll take you out to a steak dinner.

Whether there is a clear cut No. 1 pick in the draft . . .

Gruden: To me the first pick of the draft, the sure-fire Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, I don’t know that that player is in this draft. You’re dealing with more underclassmen than I can ever remember. If you’re talking (Jadeveon) Clowney, (Johnny) Manziel, Sammy Watkins, even some of the underclassmen linemen, Greg Robinson. So it’s a crapshoot. This is not a complete body of work to evaluate. You have to use your imagination, be able to see down the road a bit. There is no sure-fire, can’t-miss No. 1 in anybody’s world, but there are some great prospects.

The possibility of over-analysis with the draft being so late this year . . .

Gruden: The longer you stir the stew, the longer you have a tendency to screw it up. This draft needs to take place quickly. We’ve had first, second and third analysis done on just about every factors from doctors to psychiatrists, the short shuttles, film study, the individual workouts and combines. I think everybody is ready to draft them.

The character of Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins . . .

Gruden: I think what sets Sammy apart is his sincerity and passion for the game. Everyone I’ve talked to has come away very impressed with Watkins’ passion to be great and to put forth a tremendous work ethic.

The relevance of Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s poor pro day performance . . .

Gruden: I’ve done a lot of individual workouts in my past as a receiver coach, as a quarterback coach, even as a head coach. If the player didn’t work that well for me, I didn’t move them down, I took them off our board. So if you’re not having good individual workouts, if you don’t have a good pro workout, that’s part of the evaluation process. You’re going to be moved down or potentially off some people’s boards. I’d be concerned if I were any person and I didn’t have good private workouts or I had a typically bad pro day.

[bigboy3333]

The closer we get to the draft..I hope that the Raiders have a shot at Watkins or Mack at # 5, but I believe thats a pipe dream....

I know in the past few months I have been on the Bridgewater wagon, unless he falls to the 2rd..I would not touch him....

Now if the Raiders are force to stay at # 5, and Watkins & Mack are gone...then I say roll the dices and give me (Johnny Football!!!!

[Tenebrous]

The closer we get to the draft..I hope that the Raiders have a shot at Watkins or Mack at # 5, but I believe thats a pipe dream....

I know in the past few months I have been on the Bridgewater wagon, unless he falls to the 2rd..I would not touch him....

Now if the Raiders are force to stay at # 5, and Watkins & Mack are gone...then I say roll the dices and give me (Johnny Football!!!!

Johnny Football is one of those players that is just very hard to get a handle on - a prototypical boom-or-bust player. In my opinion, however, the 5th pick in the entire draft is not the place to go gambling. Moreover, while I like Garappolo's quick release and accuracy along with Carr's arm-strength and knowledge of the game, Bortels may be the only real 1st round QB in the draft.

All that being stated, it may be best to draft Darqueeze Denard, Aaron Donald, or Mike Evans.

[piratepride]

Mike evans would be sick, but so would arron Donald. Then you have the best corner in the whole draft available.Tough choices if mack and Watkins are gone.
I probably would roll with evans even though he is not the fastest guy out there this dude would win a ton of matchups.
But then I think of how MJD and McFadden would look like behind these hogs....



Donald penn greg robinson wiz Austin howard Watson

all these fools are massive road graders, well wiz is a little but he's tough.The line would actually be able to run for a change with these fools opening up lanes.


then I think Arron Donald next to tuck being able to generate immediate pressure up the middle most of the game.Then you have Woodley, and we need depth bad.

I seen dj haden in person, the dude looked promising.He wasn't elite but was always in play and was on his man all game.The dude should improve a lot this year.Mayock said he was the best corner in last years' draft and imagine pairing him with the best corner this year.I like tarrelle brown and carlos rogers but they signed 1 year deals.In 2 years we could easily field one of the best two young up and coming cover corners in the game outside of Patrick Peterson and Sherman/haden.




All that to say I still go Watson/mack but if gone probably evans over Donald.I can't wait c'mon draft!

[Tenebrous]

Mike evans would be sick, but so would arron Donald. Then you have the best corner in the whole draft available.Tough choices if mack and Watkins are gone.
I probably would roll with evans even though he is not the fastest guy out there this dude would win a ton of matchups.
But then I think of how MJD and McFadden would look like behind these hogs....



Donald penn greg robinson wiz Austin howard Watson

all these fools are massive road graders, well wiz is a little but he's tough.The line would actually be able to run for a change with these fools opening up lanes.


then I think Arron Donald next to tuck being able to generate immediate pressure up the middle most of the game.Then you have Woodley, and we need depth bad.

I seen dj haden in person, the dude looked promising.He wasn't elite but was always in play and was on his man all game.The dude should improve a lot this year.Mayock said he was the best corner in last years' draft and imagine pairing him with the best corner this year.I like tarrelle brown and carlos rogers but they signed 1 year deals.In 2 years we could easily field one of the best two young up and coming cover corners in the game outside of Patrick Peterson and Sherman/haden.




All that to say I still go Watson/mack but if gone probably evans over Donald.I can't wait c'mon draft!

I remember Hayden in college - UCLA played against Houston and he essentially shut down his half of the field. As I recall, UCLA only tested him once and that almost turned into an interception. Hayden, prior to his injury, was legit. It seems that this year, he is finally back to his original playing weight. He looks stacked at Raiders.com, as opposed to the somewhat lanky-look last season. If he gets to playing lights-out football again and the Raiders draft Dennard in the 1st, the Raiders' secondary would be absolutely terrifying for opposing teams. For that reason would likely take Dennard over Evans if both were available - simply stated, while both players are standouts, Dennard IMO is a better CB than Evans is a WR - but, not by that much, lol.

Lol, Aaron Donald would be a real nice addition to the Raiders too, no doubt. If the Raiders get out of the 1st with Dennard, Donald, or Evans that would be sweet and if they can get out of the second with Bortels, Garappolo, or Carr, that would be crazy (in a good way).

[Forbiddenraider]

Silver & Black wants Johnny Cakes!!

[RF34]

Would You Trust Your Offense to Him?
The biggest question of this draft concerns the biggest personality in it: Johnny Manziel. The MMQB sat down with five experts steeped in the quarterbacking business—David Cutcliffe, Mike Holmgren, Doug Flutie, Kevin Gilbride and Rich Gannon—to watch tape and judge how, or if, his talents will translate to the NFL

DURHAM, N.C.—“He’s got great balance. How good is that throw? I mean, how good is that throw?” says Duke coach David Cutcliffe, watching Johnny Manziel video in his office.

RENTON, Wash.—“He’s all arm. He throws a lot of passes that way,” says former Brett Favre tutor Mike Holmgren, watching Manziel video near his Seattle home.

MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla.—“He can make every throw, and I don’t know every NFL offense from top to bottom, but just put him in the shotgun and spread the field out and let him play. You’ve got to find a way to let him play. He would be perfect for Chip Kelly,” says Doug Flutie, who was Manziel before there was a Manziel, watching Manziel video in his home hard by the Atlantic Ocean.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.—“His mechanics are awful. It’s hard not to be influenced by the things you’ve heard, that the problem is lack of discipline. That manifests itself off the field and in the way he plays. Even just carrying out fakes—it’s just like, ‘Ah, screw it.’ Those guys don’t make it usually. But he’s athletic enough and talented enough that if he works, he can make it,” says longtime NFL offensive coach Kevin Gilbride, who retired after last season, watching Manziel video in his home a few long spirals from the New England coast.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.—“The kid’s got the balls of a burglar,” says 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon, waching Manziel video near his Twin Cities home.

We came, we watched, we dissected. In the past month I watched coaches video of Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel with five of the smartest quarterback people I know. Specifically, we watched two games from 2013: Manziel’s two-man show (with wideout Mike Evans) in a thrilling narrow loss to Alabama, and Manziel’s s struggles to cope with a disciplined defensive front in a decisive loss to LSU.

I wrote the cover story for this week’s Sports Illustrated with the analyses of the five men on Manziel. I was struck with the “Yeah, but …” aspect of so much of what they said. Let me sum up: They, like so many in the NFL, are on the edge of a sword with Manziel—drawn to his athleticism and field presence and fearlessness, repelled by the prospect of his having to adjust from being a runner/thrower to much more of a pocket passer in the NFL game. That’s a major generalization, of course. Each liked what he saw, to differing degrees. Flutie, predictably, would take Manziel high in the May 8 draft. Gannon, bothered by Manziel’s sloppy mechanics, wouldn’t take him high but thinks he’s an intriguing prospect. Holmgren thinks he’s a long shot to be a top NFL player. Gilbride does as well, but Gilbride thinks the right mechanic could fix Manziel’s flaws and make him a very good player.

I found Cutcliffe’s remarks the most intriguing. Not because he’s smarter about the position necessarily … but because Duke played Texas A&M in the final game of Manziel’s college career, and Cutcliffe and his staff spent three weeks prepping for Manziel, and because Cutcliffe has a close handle on the NFL game because of his off-season coaching with the Manning brothers.

So we will start there, in the office with Cutcliffe in this virtual roundtable, with me interjecting occasionally but mostly staying out of the way.

the rest of the story...it's a long read: http://mmqb.si.com/2014/05/01/2014-nfl- ... k-experts/

[Tenebrous]

Long read, but interesting -- thanx. Manziel is just one big question mark. Would I gamble on him w/ the 5th overall pick? Nope. Would I take him ahead of Bridgewater? Without reservation. However, no disrespect intended, but I would take AJ McCarron (sp?) over Bridgewater at this point.

In my opinion, the race is between Bortels, Carr, and Garappolo with Manziel being a dark horse. One of those four should be available in the 2nd round, if not then take a flyer on who may be availabe in the 4th or 5th rounds or just accept that this may not be the year the Raiders draft a QB - not a particularly strong QB class anyway.

[DeadRinger]

Draft Manziel. Let him hold a clipboard and play here and there. Clean house next offseason. Hire Gruden to build the team around his boy and show him how to be an ass-kicking NFL QB.

Done. Next?