There’s yet to be a coaching opening in the NFL or a Power Five conference that Jon Gruden’s name hasn’t been associated with for the last half decade. Gruden was a head coach in the NFL from 1998 to 2008. He spent his first four seasons with the Oakland Raiders and his last seven with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team he led to a Super Bowl XXXVII victory.
For the most part, Gruden downplays the so-called “Grumors” every season, but in a recent interview with The Pewter Report, he seems to readying a comeback.
“I’ve met with several people, I won’t deny that,” Gruden told the website. “Just about every year I talk about coming back to coach. I’m not in here every day at 4:30 or four in the morning watching pinball, you know? I’m preparing myself to come back. I am. Every day, I’m preparing to come back.”
BREAKING: Former #Bucs head coach & @ESPN analyst Jon Gruden wants to return to coaching. Full details: https://t.co/ArnrWRf22V pic.twitter.com/iDXVb84Odr
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) July 28, 2017
It’s the most definitive statement Gruden has made about a return to the NFL and one that should perk up the ears of owners across the league. Gruden went 100-85 as a head coach in the NFL with a 5-4 playoff record. Since 2009 he’s been in the Monday Night Football booth as the color analyst. He seems to have a good gig and almost carte blanche on what he wants to do, leading his Jon Gruden’s QB Camp ever season on the network where he works out, interviews and tests all the top QB prospects heading into the NFL Draft.
“I love ESPN,” Gruden said. “I mean I love what I’m doing. I’m with a great team, a great group of guys. I’m still real close to the game. I still stay in contact with a lot of players and coaches at the league at every level. I don’t know if (the rumors about returning to coaching) is flattering or irritating. I don’t really pay attention to a lot of it. But I am, every year, preparing myself to coach. Sometimes I show up at camp and I show up in the off-season and people let me coach. I jump in drills and they still let me install plays and call plays at some places.”
While Gruden was fired in 2008 to be replaced by a series of ineffectual coaches in Tampa Bay, it’s important to realize that in his 11-year head coaching career, he posted a losing record only three times and one of those was a 7-9 season in 2003. His last two seasons were 9-7 and 9-7 with the Buccaneers, success they could only replicate under Dirk Koetter and Jameis Winston nearly a decade later.
If Gruden did let it be known he was ready to return (and now’s the time. The dude is 53 years old), he’d instantly be the hottest available head coach on the market. But what kind of market are we looking at for the end of the 2017 season?
The New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions all could be looking for new coaches. Of those, I don’t see Gruden replacing his brother Jay in Washington just out of loyalty, so you can mark it off. Other than that, they all look promising. You could argue the Texans are the closest to the team he inherited in Tampa Bay that he took to, and won, a Super Bowl; a team with a dominating defense that just needs to fix the offensive side of the ball.
But for my money, I can’t imagine a coach like Gruden turning down a chance to coach Andrew Luck. If Chuck Pagano gets fired at the end of the 2017 season, that’s a job that John Gruden just won’t be able to turn down.
Report: Jon Gruden wants to coach again.
Chuck Pagano: pic.twitter.com/gSnOXFrvnh
— Tyler Brooke (@TylerDBrooke) July 28, 2017
Rams add four new players as training camp begins
New head coach Sean McVay won’t have a shortage of bodies to work into his new system with the Los Angeles Rams. The teams roster stands at 89 players as of Thursday as the Rams signed four new players to compete for roster spots.
#Rams sign four players.
Read 📰 » https://t.co/wi5VVlFFfR pic.twitter.com/3g4ez1GHPS
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 27, 2017
Undrafted rookies Parker Collins, Folarin Orimolade and De’Mard Llorens will join third-year pro Andy Mulumba on the preseason roster. Collins is an offensive lineman out of Appalachian State. Llorens is a running back out of Northwestern State. Last year he averaged 6.4 yards per carry and rushed for 871 yards and eight touchdowns.
Orimolade led Dartmouth in tackles with 83 as a linebacker last season. He had 14.5 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, five forced fumbles and six passes defended. Mulumba, a linebacker, was most recently with the Oakland Raiders. He spent his first three seasons with the Green Bay Packers where he started three games as a rookie.
The Rams also announced tight end Johnny Mundt will begin camp on the PUP list. Defensive tackle Omarius Bryant, defensive back Dominique Hatfield, offensive lineman Alex Kozan and defensive back Aarion Penton will all start on the Non-Football Injury List.
Other NFL News
The Denver Broncos have placed running back Devantae Booker on the PUP list to begin training camp as he heals up from a wrist injury he suffered during OTAs. Head coach Vance Joseph expects Booker to be healed up by the start of the regular season. Lats year Booker started six games for the Broncos, averaging 3.5 yards per carry as he tallied up 612 yards and four touchdowns.
The Tennessee Titans have added free agent outside linebacker Erik Walden to their roster. Contract length and financial details have not been disclosed. Last season Walden started 16 games for the Indianapolis Colts, recording 42 tackles, three forced fumbles and 11 sacks. It’s rare for a player of Walden’s skillset, and 2016 stat sheet, to be sitting at home this long, but as camps begin teams are getting a good look at the weaknesses on their roster and filling holes.
The New Orleans Saints have added former Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Orlando Franklin to bolster their depth. Franklin began his career as a second round pick of the Denver Broncos back in 2011. He started all 16 games at left guard for the Chargers last season.
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