I know Shanahan is the front-runner, but anyone (Junkies I'm talking to you) who is lobbying for Jon Gruden as the next Redskins head coach needs to SERIOUSLY re-think it for the following two reasons.
Mr. Snyder, PLEASE ask Gruden to have answers for these issues (if you are interviewing him). Five straight years of porous draft selection is Matt Millen-esque.
1.) Gruden's draft history. From 2004-2008, Gruden and Bruce Allen combined for only ONE pro-bowler over 44 draft picks (see full grid of picks after the jump). The Gaines Adams pick is still a very touchy subject in Tampa. McKay built that Super Bowl team and Gruden ran him out. The Super Bowl team Gruden "built" in Oakland was mainly in free agency (Gannon, Woodson, Romanowksi,etc).
McKay, the architect of the Bucs' Super Bowl championship team, left because of philosophical differences with Gruden, who clashed with the former GM over numerous personnel decisions.
2.) Gruden's relationship with players is VERY suspect. He divides locker rooms and that is a bad fit for a GM who establishes a relationship with players. From my interview with my relative who has contacts with the Tampa Bay organization:
Gruden used to say he couldn't put Galloway and Bryant on the same field at the same time, which is baloney. If you're the offensive genius that has a playbook that looks like the New York phone books, you can do anything you want to do. Galloway got in his dog house. He ran off Keyshawn. He ran off Joe Jurevicius. He's run off a lot of players here.
He put Michael Clayton in the dog house. He caught 80 balls his rookie year, then he wouldn't even throw to him in practice. He basically humiliated Chris Sims.
Horrible draft history of Gruden after the jump...
Tampa Bay draft history with Bruce Allen and Jon Gruden:
Note: It was known that Gruden was the one making all the picks. Bruce's philosophy is to support the coach.
Round |
2008 |
2007 |
2006 |
2005 |
2004 |
1 |
Aqib Talib |
Gaines Adams |
Davin Joseph |
Carnell Williams |
Michael Clayton |
2 |
Dexter Jackson |
Arron Sears Sabby Piscitelli |
Jeremy Trueblood |
Barrett Ruud |
- |
3 |
Jeremy Zuttah |
Quincy Black |
Maurice Stovall |
Alex Smith (TE) |
Marquis Cooper |
4 |
Dre Moore |
Tanard Jackson |
Alan Zemaitis |
Dan Buenning |
Will Allen |
5 |
Josh Johnson |
Greg Peterson |
Julian Jenkins |
Donte Nicholson |
Jeb Terry |
6 |
Geno Hayes |
Adam Hayward |
Bruce Gradkowski T.J. Williams |
Anthony Bryant |
Nate Lawrie |
7 |
Cory Boyd |
Chris Denman Marcus Hamilton |
Justin Phinisee |
Rick Razzano J.R. Russell |
Mark Jones |
Bolded names are pro-bowlers.