Gruden comment a little nerve racking

I know its just the off-season and reading quotes through the local media, in this case the Tampa Tribune, is hard in terms of telling whether the person quoted is following up the quote with laughter as to say this is a complete joke, but this quote from Head Coach Jon Gruden just sort of rubs me the wrong way:

So I guess this quote looks out of context. Gruden made this point after explaining how this years squad is the biggest physically he's ever had while in Tampa. He goes on to say that "Big" is good if you ask him. My problem with the quote (and surely its nit-picking), but Gruden doesn't know if we're going to be any better this season? Better than 4-12? Come on now, is it to much of a stretch to go out on a limb and declare this team better than last years squad? You just declared Jeff Garcia the king of the land, in June no less, but you can't declare this team as being better than lasts years team? I only hold his words in the highest regard because he is obviously the closest person to the team and the talent.

This quote just got to me ... feel free to think less of me and of course, snicker at the juvenile nature of this post