Gruden: What The Hell Have We Got Stovall For?

Here are some more quotes from Jon Gruden from yesterday at the meeting.

on DeSean Jackson: "I mean the guy at Cal is 169 pounds. Is he going to be big enough? He's certainly fast as hell. He'd be a hell of a returner.

on James Hardy: "The guy at Indiana is big. Every film you pick up there's another touchdown. Is he fast enough? We've got [Maurice] Stovall, what the hell have we've got him for? You don't want to stock guys."

(I'm sure his tone and facial expressions indicated that the Stovall thing was a joke, but wow.)

on Joe Flacco: "I think his (Senior) Bowl game performance really helped him. I think when you watch [Chad] Henne and [Eric] Ainge and you watch Colt Brennan and all the guys who were there in Mobile, I think Flacco helped himself. He stood out there. He's a big guy, poised and confident. People liked his stroke. People liked the way he threw the football. He's thrown for a gazillion yards and dominated the level of competition."

on Josh Johnson: "45 touchdowns and one interception. That's hard to do. Then you watch the East-West game and watch him run around and make plays."

on quarterbacks: "I keep telling Bruce Allen I'd like to coach a first-rounder (at quarterback) sometime before I'm out of the league. I wouldn't mind coaching one. Guys do get picked in the first round for a reason."

on Mike Jenkins: "I like him. We had an individual workout at our facility. I like the mentality that the USF kids have. They've been well coached and the kid has talent. Watching college tape is a lot different for me now than it used to be five years ago. Everybody is in spread offenses. Everybody. There's not as much two back play-action as there used to be. It's hard to evaluate. A lot of bubble screens and quick screens. It's not like you're the corner and I'm the wideout and I'm running an out route or a slant route. You might be running a bubble screen. The linebackers as well, they're not in the box taking on a fullback. I do like Jenkins, though."

This is the time of year when coaches talk up everybody in the draft, so you can't take a lot away from these quotes. Except the fact that he obviously hates Maurice Stovall (if you could hear my tone and see my face, you would know I'm joking... kinda.) Last year I don't remember him saying much at all about Gaines Adams or Arron Sears prior to the draft. Still, though, that comment about Jackson doesn't sit all that well. It sounds like Gruden would be willing to give up a little of Jackson's speed for about an extra 20 pounds. Twenty extra pounds on a receiver, not Gruden. Jon is looking a little doughy these days.