Q. Talk about Mike Evans. Do you think he's below Sammy Watkins in terms of his impact right
away? Is he a good fit for the Bucs at seven? And your thoughts on Khalil Mack?
GRUDEN: I think Evans is a completely different receiver than Watkins, at least on the tape I've seen.
Evans plays on the right side of the formation. He is in a no-huddle offense. He plays on the right every
play. They don't switch sides. He doesn't go in motion. He's not in the slot. He's a big X receiver that is a
prototype split end, much like Tampa already has in Vincent Jackson, a guy that is a dynamic force when the
ball is in the air. He's a threat to run it after the catch. When he wants to, he can be a dominant blocker. He's
really very similar to Vincent Jackson of the Buccaneers already. I don't know if you want two of those on the
same team. I don't know that you don't. Depends on what Jeff Tedford has in store.
In regards to Khalil Mack, as a 4-3 player, my biggest concern is where do you play him? I think he's an edge
player to me. When I look at Khalil Mack, he's most effective on the line of scrimmage, as an outside
linebacker in a 3-4 defense or as a nickel pass-rusher playing the defensive end position. In a pure 4-3, I
don't know that you want him as a base defensive end. I think he fits the 3-4 schemes the best in terms of a
base outside linebacker and in the sub-package he's obviously a defensive end.
Q. Could you see the Cardinals drafting a quarterback? If so they'd be doing it the old school way
where a guy sits behind a veteran or two for a year or so. Do you like that?
GRUDEN: I've heard that rumor that Arizona needs to draft a quarterback. Seems to me that Carson
Palmer had one of the best years of his career. Arizona is on the cusp of closing in on a lot of people in this
NFC. Getting (Jonathan) Cooper back from an injury is really going to help their offensive line. I think it all
depends on how the board falls, to be honest with you. If one of these quarterbacks that Arizona likes were
to slide to them, I could see them pulling the trigger certainly. If the one they like in this draft isn't there, I can
see Steve (Keim) continuing to add good players to a formidable defense or to a position of need, maybe
address the offensive line one more time. Who knows?
Q. Who do you think will be the Jets week 1 starter, Geno (Smith) or Michael Vick? If Johnny Manziel
happens to slip to 18 to the Jets, what would you do then?
GRUDEN: Well, who do I think will be the starter week one? I wish I could answer that. It's a two-horse race.
Might be a photo finish. Might need to ask me this after we've seen the pre-season. I have no idea. Just
because Michael Vick has an association with Marty Mornhinweg. I do like what Geno Smith did as a
freshman or a rookie quarterback in the NFL. He had a rocky beginning, rough outings, but he showed some
mental and physical toughness. I think he improved. I like the youth at the quarterback position that has
experience. So I think if it's close, the tie goes to the rookie, the second-year player.
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.
Q. Lions are looking for a quarterback maybe in the later rounds as a backup for Matthew Stafford.
What traits were you looking for when you took a developmental guy late in the draft?
GRUDEN: They used to come to my office and get me in the sixth round because that's when we took
quarterbacks in Tampa. I like the idea of taking them at the top of the first rounds, to be honest with you.
In Green Bay years ago, I remember Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren would take a quarterback in the late
rounds. They got Mark Brunell late in the fifth round, we got Ty Detmer in the seventh round, then they got
(Matthew) Hasselbeck. They continued to do that. What you're looking for is production, number one, a
productive college quarterback that has the ability to think quickly, that can make all the throws. You're
looking for a lot of intangibles certainly in the sixth round, a guy that fits your system. You hope with coaching
he can improve mentally and physically. There's a couple guys that I think might appeal to the Lions. They
took a kid a couple years ago Kellen Moore out of Boise. I'm sure they're looking for someone else that can
develop for the future as well.
Q. Who could you see being late-round picks for them?
GRUDEN: The kid at San Jose State has some qualities. We talked about Tajh Boyd in the mid-round who
has the chance to be that kind of guy. I try not to float a lot of projections in the sixth round, to be quite
honest with you
Q. Sammy Watkins, what do you think he's done during the offseason in workouts to set himself
apart? Also from a coaching standpoint, you touched on the explosion of underclassmen to the NFL.
You don't have all the tape on them. What's something people don't realize about the challenges of a
player coming out before he's ready?
GRUDEN: I think that's a great point in this draft. I think there's 80 underclassmen players that have applied
for the draft. You're dealing with players that aren't as far along as they used to be physically or from an
expertise standpoint. A lot of these players have two years of eligibility left, so they're missing two spring
practices, two training camps, and two regular seasons. That's unprecedented, if you ask me. The body of
work is not complete and it's not as impressive as it was in years past. I think it is a real challenge for all of
the coaches and all of the scouts to not be able to see these kids perform in a college all-star game like the
East West game or the Senior Bowl game. This is not a complete body of work and it becomes a little bit of a
projection. I don't like it. I don't think it's easy. But it's the way the world is going.
In regards to Sammy Watkins, I think the biggest thing he's done, he has done it consistently well for every
team he's worked out for. He's a big, explosive man. He's able to run after the catch at Clemson. He can
return kicks. 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.
Q. There was not a running back selected in the first round last year. There may not be one this year.
Is that a trend? Do you think that the teams are more reluctant to take running backs because
there's so many passing teams now? The Raiders at No. 5 may not draft a quarterback, but they've
said they want to take one. Which guy do you see fitting what Greg Olson likes to do?
GRUDEN: In the running backs, the game used to be set up offensively around a strong running game. If
you wanted a strong running game, you needed to get a great running back. I can remember Bo Jackson
that my dad drafted in Tampa Bay, Herschel Walker, those types of backs. That was how your offense was
set up, to run the football, be a good play-action team, et cetera. Those times obviously have changed.
When you look at the running backs in college football, you never know if they're ever going to get the ball
because the quarterback pulls it out of his stomach half the time and keeps it himself. Carlos Hyde, (Ka
Deem) Carey at Arizona. It's hard to evaluate them because the quarterback pulls it out of his chest half the
time.
In regards to the Raiders, 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.
Q. We all know if you give scouts enough time they can pick holes in anyone. With such a late draft,
is there over-analysis going on, any impact at all?
GRUDEN: That I'm sure is going on every place. The longer you stir the stew, the longer you have a
tendency to screw it up. Too many chefs spoil the stew. 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.
Q. After the top offensive tackles of Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, Taylor Lewan, can you talk about
the next group of tackles of who you see and what you like there?
GRUDEN: Morgan Moses at Virginia is a very interesting guy to me. They've had a history of left tackles
come out of Virginia. Moses is a kid that played one year at left tackle. He was a right tackle for a couple
years. Joel Bitonio at Nevada is an interesting player. A fifth-year senior, been around, worked hard. I think
he has some position flexibility, can play right, left or go inside. I like Zack Martin at Notre Dame. He might be
my favorite linemen in this draft 52-time starter, captain, really excelled at the Senior Bowl, drill work.
Cyrus Kouandjio at Alabama, interesting player. Had some knee issues. I believe he's rounding into health.
Massive person with experience on the left side. There's a number of interesting big people in this draft. I think last year we had three tackles go in the top five. So we got a lot of good quality offensive linemen
coming into pro football here.
Q. Give your thoughts on compensatory picks, how it goes against the nature of the draft because
the stronger teams seem to get rewarded by that. When you were in Tampa, did you ever make
moves or not make moves trying to get compensatory picks the following year?
GRUDEN: The second part of your question, I don't believe we ever did. There is a formula for acquiring
compensatory picks. You have to lose a certain amount of free agents. I don't know how the formula works
nowadays to be honest with you. We never went into free agency saying, Let's let Bobby and Billy go so we
can get a compensatory pick to replace them. We never said, Let's not sign a free agent because it will hurt
our ability to get a compensatory pick. I think everybody in pro football looks at three ways to improve their
team: they can do it in the draft certainly, they can do it in free agency, they can do it through their coaching
staff developing players. We have to do all three at a high level. Most importantly, we have to make sure we
keep the right players and sign the right players for our future.
Q. Does it tend to favor the better team? You look at Baltimore. They seem to have worked that to
perfection as far as when to let a guy go and replace them with the fourth-round picks?
GRUDEN: As long as those third- and fourth-round picks can play. You have to give Ozzie Newsome and
his staff a tremendous amount of credit. When you get a third- or a fourth-round pick, there's no guarantee
those players can come in and play, let alone start. They've done an excellent job bringing in players in the
middle rounds to supplement the players they lost. I can remember talking to Dennis Erickson. Sometimes
you get a compensatory seven instead of a compensatory three or four. There's a big difference in where
that compensatory pick falls, as you know.
Q. Here in College Station, we hear it said that Johnny Manziel could be considered in the right
situation. What do you consider the right situation for him? What would be your main concerns
about him?
GRUDEN: I don't have any concerns. 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.
...
Q. What do you think of (Floridas) Dominique Easley coming off the knee injury?
GRUDEN: I don't know exactly where he is because I haven't done the individual workout circuit. I liked him
a lot before the injury. For a 4-3 defense, if you're looking for an under tackle, a pass-rusher, a run defender,
an all-around inside presence with a good factor grade that can rush the quarterback, read and react, I think
Easley is a very good prospect. I thought he was certainly a top-50 player in this draft prior to the injury.
Q. The Bears might be looking for a backup running back. Is there a personality trait you look for in a
guy who might not be able to get many carries in his first year or two? Are there any guys out there
you think might be a good fit?
GRUDEN: In regards to the personality part of it, I just always look for team players. I don't really want too
many running backs that want the ball all the time, although that's not a bad thing either. You want somebody
that really wants to impact the game. Knowing Marc Trestman, from having worked with Marc in the past, I'm
sure he's looking for a young back that has some similar traits to Forte. To be a running back for the Bears in
this current system, you have to be sharp, have to be able to handle a lot of offense, picking up blitzes,
understanding protections, audibles. You got to be sharp and you got to be able to catch the football and do
something after you do. Then you got to be able to run an array of different runs, shotgun runs, pistol formation plays, from the I-formation, you name it. I'm sure Marc Trestman is looking to find another back
because they lost a pretty good back in free agency.
...
