Gruden And Dolphins?

This is not a rumor nor is it speculation but just something interesting that I dug up from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.  I have maintained since the day Jon Gruden signed his deal with ESPN to stay on the network’s Monday Night Football telecast that if there had been no “out” clause that we would have known immediately from the network.  We haven’t and there more likely is a 99% chance that if Gruden gets the job offer he wants, bye bye MNF.

For whatever reason I decided to click on a Barry Jackson video on the Herald.  Something I don’t rarely do it’s something I don’t do.  For the same reasons I don’t normally watch coaching pressers either.  There simply is never anything to take away from them.  The coach will say what he wants and the media will ask the questions to get a sound bite and the fans will get no information whatsoever about what is really going on with the team.  So I was a little surprised when I clicked it.

The video is short and basically stumbles through the fact that the Dolphins will look at Bill Cowher at years end and that Jeff Fisher is also regarded highly by the team.  Jackson mentions the contract with ESPN and said that Gruden told them he really does want to continue broadcasting…for now.  He, Jackson, also referenced that Gruden has told friends that he simply won’t take any coaching gig.  He wants to coach a team with a rich history and a marquee NFL team.  Well, considering the state of the NFL at the moment, the marquee team/s would be Indianapolis if the Colts part ways with their HC and well, the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins of course make the most sense for Gruden in the sense that he loves Florida and frankly Jacksonville doesn’t offer the “marquee” title that would pull Gruden out of the booth.  In an article I wrote yesterday regarding Ross’ search for a new HC, I asserted that Gruden would be worth more of a look than say Bill Cowher.  While Gruden has won a Super Bowl, it’s widely panned as a Tony Dungy team that Gruden simply took to the next level.  Many point to what happened to Tampa after that Super Bowl victory and how Gruden never took the team anywhere after that.

While those feelings are not without merit it can also be said that Gruden really doesn’t have his own legacy in the NFL as a head coach.  Something that sets him apart from other average coaches.  While he is an SB winner the fact that Tony Dungy’s names is often referenced leaves an asterik for some.  So maybe there is a drive still burning inside of Gruden.

I don’t want to make this into something more than mere speculation and I am far from sold on any coaching candidate yet although I am leaning more and more in the direction of Rob Chudzinski lately, the reality is that Ross will need to make an informed decision and Jon Gruden may be the best “name” for the job if that is where Ross feels he needs to go.  Whether it works out or not is a different situation but I don’t think Gruden will simply jump from the booth to the field for strictly money.

You can watch Barry Jackson’s video for yourself here and take away from it your own feelings.  You need to scroll to the videos below the center article links and click on Jackson’s video titled Coach and QB’s.