Jon Gruden’s Highest Compliments Thursday At The NFL Scouting Combine Were About Tom Brady

Joe Gruden had great compliments for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at the NFL Scouting Combine.

This comes as a surprise because Gruden has never coached Brady. TB12 received some great compliments from the Raiders coach at the NFL Scouting Combine. When asked if a team can win a Super Bowl with a passing offense like the one created in Kansas, Los Angeles and New Orleans, Gruden said:

“I think you can. The guy in New England can still throw it, too. You’ve got to be able to, I think, run the ball in key situations, run out the clock at the end of the game. You’ve got to be able to convert some third-and-1s, some goal-line situations. You’ve got to set up some play-action passes. Brady proved that — they had the best play-action in all of football.”

Reporters asked him whether “functional mobility” and the ability to actually throw on the run outside the pocket are important for quarterbacks in this time of awesome pass rushers.

“I don’t think so,” Gruden said. “The guy that keeps winning the Super Bowls (Brady) isn’t going to win the short shuttle championship. The guy’s just an amazing football player, and he’s proven that you don’t have to get on the edge and run for first downs and attack the perimeter. There’s a lot of ways to get things done. It all depends on the supporting cast and the performance of your team.”

Gruden is also surprised by the Ole Miss receiver’s physique.

“Well, you’ve got to be able to tackle, you see,” Gruden talked about cornerback prospects. “I think everyone gets enamored with the coverage ability, the length, the speed, all that stuff. You’ve got to be able to tackle these guys in 1-on-1 situations. We had a guy walk in our room (Wednesday) night, a receiver out of Ole Miss. His name is Metcalf. He looked like Jim Brown. I mean, he’s the biggest wideout I’ve ever seen. And you’ve got to ask yourself, who’s tackling this guy? If you’re a 179-pound corner and you’re tackling a 235-pound back or a 235-pound wideout or a tight end, you’ve got to ask yourself, is this what I want to do? So you’ve got to find guys that can tackle big-time, and I think sometimes, that’s overlooked.”