Jon Gruden is re-evaluating his quarterback appraisal process.
The Oakland Raiders coach said Tuesday from the Reese's Senior Bowl that he no longer is sticking to long-held stereotypes that a signal-caller should look a certain way.
"I used to think that a lot, until I saw Drew Brees twice a year in Tampa, then I met Russell Wilson coming out of N.C. State, and now I'm watching this kid, (Kyler) Murray, coming out of Oklahoma and I'm putting away all the prototypes I once had," Gruden said. "I used to have a prototype for hand size, height, arm strength, all that stuff."
Gruden's newfound openness -- however late to the party -- is interesting considering the Raiders own three first-round picks and could target Murray (5-foot-10) early on the first day of the draft if he's decided Derek Carr isn't the long-term answer.
For years as an ESPN analyst Gruden seemed to meet few quarterbacks he couldn't love. The experience is different with Gruden the coach, who has a reputation for grinding signal-callers into pulp.
It's easy to point to the likes of Brees and Wilson as mold-breakers, exceptions to the rule. NFL personnel men with long-held beliefs like Gruden becoming willing to consider non-traditional avenues to obtain talented playmakers who don't fit the quarterback stereotype could be a refreshing trend -- or it could simply become word jargon forgotten on draft day.
