Gruden apparently wants the Cowboys job.

[Boid Fink]

I think SR is right, and that this is Gruden's agent casting around.  He is not leaving unless he gets fired, and that will not happen unless the team totally tanks it and he loses the lockerroom.  His father works with him.  His family is in Tampa.  He has $25mm in cap room and a bunch of picks to fix all of the problems.  I highly doubt there is another job Gruden would covet.

And if he did, it certainly would not be the Cowboys' job.  Tony Romo is no better than a more experienced Bruce Gradkowski.  Their OL is as bad as ours.  Terry Glenn is aging and TO is already going off.  Jerry Jones would not let Gruden call the shots and the Cowboys' don't have the same cap room.

Also, Jeff Fisher, and I like him too, is not the answer here.  If he leaves Tennessee, it's for the same reason people are crucifying Gruden.  He got screwed by the cap and had to get rid of his good players.  Also, he is a defensive coach.  Exactly how do we fix our offense with all these young guys under Fisher?  Norm Chow?  Please.

I am guessing Gruden's agent is doing a little agitating to prop is guy up a bit.  It pisses me off, because this is the last thing the team needs.  Heck, Gruden may not even really know much about it.  We'll see, but I think with the picks and cap room, the key in the NFL is continuity.

As a fan, I'd like to see Kiffin get the reinforcements he deserves on defense and Gruden get a vet or two to help stabilize the offense.

Good points.  I agree.

[BucfaninDC]

I think SR is right, and that this is Gruden's agent casting around.  He is not leaving unless he gets fired, and that will not happen unless the team totally tanks it and he loses the lockerroom.  His father works with him.  His family is in Tampa.  He has $25mm in cap room and a bunch of picks to fix all of the problems.  I highly doubt there is another job Gruden would covet.

And if he did, it certainly would not be the Cowboys' job.  Tony Romo is no better than a more experienced Bruce Gradkowski.  Their OL is as bad as ours.  Terry Glenn is aging and TO is already going off.  Jerry Jones would not let Gruden call the shots and the Cowboys' don't have the same cap room.

Also, Jeff Fisher, and I like him too, is not the answer here.  If he leaves Tennessee, it's for the same reason people are crucifying Gruden.  He got screwed by the cap and had to get rid of his good players.  Also, he is a defensive coach.  Exactly how do we fix our offense with all these young guys under Fisher?  Norm Chow?  Please.

I am guessing Gruden's agent is doing a little agitating to prop is guy up a bit.  It pisses me off, because this is the last thing the team needs.  Heck, Gruden may not even really know much about it.  We'll see, but I think with the picks and cap room, the key in the NFL is continuity.

As a fan, I'd like to see Kiffin get the reinforcements he deserves on defense and Gruden get a vet or two to help stabilize the offense.

Comparing Tony Romo and Grads makes absolutely NO sense.  Especially comparing Romo now, to a future Grads as you stated a "more experienced Gradkowski."  How can you compare 2006 Romo to, what, 2008 or 2009 Gradkowski?  No one knows how he'll be years from now.  No one knows how Romo will be either.  Looks to me, you are too upset over the rumor, and just trying to bash the Cowboys.

[Franchise 5]

ever think this is a good way to start the "get gruden out of town talk?"

media hype.. half of you are buying into it.. the whole article was speculation

[Rusty]

Trash. I hate these Tampa writers.

[Itchalot]

This is all BS, but the vultures will start to circle when your team sucks.  You are going to get your Deumigs and your Kaufmans foaming at the mouth.  If you can't ignore that stuff you don't belong in the NFL.

But I would trade Gruden to the Cowboys under one condition. The Cowboys have to hire Mike Lynn as GM to work out a deal.

Lynn acquired Herschel Walker from the Cowboys and new owner Jerry Jones and new coach Jimmy Johnson for 5 roster players (LB Jesse Solomon, DB Issiac Holt, RB Darrin Nelson, LB David Howard, DE Alex Stewart), and 6 assorted draft picks (conditional 1st & 2nd round in '90 and '91; 1st round and conditional 3rd in '92).

Herschel Walker was released by the Vikings in May 1992 and was picked up by Philadelphia and eventually ended up back with the Cowboys in 1996.

[PewterReportHM]

BucfaninDC,

I never like these rumors, because regardless of what side of the debate you are on, they do nothing to help the team right now.  I am simply comparing what I know right now.

Romo is listed at 6-2 225lbs.  He has been in the league 4 years.  Undrafted out of E. Illinois.  Never played until this year.  He's started 4 games and thrown for about 1,000 yards with 8 tds and 4 INts

Grads is the same size.  6-1  223lbs.  He is a rookie and is 23 to Romo's 26 years of age.  He is a 6th rounder out of Toledo.  He's started very few games himself and has thrown for about 1,000 yards with 7 Tds and 3 Ints.

They are both mobile.  

Romo has completed a higher percentage of his passes and has more yards per attempt, which yields a much higher rating.  However, he has been sacked a lot less because he has a running game.

Who is better?  After 4 games, I have no idea.  Would you trade Gradkowski for Romo straight up?  After 4 games?  

Maybe Romo blossoms into Steve Young and Grads becomes Rick Mirer...........but all I am saying for now is that there seems to be very little to choose between the two, and when you add the fact that Gradkowski is a rookie and digesting Gruden's playbook on the fly without he benefit of being the #1 guy in training camp, I don't see why Gruden would be all agog over Romo,

You also have to remember Gruden DRAFTED Gradkowski.   He must like the guy.

If we were talking about coaching Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, then OK...........but Romo?  Give me a break.

[Itchalot]

Romo has spent more time on the bench, which is where Grads should be right now.  But yeah I don't think you take a coaching job just so you can have the priviledge of working for the Great Romo.

[alldaway]

Fischer had to undergo TWO rebuilding periods in a short period becuae the Titans front office was/is innept.  The same can be said of the 49ers.  Just becuase you are out of cap jail does not mean you can not find yourself there in a short period of time.

Remember Mooch and the 49ers purged the 49ers and  they had a young, competitive team.  Unfortunatley they dished out too much money for the few veterans left on the team (eg TO and Garcia) and paid for it dearly.  What happened? Julian Peterson, Winborn, etc lots of young talent went elsewhere as a result of the cap problems and the team having to rebuild from scratch again.

[OpTiOnMaStA]

I don't think there is too much to this. Sure, Gruden could be on his way out but I really feel as though he likes the way the Glazers are hands off with the team. They let the GM and the coach do their job. He was with Al Davis and Jones is just another Davis but in Dallas. I don't think those two would get along too well after Jones keeps overriding what Gruden wants to do.

As far as the GM goes, I think we have one of the absolute best in the league with Bruce. I don't want him leaving even if Jon does. I don't think Jon picked Bruce. I think it was a suggestion, but under no circumstances do I want him gone. I think he has done an excellent job with the cap and just about everything for that matter. He had some tough decisions to make that were left over from the old regime. How can you blame him for that entirely?

I think that Gruden will stay one more year. He needs to have a good year, though, or else. If the Glazers are fed up with the lacking offense, why would they go out and hire a defensive coach? I can't imagine that they would want to abandon Monte and go after somebody to fix the defense. Most of the big time defensive coaches out there are 3-4 guys from the Patriots like Romeo Crennel and that would require a huge change in our team. I just can't imagine that happening. We'll see but really I don't think there is much to this story.

[Itchalot]

What doesn't make sense is that next year Gruden should be able to start seeing some of the fruits of his and Allen's labor for the offense.  If he ducks out, somebody else is going to step in and get the credit.  Or they will disband the whole thing and we would never know what could have been. 

Gruden has an ego, and that ego should be wanting to prove that he knows what he is doing.  Not wanting to get out of town.

As for what results the Bucs should see next year. Yes we should have a winning record. We should see a lot of progress on the offensive side. We will see revamping on the defense. We should see a steady defense though. We have good depth players on defense and it shouldn't just fall apart on us. We should be able to combine a couple good FA pickups and some high draft picks to stabilize the defense. I don't expect it to be top 5 next year, but top 15. 

All in all we should be in the mix for a wildcard during another year of a rebuilding plan. We need to see the players progressing and the team being competitive. We can't be overly concerned about games lost by a last second FG and stuff like that, but we will have an easier schedule next year. So I would say if we are in there at 9-7 battling for a WC down to the end and we see the expected underlying improvements that would be enough.

Not enough to be "happy" about the Bucs, but enough to keep going with the Gruden-Allen plan. Thats a distinction that some people on this board don't get. 

[T]

Whoever wrote the article didn't do their research, Fisher's contract isn't up after this season. The Titans hold an option for Fisher in 2007, so if any team went after him they'd have to compensate the Titans in some way. So if the Cowboys go after Gruden or Fisher they will have to give those teams some form of compensation.

[Franchise 5]

according to profootballtalk.com he put feelers out about steelers job too

[bucfan11]

Rock Riley just reported that Gruden said whoever made that report that Gruden was seeking another job was 'an idiot' and that he was not seeking another team. 

[T]

Rumors will fly around alot when a team is playing as poorly as the Bucs are, I doubt Gruden goes anywhere unless he's fired.

[naplesbuc]

Given most of the goobers in Tampa want Gruden fired who would blame his agent for making it known that he is interested in any vacancies that might arise in Dallas or Pittsburgh.