Oct 6, 2012; Austin, TX, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) scores a touchdown during the first quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Guys who play on Saturdays hope to become stars on Sundays, starting Thursday night when college and pro football collide at the 2013 NFL draft.

OK, maybe “collide” isn’t the best choice of words given the leagues’ concussion issues. Speaking of concussions and bad word choices, I’m brain dead from looking at mock drafts and reading the latest rumors of teams supposedly hoping to trade up or down. I’m not bothering with a mock draft because this stuff is impossible to forecast and this year presents a deep and particularly unpredictable draft.

We’re obsessed with the NFL draft because we’re obsessed with the NFL. And the best and easiest way to win in the NFL is to be able to predict which players will be great, so now we’re obsessed with mock drafts (even if it’s pointless to attempt predicting this stuff). On Grantland, NFL guru Bill Barnwell’s pre-draft column basically said the whole thing’s a crap shoot and NFL teams may or may not know how to draft any better than you or I do, and the best thing I read about the draft all week was by Rolling Stone political writer Matt Taibbi.

The most exciting thing about the 2013 NFL draft, for me, is the fact that two West Virginia Mountaineers will likely be the keys to how the first round of the draft will play out. Geno Smith, the concensus top-ranked QB, has been speculated to go as high as somewhere in the top 5 or to perhaps slip and slide all the way down to a team with an established starter (like Aaron Rodgers fell to the Packers in 2005).

WR Tavon Austin is one of the most electrifying game-changers available and, despite all the offensive and defensive line talent at the top of this draft (and teams always looking for those big, safe first-round picks), every team should consider drafting Austin or trading up to get into position to do so. Why? THE GUY SCORES TOUCHDOWNS. Give him the ball, on a quick slant or bubble screen, on a reverse or even delayed-draw hand off, or on kick/punt returns, and he can take it to the house. Herm Edwards famously reminded us that “You play to win the game,” and many awful announcers have said the team that scores the most points will win. Tavon Austin will score points in bunches, and that’s the only thing I know I’m sure of heading into the 2013 NFL draft.

As for the things we don’t know… here are a few bold predictions sure to go wrong:

• The Cleveland Browns will pick QB Geno Smith with the sixth overall pick, and trade Brandon Weeden for a mid-round pick. Too soon to give up on Weeden? Maybe, but there’s a whole new regime in Cleveland, and they’ve already brought in veteran QB Jason Campbell who can either play well until Smith is ready and/or mentor Smith as a solid backup (and he’s a mature pro who will accept either role). And Weeden turns 30 in October.
• Eddie Lacy and Montee Ball might be the top two RB’s drafted, but UCLA’s Jonathan Franklin (the 8^th-ranked RB on NFL.com) will be a superstar and easily have the best pro career of any RB in this class.
• During ESPN’s draft telecast, Jon Gruden will say “I love this guy” 14,682 times. And the corpse of Chris Berman will undoubtedly attempt some form of “Star Lotulelei is sure to be a star in this league” joke.
• Whichever blue-chip offensive lineman falls to the Eagles at number 4 will end up the best of this class and they’ll land QB E.J. Manuel in the 2^nd or 3^rd round.
• Tavon Austin will not go to the Jets, Panthers, Saints,or Rams (picks 13-16) because the Dolphins will beat them to the punch by taking Austin at number 12.
• No matter if they pick for offense or defense, if they make a great pick or a questionable one, the Jets and Bills fans will be shown on TV booing. Actually, that’s the only sure thing at the NFL Draft.

Apr 28, 2011; New York, NY, USA; ESPN analyst Jon Gruden during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

We saw numerous head coaches lose their job on the Monday after Week 17 concluded. Apparently former coach Dick Vermeil has been playing a part in getting numerous fired coaches new jobs. Vermeil was a former coach with both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs as well as the St. Louis Rams.

Vermeil is also good friends with former Eagles coach Andy Reid and supposedly played a part in getting him hired by another one of his former teams according to the website Philly.com.

Well having helped ousted Eagles coach Andy Reid find a new job, it seems like Vermeil is playing match maker again by suggesting a candidate for the vacant Eagles position.

“My choice would be Jon Gruden,” Vermeil told  Anthony Gargano and Glen Macnow of WIP radio, via Philly.com. “I just think he’s a helluva of football coach, and I don’t want him to make the mistake I made, to wait too long to go back. I just think he’s a helluva football coach and a great personality.”

Jon Gruden currently works on ESPN’s Monday Night Football crew and won a Superbowl as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski, who was also Dick Vermeil’s quarterback during his Superbowl run with the Eagles, is supporting his former coach.

“I would want a guy that is a proven winning Super Bowl coach,” Jaworski said on 97.5 The Fanatic, via Philly.com.

But if they can’t go with Gruden, Jaws thinks a in-state rivals’ former coach would be a good second choice, Bill Cowher.

Dick Vermeil said he thinks the Eagles should do more than just reach out to Gruden to gauge his interest, he thinks that Gruden is the man and he shouldn’t take no for an answer.

“I’d do more than ask,” Vermeil said. “You know what I’d do? I’d get in a bus and take the bank with me.”

Gruden brings experience and certain pedigree, something that could be invaluable to an NFL franchise looking to rebound in a tough division.

“There’s no substitute for experienced people, you know, to really take it now to the next level quickly,” Vermeil said.

Originally it was rumored that the Eagles were trying to gauge Chip Kelly’s interest in a move to the NFL. Some consider college coaches and unproven assistants as “second-tier” candidates.

“I lump all these candidates now into one box right now. There’s a lot of guys who were assistant coaches that haven’t proven themselves,” Jaworski said.

“The most important thing is that the Eagles get it right. … I don’t care how long it takes,” Jaws said.

Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

He wrote, “People around the NFL who know are convinced Jon Gruden is coming back to coaching this year, provided the right situation presents itself. I’ve been told Gruden feels he needs to come back now if he’s ever going to do it. He already has been away from the game for four years, and it becomes increasingly difficult for a coach to return the longer he is away. The right situation for Gruden very well could be in Philadelphia. People close to him think he has a good chance of landing there.”

This is extremely interesting, and Gruden would be a better fit for the Eagles than Kelly would. Even though the Oregon Ducks coach would bring a high-tempo offense to the team and help the receiving and rushing games, the problem for this team is finding some consistency on defense. I don’t know that Kelly can do that, and it’s because most of Oregon’s defensive scheming is done by top defensive coordinator Nick Ailotti. It’s not like Kelly is an incompetent defensive mind or anything, but there’s a big difference between coaching defense in college and in the NFL (obviously). One of the biggest differences? You have to be more hands-on.

Gruden could also be a better help to future second-year quarterback Nick Foles, if the Eagles (and the new regime) believe that Foles can be the man to lead the franchise. Quarterback development doesn’t seem like a strength for either one of them, but Gruden never had much to deal with in Tampa but managed to milk out solid seasons from subpar talents. Meanwhile, Kelly has done a good job recruiting quarterbacks in college, but none of them have had extended success in the NFL. However, it’s a small sample size, none of those QBs screamed “future high pick”, and Kelly did a solid job with them in college.

The biggest take from this is that Gruden does indeed want to get back into coaching (if those close to him can be trusted), and that he thinks the Philadelphia Eagles are a good fit for him. Are the Eagles a fit for him? I would say so, especially since there aren’t that many head coaching candidates to go for. There is no “perfect” fit for a team these days, and there isn’t a “great” fit either. Both Gruden and Kelly, the two main candidates (or so it seems like that), are both risky but in different ways.

Kelly wants to have almost complete control over personnel decisions, which is an outlandish demand for somebody with no head coaching experience in the NFL. The Eagles and Jeff Lurie are too prudent to do anything like that, and that’s the main reason why I can’t see Kelly going to Philly. He wants too much power, and he has no experience. Gruden will also want plenty of power over personnel decisions, but it doesn’t sound like he wants almost total control. On top of that, he actually has made the playoffs as an NFL head coach in the past and has plenty of experience.

In the end, Gruden looks like the most appealing candidate out of a tough sea of potential coaches. If he’s interested, I think the Eagles should take a very long look at him- an even longer look than they should at Chip Kelly.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

His name is Tony Granieri but more importantly, WHAT is a spotter?

Well…in the world of television, it basically amounts to an extra set of eyes and ears that serve to fill in the blanks of a broadcast. My job over the last decade has been to serve as the Talent Spotter for ESPN’s Monday Night Football show, working alongside the likes of Jon Gruden and Mike Tirico in the broadcast booth filling in the blanks as they come.

Sometimes it involves tracking specialty stats – like a QBs ability to pass vs. the blitz. Other times it might be alerting the guys when a certain defensive formation has been used. Basically, I’m the guy you never actually see but occasionally you’ll hear a random stat while watching Monday Night Football and think to yourself….”How do they know that?”

I’m how…….sometimes. Quietly filling in the blanks.

It’s been a unique experience that has allowed me to travel the country and get paid watching the NFL. It’s also been a Dream Job and I consider myself luckier than Tom Brady during the tuck-rule debacle. But writing is my thing. I used to write for ESPN.com way back in the day and I’ve had the desire to get back in the game as a scribe. After fooling around as a Guest Blogger and Featured Radio Host on a number of different outlets, I’m now turning my efforts towards FANSIDED’S NFL SPIN ZONE.

This is where you’ll find THE SPOTTER’S VIEW from the guy who is THE MONDAY NIGHT SPOTTER. As I travel the country for the upcoming 2012 NFL and NCAA football seasons, I’ll be your extra set of eyes and ears – your own personal Spotter – relaying stories, information and sharing my opinion from the road.

Face it…every sports loving male in America has wanted a job like this since ESPN first hit the airwaves back in 1979. And while I can’t give you that, I can give you my take from THE SPOTTER’S VIEW.

Photo: William Purnell - ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jon Gruden is a former NFL coach who has found a new home on ESPN as a NFL analyst. Recently, Gruden has begun working with college quarterbacks leading up to the NFL Draft. Gruden’s sessions with the young quarterbacks have been aired on ESPN and he has a new episode coming up soon with former Ohio State signal-caller Terrelle Pryor.

Pryor has received a lot of criticism as of late for his immaturity and bad judgement that led to his departure from the Buckeyes. Pryor’s focus is now on the NFL’s supplemental draft.

Gruden took the time today at a golf event in Dayton, Ohio to discuss the young quarterbacks future. Many believe that Pryor will not succeed as a quarterback at the next level, but Gruden seems to have faith in the troubled athlete.

“You can’t be more impressed with the guy physically,” Gruden said.  “He’s all of six-foot-five, he’s 235 pounds.  He’s a double threat.  He’s one of those guys that can be a terror to defenses.  He’s got some work to do, fundamentally.  He knows that.  But he does have rare talent.

“I don’t really know the exactness of what happened at Ohio State.  But I do know that Pryor is disgusted and feels terrible about what has occurred.  At the same time, he just turned 22 years old on Monday.  He gotta move on with his life.”

Coming from Gruden’s mouth, the praise of Pryor holds a lot of credibility. It is nice to see the guy getting some positive press after the storm of negativity that has been surrounding him in the recent months. Whether or not Pryor will succeed at the next level has yet to be seen, but he does seem to have the respect of a knowledgeable former NFL coach.

Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pyror has a lot of work to do if he wants to impress scouts and NFL teams. He started his image rehab when he held a press conference alongside overzealous agent Drew Rosenhaus to apologize to his former school and former coach Jim Tressel.

Pryor is now following in the footsteps of Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert and others. He sat down with Jon Gruden and will appear on an episode of “Gruden Camp.”

Today we got a sneak peak of the “Gruden Camp with Terrelle Pryor” segment on SportsCenter and wanted to share it. Initial reactions leave me  unimpressed with the quarterback. His answers leave a lot to be desired and he will have to do a lot more to win over NFL teams. Check out the video after the jump.

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It's going to take a lot for Chucky to leave the NFL.

All the reports as of late have former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden almost certain to wind up as the new head coach of the University of Miami (FL).

But in a season that has already seen two coaches fired mid-season, why wouldn’t Gruden ride out his time on Monday Night Football and wait for an NFL team to call?

Reports out of Miami indicate that “The U” is willing to give Gruden the same type of control that Pete Carroll had at USC, but it’s likely an NFL team would be willing to do that as well. The rumored deal for Gruden at Miami would pay him just under $4 million per season, but that’s much less than he could make in the NFL.

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