New York Jets tab Saints WR coach John Morton as new offensive coordinator (Report)
Dec 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receivers coach John Morton against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 48-41. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Gruden speaks on his former assistant, New York Jets offensive coordinator John Morton, claiming he faces a “big challenge.”

To claim the boss of the 2017 New York Jets offense is facing a big challenge would be to claim Jim Brown was an all-time great.

Both are obvious statements.

Jon Gruden, color analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football recently spoke about one of his former assistants, the newly-minted New York Jets offensive coordinator, John Morton, via Rich Cimini of ESPN. In a nutshell, he explained that his guy is facing a “big challenge.”

“A lot of it obviously depends on who you have,” Gruden said. “You’re going to be a better coordinator if you have a better quarterback. You’re going to be a better coach if you have better players. I don’t know what they’ve assembled there — the draft and the upcoming month will decide that — but he’ll be able to get the most, I think, out of what he has.”

Thankfully, Gruden isn’t living on planet Mars when speaking about the Jets current situation. He understands there’s no quarterback solution in-house at the current moment.

“Yeah, I think so, I don’t think there’s any doubt,” Gruden said. “He’s got a tough spot right now. I don’t know if he knows who the quarterback will be. They haven’t been able to play catch yet. I think he’s got enough versatility where he can grab and pull and choose from different experiences in life.”

“Look, they know more about Bryce Petty than the rest of us and they know more about [Christian] Hackenberg than the rest of us,” Gruden said. “The only time I saw Hackenberg was minimal snaps in a couple of preseason games.

“We know what Josh McCown is. He’s a serviceable player. He’s great, I think, in the meeting room. He’s an outstanding mentor, great person, but as long-term solution, I don’t think he’s the answer, personally.”

Just like the entire fandom of the Jets, Jon Gruden understands the situation. Morton is, indeed, facing one crazy tough situation as an offensive coordinator in the NFL.

He just better hope Mike Maccagnan makes the right choices in the 2017 NFL Draft to at least get a little talent in-house.

Robby Sabo is a co-founder, CEO and credentialed New York Jets content creator for Jets X-Factor - Jet X, which includes Sabo's Sessions (in-depth film breakdowns) and Sabo with the Jets. Host: Underdog Jets Podcast with Wayne Chrebet and Sabo Radio. Member: Pro Football Writers of America. Coach: Port Jervis (NY) High School. Washed up strong safety and 400M runner. SEO: XL Media. Founder: Elite Sports NY - ESNY (Sold in 2020). SEO: XL Media. Email: robby.sabo[at]jetsxfactor.com