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Dave Birkett | Detroit Free Press

Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Jon Gruden was such a big fan of Matt Patricia's suggestion that the Oakland Raiders do "Hard Knocks" this summer that Thursday at the NFL combine he had one of his own.

"Patricia is going to do a great job ... on Hard Knocks," Gruden said, via NBCSports.com.

The Raiders and Detroit Lions are two of five teams that can be compelled to appear on the HBO reality series that's given behind-the-scenes access to an NFL training camp.

The NFL exempts teams from appearing on "Hard Knocks" if they have a new coach, if they've made the playoffs in one of the past two seasons, or if they've appeared on the show at some point in the past 10 years.

Kirby Lee USA TODAY Sports

Along with the Lions and Raiders, the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Washington cannot turn down a request to be on the show.

Patricia joked at the Lions' fan forum in February that the Raiders, with Gruden as coach and three first-round picks heading into their final season in Oakland, would be an ideal fit for "Hard Knocks."

"I think Jon Gruden is an excellent choice for that show," Patricia said. "I think the Oakland Raiders and everything they‘ve got going on right now would be fantastic viewing for everybody to watch."

Lions general manager Bob Quinn said at the time "nobody wants to do" Hard Knocks.

"Except Oakland," he said.

But Gruden, apparently, doesn't want anything to do with training-camp TV, either.

"Appreciate Matt Patricia, my friend, offering that up to me,” Gruden said. “That beard that Patricia has, he’s going to be a star. I mean he’s going to be one of the future television stars. I’d be surprised if Monday Night Football doesn’t put him upstairs in the future."

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Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.Read more on the Detroit Lions and sign up for our Lions newsletter.