Hall of Fame voting is better, but still silly: While We’re Waiting…
January 7, 2016
Katie Nolan cracks the Johnny Manziel Vegas-Instagram case (Videos)
January 7, 2016The Browns are in the process of interviewing a whole slew of candidates to fill their head coaching position. Three candidates — Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, and Bills ex-head coach Doug Marrone — were quickly added to the list on Monday, while four more — Bengals OC Hue Jackson and DC Paul Guenther, Panthers DC Sean McDermott, and Patriots DC Matt Patricia — were added Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Browns interviewed two of their candidates, Adam Gase and Teryl Austin. Also on Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot reported that an eighth candidate, Dallas Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson, was added to the mix.
#Browns confirm they have interviewed #Bears OC Adam Gase.
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) January 6, 2016
Adam Gase, the Bears offensive coordinator, was on the Browns’ wish list last time they were on the hunt for a head coach. He took himself out of the running for the Browns top job in 2013, but he’s back this time around. Gase’s Chicago offense underwhelmed this year — 21st in total yards, 23rd in points — but the 37-year-old oversaw the league’s best offense1 during two years in Denver. He was with the Broncos for six years total, having spent the first two as wide receivers coach and the second two as quarterbacks coach before being promoted to OC.
The Eagles have spoken to him as well, and intend to do so again.
Sounds like Adam Gase impressed in Philly. I'm told the #Eagles plan to bring him back for a second interview this weekend.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 6, 2016
Peter King chimed in with his thoughts on all of the head coach searches going on across the league, and he likes Gase for the Browns. He was quick to note that he wasn’t making predictions as to who will go where, just the fits that he thinks make sense. King also throws out Kirk Ferentz’s name, which strikes me more as something out of a super-Midwestern Mad Lib than an actual idea.
[Gase is] one of the whip-smartest play designers and callers, and he’s probably ready for a head-coaching job. I think he’d be a perfect three- to five-year mentor for the quarterback the Browns are sure to draft with the second pick on April 28. (I say three- to five-year mentor, because owner Jimmy Haslam won’t be able to be cavalier with his firing this time.) Another consideration: Not that he would come, but if I were Haslam I’d at least call Kirk Ferentz, the Iowa coach and former Browns aide, to see if the rock-solid Ferentz would ever leave Iowa City.
#Browns confirm they have interviewed #Lions DC Teryl Austin.
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) January 7, 2016
In addition to Gase, the Browns have had a sit-down with Teryl Austin of the Lions. Austin has been Detroit’s defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. Before that he spent nearly two decades as a defensive backs coach, with employers including the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, and Michigan Wolverines. He also served as defensive coordinator at the University of Florida in 2010.
In terms of recent track record, Austin’s mirrors Gase’s in that his 2014 club was much better than the 2015 version. The 2015 Detroit Lions defense was quite mediocre: 18th in yards allowed, 23rd in points, 25th in takeaways. The 2014 pre-Ndamukong-Suh-leaving-for-Miami Lions, which went 11-5, featured the league’s stingiest run defense and a top-three unit overall. The Browns don’t have an Ndamukong Suh — insincere apologies to Danny Shelton — but Austin presided over one good defense in Detroit and a few more as secondary coach in Baltimore. Interviewing Austin also ensures that the Browns are abiding by the Rooney Rule.2
The #Bengals play Saturday night, and I'm told the plan is for Hue Jackson to interview with the #Browns the next day. They get first shot
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 6, 2016
Perhaps the most desired candidate league-wide is Hue Jackson, the Bengals offensive coordinator. Cincinnati is playing Pittsburgh in the Wild Card playoff round on Saturday, and the Browns will reportedly interview him — win or loss, presumably — on Sunday, before any other team does. The Bengals averaged 26.2 points per game this season, sixth best in the league, and Cincinnati quarterbacks Andy Dalton and AJ McCarron (Dalton was replaced by McCarron after the redhead went down with a broken thumb in Week 14) had a cumulative QB rating of 104.1, second best league-wide.
Jackson was head coach of the Oakland Raiders for just one year, in 2011. He led the Raiders to an 8-8 record, a mark they haven’t reached since, before being fired by incoming GM Reggie McKenzie.
#Bengals DC Paul Guenther will interview with the #Browns next week, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2016
On the other side of the ball in Cincinnati, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther oversaw the league’s second-stingiest scoring defense in 2015 (17.4 ppg). The Bengals allowed 92.3 yards rushing per game, seventh best in the league, and totaled 42 sacks, 10th best. Guenther is in his 11th season in Cincinnati, having started as an assistant before spending seven years as a linebackers and special teams coach. He was also the head coach at Division III Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA3 ) for four years. During that time he amassed a .581 winning percentage (25-18), third best in school history — and best since E.E. Kelley went .622 from 1901 to 1905!
This is interesting. #Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson will interview with the #Browns
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 6, 2016
In addition, Dallas Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson, who manned that same post for the Browns from 2009 to 2011 and was a favorite of Joe Haden’s, will interview for the head job. Via Mary Kay Cabot, Joe Haden spoke highly of Henderson back when he departed Cleveland for Dallas in 2012.
“Coach ‘Rome was a great coach,” Haden said when Henderson left to take the Cowboys job in 2012 after Pat Shurmur was fired. “He loved his players and his players loved him. He and my college coach taught me everything about playing cornerback. We’re going to miss him, but this is a step for him in his coaching career.”
The #Rams have put in a request to interview #Browns OC John DeFilippo, source said. His work with a variety of QBs was noted.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2016
#Browns OC John DeFilippo will interview for the #Rams OC job Monday, source tells https://t.co/o11vJSOExu.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 6, 2016
Lastly, the St. Louis Rams formally requested an interview with Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo to fill the same position. The Browns apparently granted Flip permission to do so, as he has an interview with the Rams Monday. The Browns offense — for much of the season, anyway — was a surprisingly bright spot, and that could make DeFilippo a hot commodity.
Or maybe he’ll stick around Cleveland. Maybe he likes a good challenge.
- Via the Bears website: “Over the last two seasons, the Broncos led the NFL in scoring offense (34.0 points per game), total offense (430.1 yards per game) and passing offense (315.8 ypg). Denver’s offense also ranked second in the league in plays of 20 or more yards (157) and third in third down conversions (189-of-418, 45.2 percent)” [↩]
- Established in 2003, the Rooney Rule requires NFL teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. (Big shout to Wikipedia.) [↩]
- Near Philly. [↩]
26 Comments
“the QB the browns are sure to draft withe the second pick” … i wonder what our new brass will do with the 2nd pick ? paxton lynch looked horrible in his bowl game & i’m not yet sure if goff is worthy of the 2nd overall pick. guys like cook , wentz , c.jones , hackenberg , brissett & hogan can be had later in the draft.
we should find out sashi & depodesta’s worth right away … they had better get it right on lynch , goff , the 2nd overall pick & their final QB choice.
i’m still hoping for hue jackson … and as far as i can tell , the browns are the only ones interviewing marrone (?).
#TeamRational
man , i hope Flip doesn’t leave … i thought we’d finally have an OC for more than 1 year , but also knew he’d end-up being in demand.
… i also wonder what the brass will think about mississippi state QB dak prescott ? the scouts aren’t real high on him , but he looked good to me.
good athlete.
Analytics will tell them to trade down and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. The bad thing has been what they do with those extra picks.
hi SAM … if it helps get another pick to trade down , i think you may be right. especially if we can trade down & still get the player they covet.
I’ve been holding out hope that the HC they hire might recognize Flip’s good work and keep him. I mean, who says a new guy absolutely HAS to bring in his own hires and remake the coaching staff. You don’t do that in any other industry, fire everybody and start over when a new department head or something like that comes in. That said, I’m sure they can’t promise him that until they hire a guy, and given the uncertainty it’s only right to let him interview in other places. I think somebody will snatch him up.
Personally, I have always had Goff much, much higher than Lynch. And, Goff played a better defense in the bowl game he dominated than Lynch did in his struggles (despite the SEC chants). One game is not the basis of my opinion though, it just put an exclamation point on the end.
good post … i wouldn’t be totally opposed to taking goff … he has good size & a decent arm , i think he needs to put on some muscle / bulk & he’ll be fine.
I don’t listen to anything Joe Haden says anymore because his work with Justin Gilbert during the off-season, according to him, was just as bad as Joe’s season. Plus whatever is going on with his off the field life.
If I used analytics I think this probably is one of two scenarios. The other being if Bosa is available you take him and you immediately change your defense to a 4-3 with Shelton alongside Joey. At #32 if he’s available I take Calhoun out of MSU. I love this kid. Third round I take the best available LB who can play off the very much improved defensive line. Just one strategy as of Jan. 7.
They should covet no one player because there isn’t one player in this draft who will make a difference on his own. Not with how bad this team is at least.
I am in favor of Goff over Lynch all day every day. Although I must admit I’m trying to fight drafting him at #2 for any other reason then it means Manziel is out of here. That alone is almost tempting enough reason.
I just hope this owner doesn’t force more people on whoever he interviews. I mean Haslam has already set parameters on his HC could you imagine him telling the person who his assistant(s) will be or worse his QB?
What do you think of Wentz with our 32nd pick?
I don’t think we have 32 picks this year, but if we did, then I’d be fine using it on Wentz 😉
at this point, I don’t think we need Goff to jettison Manziel.
Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck.
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/2c/6f/c1/2c6fc1c50199e5cc206e1ade6cee3536.jpg
That’s the feeling I’m attempting to fight. It just so happens that as of today I think of all the projected QBs I like Goff the most. I’ve changed my view from drafting a QB later largely because of all of the past failures to use the highest pick you have to draft a QB who isn’t left in the draft because better QBs were already drafted. The problem with this is it all depends on the Browns selecting “the right QB” and as we’ve seen since 1999 it still hasn’t happened.
He’s (mgbode) team Snarks mascot!!!
after Goff, I don’t even know if there is a QB worth attempting to develop. really low (especially compared w/ current projections) on the rest of them.
Wrong year to have the #2 overall pick when you need a QB. Unless someone comes up with some unknown medical condition or personality issue I am rolling with Goff at #2. At this point with so many needs it’s not like drafting him and letting him sit behind McCown would even matter. This team needs about 7-8 #2 overall picks IMO.
I think Goff is the best QB prospect since Luck (he is not anywhere near as good as Luck as a prospect though).
DON’T TEASE ME!!!
Continuity! What a concept that would be….
hi MG … you gotta think between cook , wentz , hackenberg & brissett that one of these guys will surprise at the the nfl level … odds are goff doesn’t start right away if we take him … i’d like to see us nab a guy who can contribute right away with that #2 overall pick. it will be interesting to see what the new regime’s philosophy will be … do we nab a possible franchise QB , or because we need so much help , we trade down ?