New Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens hired former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken for the same role this offseason, but Monken’s transition has reportedly not gone well, according to Mike Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link). In turn, Kitchens has been forced to play a larger than expected role in “spearheading” Cleveland’s offense, per Silver. Kitchens had already been planning to call offensive plays in 2019, so it’s unclear what the issue regarding Monken might be. Speculatively, it’s possible Monken’s Air Raid background hasn’t meshed well with the offense that Kitchens is installing for the Browns.
Here’s more from Cleveland:
- More from Silver, who indicates several Browns veterans weren’t pleased quarterback Baker Mayfield publicly criticized running back Duke Johnson, who is still asking for a trade out of Cleveland. Regarding Johnson, Mayfield said (among other things) “you’re either on this train or you’re not, it’s moving.” An unwritten NFL rule typically dictates that players don’t comment on teammates’ contractual situations, and it sounds like Mayfield was made aware of that concept. Per Silver, Mayfield and the Browns players who disagreed with his comments have “hashed things out.”
- The Browns tried to claim cornerback Montrel Meander off waivers from the Raiders before the Jets beat them to the punch, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (Twitter link). Meander spent most of the 2018 campaign on Cleveland’s practice squad, and will now join former Browns/current Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in New York.
- In case you missed it, the Browns last week added a former Raiders executive to their front office.
Not sure why you would bring in an air raid guy who did a fine job last year in TB (with what he had) and then make the decision to not only call plays, but take a larger role in the offense then you were initially planning. Seems like a rookie Head Coach mistake and I hope it doesn’t come back to bite him in the butt during the season.
sounds like he didn’t really want a oc that called . seems like it was pushed on him . and the hc does not want to have the same thing happen to him as the former hc. . what should have happened was should have hired someone to help with the hc stuff so he can focus more on doing oc stuff without having to worry as much on both
If the browns could land Monken, it really means they could have landed any OC they wanted… why would the browns hire Kitchens and then Kitchens be immediately looking over his shoulder at the OC? The browns’ coaching staff had the opportunity to reset this offseason, I would imagine everyone was very open about how things should be done and Kitchens was very involved in the process
C’mon, consider the source.
I guess Mary Kay was busy getting her hair and nails done while this big news story broke.
“you’re either on this train or you’re not, it’s moving”
Didn’t Jon Voight say the same thing in Runaway Train just before he drove down the tracks into oblivion?