The Browns interviewed Josh McDaniels on Friday to (seemingly) wrap up their eight-candidate run of meetings. The buzz at the work week’s end fixated on the Patriots offensive coordinator and Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski, but this weekend, other names remain in the mix.
Bills OC Brian Daboll is the sleeper in this process, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen, who notes Daboll gave a strong interview earlier this week (Twitter link). Additionally, 49ers DC Robert Saleh is not off the radar either. Saleh and Stefanski have been most connected to this job recently, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
Saleh and Stefanski will match up in San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, and the loser of said showdown will be eligible to accept Cleveland’s offer immediately. While the Browns would have to wait to hire the winner in this matchup, they are not competing against any other team to fill their HC post. The Browns were believed to want to wrap up this search by today, but Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes that the team now seeks to table that decision until after divisional-round weekend (Twitter link).
McDaniels left Cleveland without a deal in place, which could be an ominous sign for his chances of securing his job with his hometown franchise. The northeast Ohio native has interviewed for this job three times since 2009. Stefanski wowed Browns brass during last year’s coaching search, but the John Dorsey-led search included Jimmy Haslam preferring Freddie Kitchens. Paul DePodesta, who is piloting this year’s search, has a good relationship with Eagles DC Jim Schwartz. But the former Lions HC’s momentum may have cooled.
I had posted awhile back that I liked the idea of a defensive-minded HC, thus allowing a new OC the opportunity to work unencumbered with Mayfield and the offense.
Remember, that arrangement worked with Williams and Kitchens a couple seasons ago.
Saleh?
I think the whole idea of hiring a coaching staff before a GM is going to prove counter productive but a few teams are taking that approach so we’ll have to see how things unfold on that front.
Nothing against Saleh or Stefanski but didn’t I read somewhere they intended to hire a coach with experience?
NFL experience. Not necessarily head coach experience.
Freddie and Hugh had plenty of that….I’m sick of always bringing in guys who use this job as their “learn as we go” job. They need someone who has been a head coach before. Either way, I just am sick of this same process every 2 to 3 years…..
Nobody has explained how Podesta has a “good relationship ” with Schwartz.
And yes I checked the link to the NFL.com story…..
I just don’t want Daboll. That probably means they’ll hire him though.
Schwartz
Stefanski
McDaniels
Saleh
That is my order…I like how Stefanski dealt with Diggs’ drama and the team is fairly similar to the Vikings. I agree with the idea of a Defensive coach to allow the OC to focus on Mayfield and Schwartz will being much needed discipline.