Browns’ Myles Garrett Reinstated By NFL
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has been reinstated by the NFL, as first reported by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (on Twitter). Garrett was suspended indefinitely for his role in last year’s brawl against the Steelers, but he has the green light to return after meeting with league brass this week. 
[RELATED: Browns Hire Joe Woods As DC]
“We welcome Myles back to our organization with open arms,” said Browns GM Andrew Berry in a team press release. “We know he is grateful to be reinstated, eager to put the past behind him and continue to evolve and grow as a leader. We look forward to having his strong positive presence back as a teammate, player and person in our community.”
Garrett, the former No. 1 overall pick in the draft, made headlines for all the wrong reasons in November after he swung at Mason Rudolph‘s unprotected head with the quarterback’s own helmet. In the days that followed, Garrett’s camp alleged that the fracas was prompted by Rudolph’s use of a racial slur. The Steelers QB, through his attorney, vehemently denied those charges.
All along, it has been expected that Garrett would be permitted to play this season. Going off of the league’s recent disciplinary history, there will likely be some conditions for Garrett to satisfy even as he’s welcomed back to the field. During his ban, the NFL ordered Garrett to undergo counseling, among other things.
Before the ugliness, Garrett had a reputation as one of the league’s consummate professionals. His lack of a rap sheet, and humanitarian work, probably helped to facilitate his return. Next week, he’ll fly to Tanzania to bring clean water to locals in need.
Garrett, set to enter his fourth season as a pro, registered ten sacks in just ten games last season. Had he played a full season, he likely would have shattered his previous watermark of 13.5 sacks from the 2018 campaign. Despite the time he missed between his first-year injuries and last year’s suspension, Garrett’s 30.5 lifetime sacks are the most ever tallied by a Browns player during the first three years of their career.
Latest On Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett crossed a key item off his rather important offseason to-do list, meeting with Roger Goodell about a potential reinstatement. That was only a step, however. The now-polarizing Browns defensive end must now wait on the NFL to determine if he’s met reinstatement requirements, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post (on Twitter). No timetable exists on this front, but Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer expects a reinstatement soon. The expectation remains for Garrett to return to action in 2020, his fourth season, but it is not certain if he will be able to participate in all of Cleveland’s offseason program.
- The Browns having hired Kevin Stefanski as head coach and added Alex Van Pelt as OC may prompt them to leave one key staff position vacant. Stefanski and Van Pelt’s experience coaching quarterbacks might move the Browns to forgo the hiring of a quarterbacks coach, Cabot writes. Stefanski and Van Pelt have 17 combined seasons coaching NFL quarterbacks. The Browns’ hire of 2019 Broncos QBs coach T.C. McCartney as an offensive assistant may further convince Stefanski the team is covered on quarterback coaches.
Browns’ Myles Garrett Meets With Roger Goodell
Myles Garrett could be one step closer to reinstatement. On Monday, the Browns defensive end met with commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss his return from indefinite suspension, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets.
It’s expected that Garrett will be allowed to play in 2020, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Garrett must satisfy certain terms from the league in order to suit up again, however. The league has mandated counseling for the former No. 1 overall pick and other off-the-field steps required for re-entry.
Garrett was at the center of an ugly brawl between the Steelers and Browns in November. After striking Mason Rudolph with his own helmet, Garrett was kept out of the final six games of the season. Between the lost paychecks and a $45K fine, the incident cost Garrett $1.6MM and put his football future in jeopardy.
For his part, Garrett says that the incident was sparked by a racial slur from Rudolph. The Steelers QB and his attorney have categorically denied the accusation.
In December, the NFL permitted Garrett to return to join his club at the team practice facility, which was an indication that he would ultimately be allowed to play in the 2020 season. Still, the league has given no official word on what’s next for No. 95.
Garrett, 24, has recorded 30.5 sacks for the Browns over the past three seasons. Remarkably, he’s done that in just 37 total games – Garrett lost a combined eleven games due to injury in his rookie season and last year’s ban.
Browns Poach 49ers Assistant
- After Joe Woods agreed to become the Browns‘ defensive coordinator, he has already secured one 49ers assistant to make the trip to Cleveland with him. Woods will bring in 49ers pass rush specialist Chris Kiffin to serve as Browns defensive line coach, Alex Marvez of Sirius XM Radio reports (on Twitter). The son of longtime NFL DC Monte Kiffin and younger brother of Lane Kiffin, Chris spent the past two seasons with the 49ers. Previously Lane’s DC at Florida Atlantic, Chris has spent most of his career at the college level.
- Despite indicating his coordinators would return for the 2020 season, Broncos HC Vic Fangio‘s change of heart led for a Rich Scangarello-to-Pat Shurmur transition. Fangio decided a few days after making that proclamation he would fire Scangarello, and Shurmur will become the Broncos’ fifth offensive coordinator since 2016. The ex-Giants and Browns HC’s experience pushed Fangio to hire him. “The experience was an extra crumb that Pat has,” Fangio said, via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala (subscription required). “I think Pat’s in his early 50s (54) and has coached 20 years, but if he was in his early 40s and coached 10 years, he still would have been the right guy for the job. … Once I decided to make the move, he was the first guy I called.” Fangio and Shurmur coached against each other in the NFC North for two seasons from 2016-17, when Shurmur was Minnesota’s OC.
Browns Rumors: Berry, OBJ, Landry, Van Pelt
The Browns dominated last year’s NFL offseason storylines. After their strong finish to the 2018 season, lead executive John Dorsey made a number of aggressive moves, highlighted by the acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr. However, while that momentum led them to be a pundit favorite to win their division and potentially reach the Super Bowl, those predictions never came close to fruition. They finished the season 6-10 and moved on from Dorsey and rookie head coach Freddie Kitchens.
New general manager Andrew Berry though, seemed to suggest he will at least follow Dorsey in his willingness to make bold moves. In her weekly mailbag, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com noted that Berry was clear in his introductory press conference that he was looking to be aggressive and would not shy away from big moves.
Here are more notes from around the Browns organization:
- Jay Glazer of The Athletic does not expect Cleveland to make any moves to unload either Beckham or Jarvis Landry this offseason. Glazer noted that new head coach Kevin Stefanski would likely want as many offensive weapons as possible given his focus on offense. Glazer did note that both Beckham and Landry have to be invested in Stefanski for that to work. He could still see a trade occurring if they are unwilling to buy-in.
- Cleveland has yet to announce if there will be a quarterbacks coach on Stefanski’s staff. In a separate part of her mailbag, Mary Kay Cabot suggested there is a pretty good chance that offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will serve the dual role as coordinator and QB coach considering his lengthy experience at that position.
Latest On Browns Coaching Staff
The Browns finally hired Joe Woods as their defensive coordinator this week, and the organization is now switching focus to other parts of their coaching staff. Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal reports (via Twitter) that the Browns have hired Jason Tarver as their linebackers coach. Meanwhile, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that T.C. McCartney has joined the staff as an offensive assistant.
Tarver spent three years as the Raiders defensive coordinator between 2012 and 2014, and he spent the past two years in the same role with Vanderbilt. He lost that gig following a disappointing 2019 campaign. In Cleveland, Tarver will be coaching the linebackers, a role he held with the 49ers, Stanford, and Vanderbilt.
While McCartney was canned as Broncos QBs coach following the 2019 season, he earned praise for his work with quarterback Drew Lock. He’ll likely take on a quarterbacks-centric role in Cleveland, where he’ll be coaching under new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. McCartney previously worked for the Browns, serving as an offensive quality control coach under OC Kyle Shanahan in 2014.
The Browns have completely revamped their coaching staff and front office this offseason. The team hired former Eagles’ VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry to be their GM and EVP of Football Operations, and they hired Kevin Stefanski as head coach, Woods as defensive coordinator, and Van Pelt as offensive coordinator. The team has also hired several notable names for assistant roles, including Dolphins OC Chad O’Shea as their WRs coach and former Redskins head coach Bill Callahan as OLs coach.
Browns Hire Joe Woods As DC
It’s a done deal. On Thursday, the Browns formally hired Joe Woods as their new defensive coordinator (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). 
Woods has been connected to the job for several weeks, though the Browns had to wait until the 49ers’ season was officially over before they hired SF’s defensive backs coach. Many expected that Woods would be announced as the Browns’ DC immediately after the Super Bowl, but things took a little longer – on Wednesday, he met with the Browns for an additional interview. Hours later, it’s signed, sealed, and delivered.
The 49ers were keen on keeping Woods, so it’s possible that they were looking into ways to hang on to him. Ultimately, the 49-year-old coach opted for a step up the ladder and a move to the Midwest. With the Browns, he’ll have an opportunity to run a talented unit that underperformed in 2019 and unraveled in an ugly brawl against the Steelers. There’s no official word yet, but Woods should have defensive end Myles Garrett in uniform for 2020, and the front office has ample cash to spend across the entire D.
Woods’ history with new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski should make the transition fairly easy. Stefanski, an offensive guru, will likely keep the focus on his side of the ball while Woods handles the defense. Last year, Woods’ 49ers pass-defense finished second in the league in DVOA. The Browns, meanwhile, sagged to 17th. A little bit of that magic would go a long way towards helping the star-studded Browns reach their full potential.
AFC North Notes: Burrow, Stefanski, Ravens
The Bengals are widely expected to take LSU QB Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, but there may be a bit of intrigue in that regard, per Albert Breer of SI.com. Burrow will work with former Bengal Jordan Palmer, the little brother of franchise icon Carson Palmer, for his pre-draft training. And the elder Palmer recently had some critical comments for Cincinnati, saying that the club was never really dedicated to chasing a Super Bowl.
Burrow subsequently said the following: “[y]ou want to go No. 1. But you also want to go to a great organization that is committed to winning. Committed to winning Super Bowls.” That may just be a coincidence, and Burrow’s father recently downplayed any notion that Burrow doesn’t want to be picked by the Bengals (Twitter link via Jeremy Rauch of FOX 19), but Breer believes Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin may need to sell Burrow on the team just a bit.
Now for more from the AFC North:
- As expected, the Bengals have promoted Dan Pitcher to quarterbacks coach after Alex Van Pelt left for Cleveland’s OC job, the team announced. Pitcher will have a significant role in Burrow’s development, assuming Cincy selects the LSU signal-caller.
- We passed along some remarks from new Browns GM Andrew Berry earlier today, and new Cleveland HC Kevin Stefanski also took to the podium. Scott Patsko of Cleveland.com passes along the entire transcript, which is worth a read for Browns fans, but much of it was fairly non-committal coach-speak, which Stefanski has already mastered. Stefanski, though, made it a point to note that he will be heavily involved in making personnel decisions with Berry, and he said he does not know who will be calling offensive plays this year.
- Though the Ravens have more cap flexibility this year than in past seasons, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic does not expect a spending spree. He predicts perhaps one big-ticket item and a few modest signings, and much will depend on what the club decides to do with pass rusher Matt Judon — a situation that is still fluid — and whether RG Marshal Yanda retires. He also names OL James Hurst as a potential release candidate.
- Steelers president Art Rooney II indicated his club may target a RB and/or WR in free agency, per Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, though Rooney said Pittsburgh is content with the quarterback situation as it is. Behind Ben Roethlisberger, the club will roll with some combination of Mason Rudolph, Duck Hodges, and Paxton Lynch.
Browns GM On OBJ, Hunt, Free Agency
On Wednesday, the Browns formally introduced old friend and new GM Andrew Berry to the media. Here’s a look at some of the highlights from his presser:
- It sounds like running back Kareem Hunt will have an opportunity to move forward with the Browns, despite his latest misstep. “With Kareem, we’ve communicated our expectations for him moving forward,” Berry said (via Jeff Risdon of USA Today). “We want guys who are going to be smart, tough, and accountable on and off the field. Kareem understands that.” Hunt, who was cut by the Chiefs after a video showed him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel, was recently found with marijuana and vodka after being pulled over by cops. The Browns can retain Hunt via the restricted free agent tender or negotiate a new deal with him, but it seems unlikely that they’ll want to make a long-term commitment to him at this time.
- Berry offered similar thoughts regarding Odell Beckham Jr., though he noted that both he and Hunt will have to fit into the Browns’ “culture in terms of being smart, tough and accountable.” The GM says that both he and head coach Kevin Stefanski have chatted with Beckham, an indication that they’re all on the same page. OBJ reportedly wanted out of Cleveland towards the end of the season, but we recently heard that the Browns’ new regime has every intention of keeping him. OBJ had “just” 1,035 yards in a down year, but the Browns believe that he can get back to his old form in short order.
- Berry says the Browns plan to “aggressively add talent” this offseason (via 92.3 The Fan). With roughly $50MM in available cap room, the GM will have opportunities to spend in March before he makes his pick at No. 10 overall in April.
Browns To Interview Joe Woods
The Browns will interview 49ers defensive backs coach Joe Woods for their defensive coordinator job today (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). We’ve heard that Woods already has a handshake deal in place for the position, but it’s not necessarily a done deal until Woods puts pen to paper.
In late January, we heard that the 49ers had not given up on retaining Woods, despite the enormous opportunity in front of him. It’s possible that the NFC champs are still looking for a way to keep Woods on their staff, which would mean that the coach is not necessarily ticketed for Cleveland. By the end of the business day, we should know the outcome. We still expect Woods to become the Browns’ new DC, but stranger things have happened.
Woods has a strong relationship with new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, dating back to their days with the Vikings. If he joins up with Cleveland, it’s expected that Woods will bring some of his assistants from SF along with him, which gives the 49ers even more reason to try and hang on to him.
Woods, 49, has 16 years of NFL coaching experience for five different teams. During his run in Denver, he spent two years as their coordinator. This past season, he helped the Niners’ D go from 23rd in pass-defense DVOA to No. 2 in the NFL. That was a huge key to their success in 2019 and the Browns (No. 17 in pass-defense DVOA) are hoping to bring some of that magic to their defense.