Jeff Fisher Eyeing Browns, Colts, Bears?
Are you ready for the return of Jeff Fisher? The former Titans and Rams head coach is looking to get back in the NFL and it sounds like he has his eye on a trio of potential openings. Fisher sees himself as a fit for the Browns, Colts, and Bears, should those jobs become available, according to Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Jeff Fisher Has Begun Contacting Coaching Staff Candidates]
Despite 22 years of head coaching experience, Fisher would not be a particularly sexy hire for any NFL team. He’s had five 8-8 seasons and four 7-9 seasons (plus one 7-8-1 campaign) as head coach, a stat that seemingly overshadows his successful playoff teams in Tennessee.
Fisher’s second act with the Rams did not go as planned, but he remains extremely well connected in league circles and it would not be surprising to see him at least land an interview or two. Depending on how things go from there, Fisher could be running things on the sidelines once again.
In his nearly five year run with the Rams, Fisher went 31-45-1 with no playoff appearances. He had better success with the Titans, though they reached the Super Bowl just once in his 17 years at the helm. Overall, Fisher owns a career 173-165-1 regular season record.
No one would be surprised if the Colts and Bears part ways with Chuck Pagano and John Fox, respectively. The Browns have pledged to bring Hue Jackson back for another season, but new GM John Dorsey has sidestepped questions about Jackson’s job security.
Jimmy Haslam Still Sticking By Hue Jackson?
- With the Steelers losing to the Patriots and thus unable to clinch home-field advantage in Week 16, the Browns‘ final realistic chance to avoid becoming the second 0-16 team ever could hinge on Sunday’s game in Chicago. And Hue Jackson will stick with his current quarterback for that Bears tilt. DeShone Kizer will make his 14th start of the season. This comes after Jackson admitted he considered benching the rookie after yet another shaky performance. Monday, though, Jackson said (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com) the Notre Dame product was “up to the challenge” of starting another game. The Browns, who face the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week 17, are now 1-29 in Jackson’s 30 games. Kizer boasts a 59.4 quarterback rating and a 24.5 QBR.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk floated the idea of the Browns attempting to trade Jackson to the Bengals, and SI.com’s Peter King notes John Dorsey would probably rather part with Jackson than keeping the incumbent around for 2018. Florio adds Dorsey declining to answer a direct question about Jackson being back for 2018 adds fuel to the fire the Browns would consider an about-face and can Jackson after two remarkably unsuccessful seasons. Jimmy Haslam said twice publicly Jackson would be back, and Florio reports, however, the owner has said the same thing in private. An 0-16 season, though, could change the equation. King writes a third-round pick may be all that would be necessary for the Bengals to send to Cleveland in the event this hypothetical scenario occurred. The second-year Cleveland coach said Monday, however, he wasn’t interested in succeeding Lewis in Cincinnati despite the former succession plan that was in place for him with the franchise. Jackson was Cincinnati’s OC for two seasons and coached under Lewis for seven years encompassing two stints.
Hue Jackson Says He Won’t Pursue Bengals Job
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis will reportedly leave the team after this season and speculation has already begun that the club could fill the vacancy by reuniting with Hue Jackson. However, the Browns head coach says that he wants to be in Cleveland in 2018. 
“I’ve kind of known about Marvin,” Jackson said (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “Obviously, we all know that Marvin is a close friend, but trust me, I’m not running from this. I’ve never gone any place and left it worse than when I found it. I’m going to be here, and I need to get this fixed as fast as I can because it’ important.”
Few would blame Jackson for considering the Bengals given the dysfunction he has dealt with in Cleveland. The franchise appears to be in better hands now that John Dorsey is running the show, but it could still take time to see a better product on the field. After Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Ravens, the Browns fell to 0-14 on the year. Jackson, in his second year as Browns head coach, is now 1-29 in that role.
If there winds up being mutual interest in a reunion between the Bengals and Jackson, Cincinnati will have to work out a trade with the Browns to make it happen. The Bengals would only get the opportunity to sign Jackson outright if the Browns were to go back on their pledge to bring Jackson back in 2018.
Browns Notes: Jackson, McCown, Dorsey
While Marvin Lewis is denying a report that a decision has been made on his future as Bengals head coach, he hasn’t necessarily said the core of the report — that he won’t return to Cincinnati in 2018 — is incorrect. If he does move on, Browns head coach Hue Jackson could potentially be in the running to replace Lewis, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Of course, Cleveland has indicated Jackson will be retained for next season, but those plans are always subject to change. Jackson, formerly the Bengals’ offensive coordinator, was approached regarding a Cincinnati succession plan in 2016, but because no such deal could be arranged, he bolted for the Browns job.
Here’s more from the AFC North, with a focus on the Bengals and Browns:
- The Browns had hoped to hire Josh McCown as their quarterbacks coach for 2017 had he not continued his career, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Earlier this year, Jackson predicted McCown would be a “rising star” in the coaching ranks, and a number of clubs reportedly had interest in adding McCown to their staff. Instead, McCown inked a one-year deal with the Jets and proceeded to post one of the best seasons of his career. McCown hasn’t made any decisions about his future, but he would presumably have a number of offers if he wants become a coach.
- New Browns general manager John Dorsey may plan to fire the club’s entire scouting staff after taking over the front office one week ago, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. Of course, any new decision-maker is going to make changes to a front office, but Dorsey could plan to shift away from Cleveland’s recent reliance on analytics. Last week, Dorsey chided the Browns’ previous regime, claiming that former GM Sashi Brown & Co. didn’t acquire “real players.”
Fritz Pollard Alliance Still Concerned With Browns' GM Hiring Process
- The NFL has confirmed the the Browns complied with the Rooney Rule in their hiring of GM John Dorsey, but the Fritz Pollard Alliance is still concerned with how the process unfolded. The Alliance spoke with commissioner Roger Goodell about the matter prior to last week’s ownership meetings, and it emphasized that all interviews with minority candidates should be reported to Alliance or to the league, which Cleveland did not do when it interviewed Doug Whaley for the GM job. Whaley, meanwhile, was reportedly “crushed” by the process, as he believed he had a legitimate shot at the job only to realize that the Browns were interviewing him simply to comply with the Rooney Rule.
Browns Promote CB C.J. Smith
The Browns have swapped one young defensive back for another. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the team has promoted cornerback C.J. Smith from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the Browns have waived cornerback Darius Hillary (via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com on Twitter).
Smith, a 2016 undrafted rookie out of North Dakota State, played in 10 games for the Eagles last season, compiling a single tackle. Prior to the current campaign, he was waived by Philly and quickly caught on with their practice squad, but he was released soon after. He subsequently caught on with Cleveland’s practice squad, where he’s spent the entire season. The 24-year-old will presumably slot in at the bottom of the Browns’ cornerback depth chart behind Jason McCourty, Jamar Taylor, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, and Mike Jordan.
Hillary has bounced between the Browns active roster and practice squad over the past two seasons. The Wisconsin product only appeared in a single game this season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/15/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT T.Y. McGill
- Waived: OL Andrew Wylie
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Jarrod Clements
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Jack Tocho
Browns Notes: Britt, Brown
The Browns‘ previous regime wasn’t the only target for new general manager John Dorsey today, as he also added some pointed words for wide receiver Kenny Britt — whom Dorsey waived earlier this week — on Thursday morning. “I have no problem making that decision,” Dorsey told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “From a cultural standpoint I don’t think he fits in the prototypical character point of what I’m looking for in terms of a leader. He did not live up to his expectations as a player.” Dorsey went on to say Britt “may have a higher opinion of himself than I have of him as a player, so I thought that was easy.” Britt, who signed a four-year, $32.5MM deal with Cleveland in March, is now with the Patriots on a cheap two-year contract.
- The Browns, Patriots, and Texans have all expressed interest in Raiders practice squad offensive lineman Fadol Brown, per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who first reported Wednesday that numerous clubs were reaching out to Brown. “I don’t think I’m going to be here next week, to be honest,” Brown said. An undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss, Brown has spent the entirety of the 2017 campaign on Oakland’s practice squad. In a predraft profile, Lance Zierlein of NFL.comsaid Brown “sets a strong edge” in the run game but is a poor pass rusher due to “lazy” hands.
Browns’ John Dorsey Rips Previous Regime
Paul DePodesta might not be long for Cleveland. In an interview on Thursday morning, new Browns GM John Dorsey took aim at not only his predecessor, but the people working underneath him. 
“You know what? You’ve got to get a guy like that (coach Hue Jackson) players,” Dorsey told WKNR 850 (transcript via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “And you know what? I’ll come straight out with it. The guys who were here before, that system, they didn’t get real players.”
Dorsey’s decision to pluralize “guys” and deride the previous “system” does not bode well for DePodesta, the team’s Chief Strategy Officer. Dorsey has used some analytics in the past, but he is more of a traditional football man and he might not see a ton of value in keeping the Moneyball pioneer on the payroll.
It’s not just DePodesta that could be shown the door. Dorsey also sidestepped a question about whether Jackson will return as coach in 2018.
“I live in the present and I build for the future,” Dorsey said. “Right now the sun’s out, the tarps are coming out, we’re practicing outside, we’re getting ready to play the Baltimore Ravens and that’s my sole focus. And then it’s also getting familiar with the whole layout and the organizational structure.”
John Dorsey Talks Baker Mayfield
New Browns general manager John Dorsey still has more than five months to formulate plans for the 2018 draft, but he’s watched six games of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and come away impressed, according to Peter King of TheMMQB.com. “I want to be able to project and articulate my opinion when the time comes and it matters,” Dorsey said. “I saw [Mayfield] at Kansas this year, in the OU-Kansas game. You’re darn right he’s a good quarterback, no matter how tall he is. Some would say he’s too short, but I would ask you: How tall is Russell Wilson? How tall is Chase Daniel?” Cleveland appears to be lock to boast two top-10 selections in next year’s draft, meaning the club will have a chance at finding a franchise signal-caller.