Ray Horton

Browns Notes: Manziel, Horton, Benjamin

February 18th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dallas Police Department obtained medical records for Colleen Crowley this week as part of the criminal investigation into whether Johnny Manziel assaulted her, according to ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon. Crowley filed a complaint weeks ago alleging that the Browns quarterback assaulted her and ruptured her eardrum. In Texas, causing serious injury could be considered aggravated assault, which is a felony. According to a source, as of one week ago, Crowley could not hear out of her left ear.

Manziel won’t be a member of the Browns much longer as the team is expected to cut him in March. Earlier today, the Browns held an introductory press conference for their new coaches and those coaches fielded questions on players who will be a part of the club in 2016. Here’s a look at some of the highlights:

Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton said that he left the Titans to be with new coach Hue Jackson and also said that he fell in love with Cleveland and its fans, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets. If not for that, Horton says he could have stayed in Tennessee.
Horton said the Browns have to give outside linebacker Paul Kruger help on the opposite side (Twitter link via Ulrich).
Browns special teams coordinator Chris Tabor made it clear that the team wants wide receiver Travis Benjamin and safety Johnson Bademosi back, as Ulrich tweets.
Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (on Twitter) “wouldn’t be surprised” if the Browns lock Benjamin up to a new deal very soon. Benjamin said in December that was about 75% or 80% of the way to reaching a new deal with the Browns.
Browns associate head coach (offense) Pep Hamilton said the staff hasn’t discussed possibility of having wide receiver Josh Gordon on the team next season, Ulrich tweets.

AFC Notes: Browns, Raiders, Chargers, Manning

January 28th, 2016 at 9:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Hue Jackson‘s recent comments have seemingly indicated a preference the Browns move on from Johnny Manziel, Jimmy Haslam knows the sides can mend their damaged relationship, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

The Browns’ owner admitted both his regime and the team’s previous power structure have made critical misjudgments in the draft, he does not like the idea of moving on from a No. 1 pick that’s contributed so little to the franchise.

“Oh, yeah, I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Haslam told media about being able to go forward with Manziel. “We talked to Johnny before he left [for the offseason]. I know a big deal was made that Hue hasn’t called Johnny yet. Well, we’ve got 53 players on the active [roster] and 10 more [on reserve/futures deals], and there were a couple of other real prominent players that he just talked to in the last day or two. So I’m sure he’ll get around to talking to him.”

Jackson hasn’t sounded too optimistic regarding Manziel, who entered rehab but endured several alcohol-related slip-ups during the season, with the new Cleveland coach saying Manziel’s alleged secret excursion to Las Vegas while in concussion protocol would have been a “non-starter” under his watch. In between, the 23-year-old Manziel started six games and completed 57% of his passes, throwing for seven touchdowns and five interceptions.

Here’s some more Browns- and AFC-related news.

Haslam said there is no awkwardness between him and newly rehired DC Ray Horton, Ulrich tweets. The owner told media, including Ulrich, Horton did a good job as the Browns’ DC in his one-and-done stint in 2013. The Browns ranked ninth defensively under Horton that season. The Browns ranked 27th in 2015 and 23rd in 2014 in total defense.
Should the Browns select Carson Wentz with their No. 2 overall pick, “they’ll be set for 15 years,” an NFL personnel man whose team does not need a quarterback told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “He’s the best quarterback in the draft. If I were picking at No. 2, I’d take him. It will solve all of their problems and they’d get that team turned around,” the personnel man said. Sources told Cabot the Browns’ interest in Wentz is real, and although most mock drafts don’t have the North Dakota State fifth-year senior going off the board that soon, Jackson has experience coaching a Division I-FCS first-rounder. He helped guide Joe Flacco, chosen out of Delaware in 2008, previously.
New Dolphins DC Vance Joseph will allow Ndamukong Suh to provide input, and the new coach is trying to forge a relationship with the league’s highest-paid defender, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Suh, per a teammate, did not have much use for since-fired DC Kevin Coyle. Suh’s requested input regarding the Dolphins’ scheme, and Joseph said he’d listen.
Miami’s also open to giving former top-five pick Dion Jordan another chance despite his rampant trouble with the league, Jackson reports. Jordan hasn’t played since participating in 10 games in 2014. The league suspended the former No. 3 overall pick for the entire 2015 season for violations of its substance-abuse policy. The Dolphins would allow a potential Jordan return to the team, providing he’s clean and if the league reinstates him in April, Jackson writes.
With Raiders owner Mark Davis‘ planned trip to Las Vegas on Friday to possibly discuss the Raiders playing in a planned $1 billion domed stadium representing Thursday’s biggest news, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk cautions fans to slow down on any Las Vegas Raiders-themed discussions. Using Tony Romo‘s cancelled fantasy football convention at a Las Vegas Sands-owned, non-gambling facility last summer as an example, Florio does not believe the NFL will allow the Raiders to move to Vegas. The NFL previously said a Vegas-hosted Pro Bowl or merely a single game would not likely be sanctioned.
The Chargers hired recently fired Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo as an offensive line assistant, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter). DeGuglielmo will work alongside Jeff Davidson with the Bolts’ linemen.
Should Peyton Manning determine Super Bowl 50 isn’t his “last rodeo,” the Broncos would have a difficult choice on their hands, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes. Should Manning return, he’s due to occupy an untenable $21.5MM cap hold next season. If Manning helps Denver win the Super Bowl, John Elway could be faced with a choice akin to what Ted Thompson encountered in 2008, when Brett Favre‘s backtracking forced an awkward trade. But Aaron Rodgers being under contract and Brock Osweiler not differentiates the scenarios. Corry argues the cleanest solution, albeit one that would put Elway in a complicated spot in terms of PR, would be to release Manning, sign Osweiler to a long-term deal and free up $19MM in cap space. If Manning decided he wanted to play again despite this, Corry cites the Rams and Texans as teams that would fit the soon-to-be-40-year-old quarterback’s needs, with their strong defenses and warm-weather or climate-controlled settings.

Coaching Notes: Browns, 49ers, Dolphins, Singletary

January 23rd, 2016 at 9:31am CST by Ben Levine

Browns coach Hue Jackson was seeking a defensive coordinator who was familiar with the division, making Ray Horton the perfect fit. As Tom Withers of the Associated Press writes, the 55-year-old has spent time on the coaching staff for the Steelers and Bengals.

“He knows this division,” Jackson said. “He was raised in this division. He played in this division. He understands what needs to be done to get our defense back to where it needs to be. I wanted somebody that knew the lay of the land and understood the division, understands the culture here and understands the change that we need to make and someone who can lead our young players and develop players to get better.”

Let’s check out some more coaching notes from around the league…

The 49ers have hired former Buccaneers linebackers coach Hardy Nickerson for the same position, tweets Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole notes that Nickerson will be coaching the inside linebackers, while Jason Tarver will handle the outside linebackers.
The Dolphins have hired former Broncos offensive lineman Chris Kuper as their new offensive quality control coach, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
Former 49ers coach Mike Singletary has interviewed for several assistant gigs, but the 57-year-old told CSNBayArea.com that he’s seeking a job with more responsibility. “I didn’t want to be a linebacker coach again,” he said. “I’ve been studying my tail off since I left San Francisco to become a coordinator at the very least, and hopefully become a head coach. When that didn’t happen, I began to work that much more, visiting coaches and learning everything I could possibly learn, primarily on offense.”

Coach Rumors: Ragone, Titans, Manusky, Giants

January 22nd, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the 49ers have been making the most news today in forming their new coaching staff under Chip Kelly, here is the latest from around the league, starting in Chicago.

The Bears hired former Texans quarterback and Titans quarterback coach Dave Ragone as their new quarterback coach, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Bears wide receiver coach Mike Groh was also considered for the job, Rich Campbell of Chicago Tribune tweets. The 36-year-old Ragone worked with new Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, Chicago’s previous QBs coach who was promoted last week, with the Titans. Ragone coached the Titans’ quarterbacks in 2013 and instructed their wideouts during the previous two seasons. He spent this past season as an offensive quality control coach in Washington. Prior to that, he began his coaching career guiding Josh McCown with the Hartford Colonels of the now-defunct United Football League.
Longtime offensive line coach Russ Grimm will head to Nashville to become the Titans‘ offensive line coach, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets. Grimm hasn’t coached since 2012, which was his final year of a six-season stay with the Cardinals. The 56-year-old Grimm, a Hall of Fame Washington guard, began his coaching career as Washington’s tight ends coach in 1992, a year after retiring before beginning as the team’s line coach in 1997. Grimm crossed paths with Titans HC Mike Mularkey during his time in Pittsburgh (2001-06), where Mularkey served as the offensive coordinator from 2001-03.
New Browns DC Ray Horton planned to hire ex-Browns defensive lineman Nick Eason for his defensive staff, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports (on Twitter), but the Titans promoting him from assistant defensive line coach to defensive line coach convinced him to stay in Tennessee.
The Giants hired former Eagles outside linebackers coach Bill McGovern to be their linebackers coach, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). McGovern spent 23 years coaching at various colleges in the northeast before teaching the outside backers with the Eagles under Kelly the past three seasons.
Washington hired another former player and longtime coach to preside over its outside linebackers, adding Greg Manusky to its staff, Andrew Walker reports on the team’s website. Manusky began his career in Washington, but only coached there in 2001. The 49-year-old former linebacker served as defensive coordinator for the Colts from 2012-15 before being fired earlier this month. He was previously the DC for the 49ers and Chargers for a combined five seasons.
Former Panthers and Bears safety Chris Harris will serve as the Chargers‘ assistant defensive backs coach, Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk reports. Harris worked as a quality control coach with the Bears in 2013-14 and played for the Panthers toward the end of current Chargers HC Mike McCoy‘s lengthy stay in Charlotte. Harris replaces Greg Williams, whom the Colts recently hired as their DBs coach.

Browns Hire Ray Horton, Other Coaches

January 22nd, 2016 at 8:49am CST by Connor J. Byrne

FRIDAY, 8:49am: The Browns have officially confirmed the hiring of Horton as the team’s defensive coordinator, along with the other moves noted below and a few more. Here’s the full list of coaches and titles announced today by the team:

Ray Horton, defensive coordinator
Pep Hamilton, associate head coach/offense
Al Saunders, offensive assistant/wide receivers
Kirby Wilson, running backs/run game coordinator
Hal Hunter, offensive line
Mark Hudson, assistant offensive line
Greg Seamon, tight ends
Bob Saunders, offensive quality control
Shawn Mennenga, special teams assistant
Stan Watson, special teams quality control

WEDNESDAY, 7:32pm: In addition to naming Saunders, Hamilton and Wilson to his offensive staff, Jackson has hired Hal Hunter as his O-line coach, Breer tweets. Hunter had been the Colts’ assistant O-line coach since 2013. He was at the helm of the Chargers’ line from 2006-12.

5:08pm: The Browns’ Hue Jackson-led coaching staff is rounding into form. Jackson has hired Ray Horton as his defensive coordinator, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).

Additionally, the Browns have addressed their offensive staff by hiring Al Saunders as a senior assistant, according to Cabot (Twitter link), Pep Hamilton as assistant head coach/offense and Kirby Wilson as their running game coordinator (Twitter links via ESPN’s Josina Anderson).

The last few days have been a whirlwind for Horton, who appeared likely to join the Browns before a report came out that he was negotiating a contract extension with the Titans – whose defensive he coordinated over the last two seasons. However, the extension didn’t come to fruition and Horton interviewed with the Browns to become their new D-coordinator on Tuesday. Horton is familiar with Cleveland, having coordinated its defense to a top 10 ranking in 2013. Before that, he worked in the same capacity in Arizona from 2011-12. Horton’s defense in Tennessee finished 12th overall in 2015-16, but the team seemingly marginalized his role in the offseason when it hired Dick LeBeau as an assistant head coach. LeBeau was given “complete control” of the defense, and Horton had to report to him during the season as a result. Horton has already put in requests to bring some of the Titans’ defensive coaches to Cleveland, according to Cabot (Twitter link), as he tries to improve a Browns ‘D’ that finished 27th in the league in 2015-16.

Jackson and Saunders have a working relationship that dates back to the 2009 season, when both were with the Ravens. Saunders was also on Jackson’s staff when Jackson was the Raiders’ head coach in 2011. This is the fourth decade in which Saunders has worked as an offensive assistant at the NFL level. The 68-year-old spent this season on the Dolphins’ staff and has been an offensive coordinator with four different teams. While the Browns will value Saunders’ input, Jackson will call the plays.

Hamilton was the Colts’ O-coordinator from 2013 until this past November, when they fired him after their third-ranked attack in 2014 regressed significantly. Part of his duties in Cleveland will entail working with quarterbacks, tweets Albert Breer of NFL.com. Cabot reports (via Twitter) that he’ll be the Browns’ passing game coordinator. The 41-year-old has plenty of experience in that realm, having coached QBs with the Jets (2004), 49ers (2006) and Bears (2007-09) at the pro level.

Prior to joining the Browns, Wilson worked with running backs for six different NFL organizations since 1997, having spent the last three years in Minnesota. The Vikings attempted to keep Wilson, according to ESPN’s Ben Goessling, but the expiration of his contract enabled him to land a promotion with the Browns.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Schefter On NFL Head Coaching Searches

January 21st, 2016 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

While the Browns liked Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the team recognized the importance of upgrading its offense, which was one reason Hue Jackson was the choice as Cleveland’s new head coach, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. According to Schefter, the Browns believe that by hiring Jackson they not only strengthened their own organization, but weakened a division rival, in the Bengals.

Schefter has some details on the rest of the head coaching decisions as well, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

The Giants “seriously entertained” the possibility of hiring Mike Smith as their head coach and keeping Ben McAdoo at offensive coordinator, says Schefter. However, when the Eagles expressed legit interest in McAdoo, the Giants knew they couldn’t risk losing him.
As for those Eagles, they were determined to be more patient this time around than when they hired Chip Kelly, but two of their top candidates – Adam Gase and McAdoo – were hired by other teams while Philadelphia was being patient. Since the club was already familiar with Doug Pederson, it was “completely comfortable” turning to him despite the fact that his initial interview was ordinary, according to Schefter.
The 49ers viewed Kelly, Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin, and Anthony Lynn as viable candidates, and felt they would have been in good shape no matter which direction they went in. The fact that Kelly is the only one of the group without a Super Bowl ring was a factor in San Francisco’s choice, since the club feels he’ll be hungry to get that championship.
The Buccaneers took a week to hire Dirk Koetter even though most people expected him to be the choice all along, leading to some whispers that the Glazers “attempted a big swing” before officially promoting Koetter, says Schefter.
Despite a final push from Ray Horton last Saturday, the Titans‘ owners never wanted to get away from Mike Mularkey, who was their top choice all along.
As for the Dolphins, they entered their coaching search planning to be aggressive, and Gase’s desire to land a head coaching job – after being passed over last year – matched up well with that aggressiveness from the team, making him the first new coach hired this month.

Latest On Browns’ Coaching Staff Targets

January 19th, 2016 at 9:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

9:36pm: The Dolphins wanted to interview Wilson for a running game coordinator position as well, writes Goessling in a full post, but the Vikings blocked Miami’s and Cleveland’s requests with the hope that they could sign Wilson for 2016 and beyond.

9:13pm: Wilson’s Wednesday interview is almost a formality, according to Goessling, who reports (Twitter link) that Wilson is “all but assured” of landing the running game coordinator position.

8:27pm: New Browns head coach Hue Jackson is still working to formulate a coaching staff, and it appears as though several new hires are close to being finalized. Veteran offensive coordinator Al Saunders is expected to join Cleveland as an assistant, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, while former Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson will interview with the club on Wednesday with an eye toward becoming the Browns’ running game coordinator, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

Jackson and Saunders have a working relationship that dates back to the 2009 season, when both were working for the Ravens (they also worked together on the 2011 Raiders), so it’s no surprise that Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported this morning that Saunders was a “strong candidate” to join the Cleveland staff. The 68-year-old Saunders offers more than thirty years of NFL coaching experience, and while he won’t be calling plays (Jackson will do that), he’ll presumably help design the club’s weekly game plan.

Meanwhile, Wilson’s contract with the Vikings expired today, per Goessling, so he is now free to negotiate with any team. Previous reports indicated that Minnesota had blocked Cleveland’s request to interview Wilson, but now that he is no longer under contract, the Browns don’t need the Vikings’ approval. Wilson would add yet another voice — including Sanders and possibly Pep Hamilton, whom Jackson is also said to be courting — to Cleveland’s offensive meeting room.

Of course, Saunders and Wilson aren’t the only coaches that Jackson is reportedly eyeing, as we heard this morning that — after much trepidation — Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton interviewed for the same position with the Browns. In her report linked above, Cabot confirmed that today’s scheduled meeting did in fact take place.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Notes: Horton, O-Line, Cap Room

January 19th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton arrives in Cleveland today for his interview with the Browns, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, the Browns have made it clear that they want to hire Horton and things could happen quickly between the two sides.

It was just two days ago that Horton took exception to a report suggesting that he was heading to the Browns after being upset by not being given a fair shot at the Titans’ head coaching job — at the time, Horton indicated he was working on a contract extension to remain in Tennessee, so if he lands with the Browns later in the week, it would be a quick turnaround.

Here’s more from out of Cleveland:

Following up on Horton, Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the Browns are paying his salary from his initial contract with the team, so Cleveland has some extra incentive to bring him aboard again.
Already in the midst of a rebuild, the Browns risk creating a hole that doesn’t currently exist on the offensive line as free agency approaches, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. As McManamon observes, center Alex Mack can opt out of his contract, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is eligible for free agency, and left tackle Joe Thomas has hinted that he may ask to be traded. The offensive line has been one of Cleveland’s strong spots in recent years, so the club will have to do all it can to keep at least one or two members of this trio.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap looks ahead to the Browns’ offseason, focusing on the club’s cap situation and its pending free agents. Per Fitzgerald, the team currently projects to have about $35MM in cap space, but that figure could end up increasing to close to $60MM.
In an interesting piece for TheMMQB.com, Jenny Vrentas examines the interview process for head coaching candidates, including what sort of questions interviewees can expect to be asked, and what sort of traits team executives are looking for. Within the piece, Vrentas notes that candidates who interviewed with the Browns this year had to ask about the team’s front office structure, featuring Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta.

Browns, Eagles, Jaguars Interested In Jim Schwartz

January 18th, 2016 at 7:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:12pm: The Eagles will interview Schwartz for their defensive coordinator position Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan reports (on Twitter). Davis has not been fired but is not expected to be retained.

4:28pm: Schwartz is reportedly in Philadelphia and, according to 6ABC.com’s Jamie Apody, a strong possibility exists of Schwartz becoming the Eagles’ DC. The Browns’ and Jaguars’ reported interest in the seasoned DC won’t preclude the Jeffrey Lurie from outbidding them for Schwartz’s services, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes (on Twitter).

4:21pm: As teams look to fill defensive coordinator jobs, Jim Schwartz‘s name has come up in multiple teams’ searches.

The Browns, Eagles and Jaguars are interested in the former Lions head coach, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com reports, and Schwartz is considering his options. Cleveland has contacted Schwartz, according to Pat McMenamon of ESPN.com, about the position.

The Jaguars have already interviewed Schwartz for their opening, and the Browns are still planning to interview current Titans DC Ray Horton for their vacancy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The Browns, per Rapoport, are getting permission from the Titans to interview Horton, who served as the Cleveland DC in 2013.

The 49-year-old Schwartz would prefer to rejoin the Titans, whose defense he presided over from 2001-08 before taking the Lions’ head-coaching job, according to Kuharsky. Dick LeBeau‘s presence as assistant head coach with defensive responsibilities may cloud that situation, per Kuharsky, especially with Horton rumored to be staying on as Tennessee’s DC.

Schwartz went 29-51 as head coach of the Lions and did not coach in 2015 after serving as the Bills’ defensive coordinator in 2014.

The Bills’ 4-3 defense ranked fourth in total defense under Schwartz’s guidance last season. They regressed to 19th in 2015.

Mike Pettine‘s also been linked to this Eagles opening. Bill Davis‘ Eagles defense ranked 30th in the league this season.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Browns To Interview Ray Horton

January 18th, 2016 at 4:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

4:46pm: In another twist regarding Horton’s future, the Browns have received permission from the Titans to talk to Horton about their DC job, Kuharsky reports. The ESPN.com reporter notes the Browns will interview Horton later this week.

MONDAY, 1:02pm: After Sunday’s Horton-related drama, the presumption from his side is that he’ll remain with the Titans going forward, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. Nothing is official yet, however.

SUNDAY, 3:54pm: Horton is actually talking about a contract extension with the Titans, he tells Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com, and he also rejects the notion that he was insulted by the club’s interview process. The situation seems a lot more fluid than originally presented, so we’ll likely have to wait for a more definite outcome.

3:45pm: Ray Horton is set to join the Browns as defensive coordinator for a second time, according to Jason Wolf of the Tennessean, who cites John Wooten in reporting that Horton will be let out of his Titans contract to join Hue Jackson‘s staff in Cleveland. Horton was previously the Browns DC in 2013.

The 55-year-old Horton, who has been Tennessee’s defensive coordinator for the past two seasons, is not leaving the Titans on good terms. Horton, who interviewed last week for the Titans head coaching position, was passed over in favor of Mike Mularkey, and apparently feels insulted that he was not seriously considered for the job.

“The Browns had put in a request to interview him, and then Tennessee interviewed him (for the head-coaching job Saturday),” said Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which encourages NFL clubs to consider minority candidates. “And they said that they didn’t know that he had any interest in being a head coach. Well, that’s an insult to the man. That is just an insult. And then when he got in the interview, they seemed shocked that he was as prepared and knowledgeable and everything else at that point.”

Horton has been a defensive coordinator since 2011, first with the Cardinals before moving onto Cleveland and then Tennessee. His role with the Titans was arguably marginalized prior to the 2015 season, when the Titans hired former Steelers DC Dick LeBeau as an assistant head coach. LeBeau was given “complete control” of the defense, and Horton was directed to report to him.

In Cleveland, Horton should have more of a say under the offensive-minded Jackson, and he’ll try to turn around a defense that ranked just 29th in DVOA last season. Horton will likely be the only coordinator the Browns hire, as the club is expected to go without an OC (Jackson will call the offensive plays).

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