Cleveland Browns Make Stunning Head Coach Hire
The Cleveland Browns fired two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski after a disappointing season, and they have replaced him with Todd Monken. The former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator got some head coaching looks in the past, but he wasn't considered a top candidate this cycle.
The Browns kind of squandered their opportunities by waiting and letting better candidates go elsewhere, like Robert Saleh, Brian Daboll, John Harbaugh, or Jesse Minter. They could've waited for Klint Kubiak, although he's not likely to take a head coaching job and is the top candidate for both Las Vegas and Arizona.
It seemed like the Browns were at a loss as to where to turn, and there was some internal turmoil regarding the search. Their reported refusal to allow any incoming head coach to hire his own defensive coordinator reportedly turned some candidates off.
Now, they have their head coach, but their defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, who they wanted to keep so desperately, is unhappy about it. All around, it's a mess.
The Cleveland Browns are a mess
Kevin Stefanski was not really considered the problem in Cleveland. The problem was the lack of a quarterback. Baker Mayfield has been the only semi-successful quarterback the Browns have had since the turn of the century, and it's been very downhill since his tenure.
There's only so much Stefanski can do when a washed-up and injured DeShaun Watson brings nothing to the table. He can only do so much with Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, and Shedeur Sanders. Most coaches would struggle in that situation.
So it was a bit of a surprise that the Browns fired him. Now, it's a huge surprise they're replacing him with Todd Monken. He was not exactly the top offensive mind in this coaching cycle, and he was on the outs in Baltimore.
This also complicates the rest of the staff. As mentioned, the Browns didn't want to let Jim Schwartz go on the defensive side, which turned off some candidates. Now that Monken has been hired, Schwartz is unhappy about being passed over.
He's under contract still. However, the sense is that the Browns have a ton of work to do to appease him. The likely outcome is that he just won't be their coordinator. He'd be highly sought-after around the league if he were to become available. That's why Cleveland wanted to keep him so badly, but they may have butchered that, too.
How Todd Monken got here
No matter what, the Ravens were not keeping Todd Monken after firing John Harbaugh. He was essentially let go. Monken was expected to land in New York with Harbaugh as his offensive coordinator, but that obviously didn't transpire.
ESPN's Dan Graziano summed it up well, "I think people on the outside are surprised, since over the weekend it sounded like the Browns were leaning toward the 35-year-old (Nate) Scheelhaase. But in the end, Cleveland went with the more experienced offensive mind to help design and develop its relatively young offense."
He noted that the coach is "well regarded around the league," but his success will likely be determined by whether or not the Cleveland Browns can find the quarterback they've spent decades searching for. If they can't, Monken's hands may be tied.
The Browns are drafting sixth overall. Unless they reach for Ty Simpson, they may not be able to answer the QB question now. They might be able to circle back on the Alabama QB later. They also own the 24th pick, but Simpson isn't likely to last quite that long.
That will, in all likelihood, leave Monken with the problem Stefanski had. Shedeur Sanders didn't look like an NFL starter, Pro Bowl nod notwithstanding. Dillon Gabriel was even worse. It's not an ideal situation, and it might be Monken's only shot.
