Jim Schwartz expected to be hired by Cleveland Browns as DC, makes no sense
Jim Schwartz was once one of the most highly regarded defensive coordinator in the NFL, and his success with the Tennessee Titans led to a head coaching position with the Detroit Lions. His tenure with the Lions started off well, but it blew up in smoke during the final two seasons, culminating in a disappointing collapse this season that costed him his job. Schwartz is back on the job market as a defensive coordinator, and he’s a good addition for teams that don’t currently have a satisfactory defensive coordinator. You know, like the Dallas Cowboys.
But according to CBS Sports’s Jason La Canfora, the team that is expected to hire Jim Schwartz as a defensive coordinator already has an even better DC. Per sources close to La Canfora, the Cleveland Browns are expected to hire Schwartz as their new defensive coordinator, which means that they really do want to fire their staff (Norv Turner was already fully expected to be fired, especially since the Browns are looking for a head coach with a strong background on offense who can call plays).
In all honesty, hiring Schwartz is a decision that doesn’t make any sense, because he’s honestly a downgrade on Ray Horton, who is one of the best coordinators in the game and has served the Browns ably in 2013. He is coaching one of the best defenses in the NFL, and he has the respect of all the players in the organization. So why fire him? It’s another mark against Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner, who are showing more incompetency than I thought was possible. Fire Horton? The guy could have been your head coach, for cryin’ out loud.
If the Browns do indeed hire Schwartz (nothing is set in stone, of course), then Horton will automatically be the most coveted defensive mind on the market, and he would make perfect sense for a team like the Cowboys. The Browns reportedly hold Schwartz in high regard, but they need to check themselves right now; running the coaching carousel and fixing things that aren’t broken are sure signs of horrible management.