Cleveland Browns Rumors: Adam Gase prefers to stay with Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase during the game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 34-14. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns have been eyeing either offense-minded or college coaches in their head coaching search thus far, and they abandoned looking at options in the college ranks (Bob Stoops, Gus Malzahn, and James Franklin were among the names linked to the Browns opening at points) for some time now. Just about ever since New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was previously the Browns top option to fill the vacancy, rejected the Browns head coaching offer, the team has focused on Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
The Browns cannot interview Gase until the Broncos are eliminated from the playoffs, so they’ll be hoping for a Patriots win tomorrow afternoon. But should the Broncos lose, there’s a solid chance that the man they are holding out hope for will ultimately reject their head coaching offer.
Per a league source close to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Gase is “leaning toward” staying with the Broncos at this moment in time, so it sounds like he is going to do exactly what McDaniels did. There’s no guarantee that Gase won’t take the Browns opening, but signs up to this point haven’t been encouraging due to the reported “radioactive” view of the Browns opening in league circles as well as the advice Gase has received from others. The Browns decision to fire Rob Chudzinski has only looked worse with each passing day, and the Browns are still left with trying to find their head coach. Will their next guy be better than Chud? It doesn’t look like that will be the case, especially if a young, creative play-caller and OC similar to Chud in Gase decides to pass on the Browns. I mean, the Broncos offer him more stability, and they are also a great team with a legendary QB; it’s essentially the same situation that McDaniels decided to stick with in New England.