Kyle Shanahan will interview with Cleveland Browns tomorrow
Kyle Shanahan calls a play from the sidelines against the San Francisco 49ers at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator search is already an extremely interesting one, and it has a chance to rival the Baltimore Ravens OC search with regards to the amount of rumors it creates. If you recall, it looked like the Ravens were down to Kyle Shanahan and internal candidate Jim Hostler as their final two options at OC, but then former Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak suddenly became the top candidate yesterday before ultimately getting hired by the team. The Ravens sought to create a star-studded cast of offensive head coaches, as Shanahan and Rick Dennison were two top-notch coaches the Ravens were interested in hiring as assistants. While they were somehow able to steal Dennison as their QBs coach (Dennison was Kubiak’s most recent OC in Houston), they couldn’t steal away Shanahan.
That led to a bit of sigh of relief from the Cleveland Browns, as their rivals didn’t snag all three top offensive head coaches. The Browns are desperate for a strong offensive coordinator, because they have a first-year, defense-minded head coach in Mike Pettine and don’t have a franchise QB or feature back; they need a great OC. Oakland Raiders QBs coach John DeFilippo, per the NFL Network’s Albert Breer, is a potential candidate, and there are others who have been named in rumors. But at this point, Kyle Shanahan has to be the top candidate, because he’s one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL due to his terrific track record and intelligence; he would be an excellent hire for the Browns.
It was reported earlier today by ESPN’s John Keim that the Cleveland Browns have interest in the former Washington Redskins and Texans offensive coordinator, and now ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting that the Browns have an interviewed schedule with Shanahan tomorrow. It was only a matter of time before the Browns set up an interview with Shanahan, and I would watch very closely for this one. At this point, Browns fans should be disappointed if their team doesn’t hire an OC of Shanahan’s caliber.
Former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains is another offensive coordinator on the open market worth watching closely, because he would also be an excellent hire.