It's been one mishap after another for the Cleveland Browns who endured a wild head coaching search last month before narrowing their choices to either Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken or their current defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Unfortunately, the Browns' decision to hire the former and snub the latter may have backfired. According to reports, Schwartz has resigned as defensive coordinator of the Browns. The team will keep their current scheme and now pursue candidates who will do so.
"Another change in Cleveland: Jim Schwartz has resigned as the Browns’ defensive coordinator, sources tell The Insiders," Tom Pelissero reported a short while ago. "Todd Monken said this week he plans to keep the same scheme regardless of whether Jim Schwartz returns. The Browns now will be running a DC search, with internal options among the possibilities."
Schwartz leaves behind a defense that ranked in the upper half of the league despite an anemic offense and saw all-world pass rusher Myles Garrett break the single-season sack record. But he is reportedly going to take the season off to re-assess given how late in the coaching cycle it now is.
Reaction
Fans have largely laughed off the announcement, pointing to it as more dysfunction in the Browns with some joking that they didn't deserve as coach as good as Schwartz anyway.
"BANG. Good coach doesn’t deserve to be there anyways," one user remarked.
"Looked solid with Myles, but get this man to Cincy so he can show the world what he could do with a real pass rusher," another proposed.
"Browns gonna browns," a third wrote.
"Browns are a disgrace."
© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.
In the short-term, there are going to be greater calls for Garrett to request a trade now that he's lost the coach who helped him reach the apex of NFL pass rushing. The options for a new defensive coordinator aren't exactly robust either.
While most of the defensive staff stayed in Cleveland, the coaches that are still there mostly lack experience in such an important role. And if the Browns intend to limit themselves to coaches who use a scheme like Schwartz, they're only further shrinking the pool of candidates.
Who will the Browns choose as their new defensive coordinator?