Browns need to get team in order
After firing of Freddie Kitchens, pressure falls on Dorsey and his next hire
The Browns made the inevitable official Sunday night, ending their one-year experiment with Freddie Kitchens, who in a 10-week span last season made his rapid and improbable rise from running backs coach to interim offensive coordinator to head coach and then flopped with a 2019 campaign marked by poor performance and dysfunction.
Now, Browns general manager John Dorsey must make the move that he should have made last season and find a well-seasoned coach to shepherd this roster brimming with untapped potential and colorful yet unbridled personalities.
This year’s 6-10 record suggests that the Browns aren’t a very good team. The 122 penalties for 1,106 yards (third most in the NFL) reflect the lack of discipline and attention to detail that would inhibit almost any team.
But the Browns do indeed have the pieces necessary to compete in the NFL.
With this roster, Cleveland should have at the very least flirted with a playoff berth.
The Tennessee Titans earned an AFC wild-card berth with a less talented offense and an aggressive and disciplined defense. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland’s divisional rival, nearly made the playoffs despite using three quarterbacks, playing without top offensive weapons JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner for much of the year and fielding a defense full of still-developing pieces.
That’s because those teams are led by hard-nosed, disciplined, detail-oriented coaches in Mike Vrabel and Mike Tomlin, respectively. Meanwhile, the Browns were directed by a man who was so clearly in over his head and rarely knew the right buttons to push.
Dorsey now finds himself entering his third offseason with the team and again hitting the reset button at head coach. He inherited Hue Jackson when he took over as general manager late in the 2017 season, then fired him midway through the 2018 campaign. After tapping Gregg Williams as interim head coach, he went with Kitchens as his first full-time hire — a regrettable decision.
Dorsey got misled by the flashes Kitchens displayed in an eight-game
stint as a first-time play-caller. He and the Browns didn’t want to let a bright offensive mind get away, so they made Kitchens their head coach.
But Kitchens’ shine proved to be fool’s gold, and Dorsey’s credibility takes a hit because of his lack of discernment in this area.
Dorsey underestimated the importance of experience for a young roster. One aspect that also impressed him was the way players liked Kitchens and found him relatable. But that obviously didn’t mean he was right for the job.
Dorsey passed over Williams, a longtime, aggressive defensive coordinator who as interim coach served as a strong tone-setter for the Browns. Without him, Cleveland’s defense lost some of its killer instinct this year, and the team as a whole lacked the same grit and focus.
Kitchens also seemed to undervalue experience and paid the price. When he filled out his coaching staff, he chose not to retain well-respected NFL quarterback whisperer Ken Zampese, who played a large role in Baker Mayfield’s
development, and also moved on from veteran offensive line coach Bob Wylie. Mayfield didn’t continue to develop at the anticipated rate this season, and the offensive line struggled mightily.
As a whole, the Browns seemed easily distracted and sorely lacked consistency.
Now, it’s important for Dorsey to right his wrongs by finding a head coach who boasts a wealth of experience and strong leadership qualities.
Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s name already has been linked to the Browns. Through 13 seasons in Green Bay, he posted a 12577-2 record, reached the playoffs nine times and won a Super Bowl. It’s hard to top that résumé, and after a year on the sidelines, McCarthy is itching to get back into the NFL. Former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell is another less-heralded but wellrespected coach with quarterback expertise and strong leadership skills whom the Browns would do well to consider.
It’s highly important that Dorsey
finds a coach who can help Mayfield refine his skill set while also helping him channel his fiery nature into a contagious yet measured force within the locker room and on the field.
The next Browns coach also must figure out how to get all of the individuals and colorful personalities to blend into a strong, cohesive brotherhood.
Cleveland’s squad entered this season brimming with potential and excitement as fans and analysts alike believed this bunch had what it took to finally end the long-running tradition of ineptitude, embarrassment and discord.
But the Kitchens miscalculation ensured that this season resembled many of the Browns campaigns that preceded it. The failed experiment now puts greater pressure on Dorsey. Although he may do an admirable job of acquiring player talent, he hasn’t proved himself capable of identifying the same when it comes to coaches. And unless he is able to atone for his Kitchens misstep by hiring a winning coach, Dorsey will soon be out and the Browns’ cycle of futility will continue on loop once again.