The Cleveland Browns find themselves at point which will ultimately determine if they will find success or continue their strech of failures.
The Cleveland Browns are at a crossroads. Down one road is success, something that has evaded the franchise for 20 years. The other? The all too familiar stench of failure. Cleveland finds themselves in need of a new coach and general manager. The new coach and general manager will determine the direction of the franchise.
The player who will be affected the most is Baker Mayfield. The next head coach will need to provide an offense that gets the most out of Mayfield. Providing a scheme that plays to the strengths of the quarterback. If this cannot be achieved, the team will have to decide if their future is with or without Baker Mayfield. Mayfield did not play at the level he displayed as a rookie. Decision making and overall comfort seemed to decline in his second year, leading some to question his longterm viability. The new head coach will have to provide an unbiased assessment of the quarterback and whether or not the team needs to look into a new direction.
The general manager will be depended on to build the team in a sufficient manner. Something that John Dorsey did not necessarily do all that well. Dorsey provided flashy, big name players, but not the complimentary players that are required to build a team correctly. Both offensive tackles need to be addressed,. So does the right guard position. Depth on the defensive line is also an issue. The starters are great, but need quality backups. There is also the question about the futures of David Njoku, Kareem Hunt, Joe Schobert and Rashard Higgins. The new general manager will need to address these players accordingly and make a definite decision about their futures with the team.
Paul DePodesta is in charge of the coaching search
Finding the right people will not be easy. Just picking a name will not accomplish this. Plenty of research will need to be done and it will have to be someone that Paul DePodesta is comfortable with. Depodesta is now running the search process for the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Ultimately, the choice still belongs to the owners.
The fact that DePodesta is in running the process could point towards several candidates being elevated above others. Josh McDaniels could benefit from this search process.
Kevin Stefanski may also be one of the top options for Cleveland. DePodesta has previously suggested Stefanski for the head coaching position.
Jimmy Haslam trusting DePodesta with the process of searching for the next head coach is not necessarily surprising. DePodesta has played a role behind the scenes for some time now and appears ready to step into a larger one. Haslam must trust DePodesta to make an unbiased decision about the next head coach, considering his previous suggestion of Stefanski. DePodesta cannot just suggest someone to take a victory lap. Yes, he was right, but that is a terrible hiring practice. The last thing the Browns need is another person trying to satisfy their own ego. By all accounts, this should not be the case with DePodesta.
All of the pressure is on the Browns this offseason. Pick the right coach and general manager and the team will perform up to the level expected of them. If not, more of the same from the Cleveland Browns.
