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Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken: Baker Mayfield was the No. 1 draw | cleveland.com
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/02...ncart_big-photo

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Todd Monken acknowledged that Baker Mayfield was the biggest reason he took the Browns offensive coordinator job over some other opportunities.

He went from one quarterback picked No. 1 overall in Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston (2015) to another in Mayfield (2018), and noted that the opportunity to work with another potential franchise quarterback was the top draw to Cleveland.

In 2018, Monken presided over the No. 1 passing game in the NFL, and third-ranked offense overall. The running game, however, was 29th, but he promised that running back Nick Chubb has nothing to worry about.

The Buccaneers set numerous club records in 2018 including total yards, passing yards and passing touchdowns. Receiver Mike Evans thrived under Monken’s guidance, earning his first two Pro Bowl selections and topping 1,000 receiving yards in all three seasons.

Monken, who interviewed for the Jets and Packers head coach vacancies, acknowledged that he accepted this job despite the fact Freddie Kitchens will call the plays, at least at the outset. But he noted things can change, as they did in Tampa when head coach Dirk Koetter turned the playcalling duties over to him last year.

He also revealed that he never met Kitchens before he took this job, and that it will take some time for their philosophies to mesh.

Here are some highlights of Monkens’ introductory press conference.

On working with QBs with potential

Winston hasn’t lived up to his No. 1 potential, but Monken has a chance to help Mayfield get there. He’s already on his way with a 6-7 rookie mark.

“When you start looking at taking jobs, at least for me, in order of what I was looking for was opportunity to win and potentially a franchise quarterback, the right people and third was calling the plays,’’ he said. “That’s what I did when I went to Tampa. It didn’t work out that way, but that’s the decision that I made to leave Southern Miss. That’s exactly the same decision I made to come here."

The “people" part largely involved the desire to work with Kitchens.

“I think our personalities in terms of as people are pretty close but also in terms of being aggressive offensively,’’ he said. “When I watched what they did the last eight weeks of the year and how they went about it and organizationally, it was something that I wanted to be a part of.”

On why he took a job without playcalling duties

Monken called the plays in Tampa Bay last season for all but one game when Koetter took it over. It means he’s called played for seven more games than Kitchens, who handled the chore for the final eight games of last season.

In his playcalling debut, Monken put up 48 points with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing for more than 400 yards and four TDs. In his first three games, Fitzpatrick passed for at least 400 yards and three TDs, and was NFL Offensive Player of the Week in the first two weeks. Koetter took the playcalling duties back against the Redskins, and the Bucs scored three points in a loss.

He went back to Monken the rest of the way, and the Bucs set club records in total yards, passing yards and passing TDs.

So why did he take a job in which someone else calls the plays?

“To me, it’s pretty simple,’’ he said. “I’ve always chosen places based on the people and the opportunity to win. When you look at the young roster and when I came and met with Freddie, John (Dorsey) and the other people in the organization, it just felt right. I felt like I wanted to be part of this moving forward. In the end, it’s about winning. It’s about being around good people. It is about moving the football, regardless of who is calling it. I’ve called it in the past so it’s not as if I am not capable of that.”

As for how it will shake out in Cleveland, he said, ‘we’ll see. I’ve been here seven days.”

He said he talked to Kitchens about his responsibilities before taking the job, “but it’s always different once you get the job, right? We’ve all gone through interviews. Your job is to do whatever the head coach tells you to do. If he decides that he doesn’t want to call it and he says ‘you call it,’ I’ll call it. That’s what I did last year.”

On his first impressions of Mayfield

Monken met Mayfield this week. The two seem to have hit it off, and are already ribbing each other about their in-state rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, where Monken was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2011-12) and passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach (2002-04).

“First off personally, I have just met him," Monken said. “Obviously, on film, it’s easy to see his skillset, his ability to make plays outside of the pocket and what he brings to the team in terms of mental toughness and the leadership – he inspires others to play around him and he holds himself and others to a high standard, which is where it has to start at quarterback. I am excited to get started. Unfortunately, it will be a couple months away, but it is an exciting time.”

Monken knows what it’s like to coach the No. 1 pick. He knows Mayfield is under intense scrutiny nationally as well as locally.

“The one thing from what I hear about Baker that’s similar to Jameis is Jameis is a tremendous young man,’’ said Monken. “He loves football. He’s very intelligent. He’s passionate about it. He owns it. Those are all of the things that I hear about Baker – a guy that loves football, that loves to compete, that loves to be around the building and owns his mistakes, which is a great start.”

On keeping Mayfield focused

Former Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, who played for Kitchens in Arizona, told cleveland.com last week that this offseason is crucial for Mayfield and that he must guard against distractions. Monken echoed those sentiments.

“I think the hardest part any young player has is how do you block out the noise,’’ he said. “He has it the hardest, as does a head coach. Your players nowadays with so much volume, and most of them would be lying if they said they didn’t look at it, just like us. You look at it. We all like to be told we’re doing a good job. To me, the most important thing is to stay balanced in terms of the good or bad said about you.

“There’s going to be doubt and there are going to be stretches of games where you don’t play as well, and games with stretches where you play well. You have to be able to continue to keep moving forward.”

On bringing the ‘Air Raid’ scheme and RPOs to the Browns

Monken is an expert in the Air Raid scheme that Mayfield excelled in at Oklahoma, and will incorporate that and plenty of run-pass options (RPOs) into the scheme.

“Really what I took away from (the Air Raid) was being able to throw to win,’’ he said. “That really to me was the Air Raid. You had a certain amount of run game, you ran a lot of the same concepts and you could throw to win. That was really it. Like any offense, it works a lot better if you have good players. It becomes a lot harder at the NFL level because you are going against the best in the world, windows are tighter and you’re under duress a lot more so you have to be disciplined in terms of what you do on the perimeter.”

As for RPOs, “I think that’s where football has been and that’s been my background. Hopefully, it’s something that interests Freddie.”

On meshing schemes

Monken acknowledged it will take some time to create the Browns offense from the new philosophies in the building.

“We’re working through that now,’’ he said. “It’s always fun. It takes time. Freddie was here one year so initially, (former Browns offensive coordinator) Todd Haley’s system and terminology, you have that running around his head. You have what they did in Arizona with (former head coach) Bruce Arians for a number of years.

“Then you have what we did in Tampa and some of the things that the other coaches will bring to the table. You have (offensive line/associate head coach) James (Campen) in the run game and what they did in Green Bay. We are working through that now to make it the Browns offense. That is what you do. Next offseason will be a lot easier because you will have had everything or at least the majority of your offensive package put together and what you like and dislike. Every day, you are implementing things and talking through it, and it is going to become easier.”

On utilizing Nick Chubb and the run game

Monken was informed that Mayfield joked he’ll have to convince him to hand the ball to Nick Chubb, given his 29th-ranked rushing offense last year when the Bucs went 5-11.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,’’ he said with a laugh. “That’s a little bit of a stretch. I like scoring points so however that is, that’s a little misnomer. At Tampa, we did throw it. I did like to throw it of course, but if you take first-quarter stats, if you take first half stats and if you take one-score games, you’ll find we were right there with other teams [in run-pass balance] that made the playoffs and it wasn’t that extreme. The more often you’re in two-minute at the end of the game and you’re down, the more often you are going to throw it.’’

Monken also joked about Mayfield being from his former in-state rival.

“Yeah, it does absolutely stink that he’s from Oklahoma,’’ he kidded. “That was probably the negative that almost stopped me from taking the job. The first thing I said was in 2011, we won the Big 12 and beat Oklahoma. He goes, ‘Yeah, but you had like a 38-year old quarterback (Brandon Weeden).’ It didn’t take him long to bite back. I said, ‘Really, you’re just a (Texas Tech) Red Raider. You’re just a Red Raider that was a transplant.’ He didn’t like that very well either. We will be just fine.”

Steve Wilks is ready to get right back to work with Browns | cleveland.com
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/02...ncart_big-photo

BEREA, Ohio -- Steve Wilks could have taken some time off before returning to NFL coaching after a one-year stint as head coach in Arizona. Wilks went 3-13 and was fired.

“When things like that happen, you want to get right back to work,” Wilks said on Thursday during his introductory press conference as the Browns’ new defensive coordinator.

Wilks takes over a defense that was heavy on forcing turnovers but also missed plenty of tackles and has work to do against the run.

Here are some highlights from Wilks’ introductory presser:

* It’s no surprise that Wilks emphasized two vital positions for a defense.

“You can never have enough pass rushers," Wilks said. "You can never have enough guys that can cover.”

The Browns finished No. 22 in the league in sacks in 2018 with 37. They lived the nightmare of injuries in the secondary, losing Terrance Mitchell for a chunk of the season and then his replacement E.J. Gaines.

“This is a pass-happy league and it is about scoring,” he said, “so you need guys that can get to the quarterback and most importantly, you need guys that can cover.”

* Wilks didn’t shy away from his reputation for being aggressive.

“I am aggressive by nature,” he said.

It’s not all about chasing the quarterback, though.

“It could change. Quarterback is getting the ball out quick, therefore now you have to be more creative in your coverages and things that you are doing on the back end because you are not going to get there,” he said. “It is all about trying to create negative plays on first and second down so you can get exotic in some of your third down pressures and things you want to do.”

* He seemed particularly intrigued by Jabrill Peppers and his ability to play a hybrid role. The players defensive coordinators covet, he said, are players with linebacker traits but defensive back skills.

“I’m very intrigued to work with him and see if we can really get him going in the system and the schemes that we have done before,” Wilks said, “whether it has been (Cardinals S) Budda Baker at Arizona or (Panthers LB) Shaq Thompson at Carolina. I think he has that same skillset.”

* Developing Denzel Ward is one of Wilks’ key tasks. The rookie cornerback had three interceptions and made the Pro Bowl, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done.

He described Ward as “a young guy who still has a lot of things to learn and grow into as far as understanding the game and really trying to perfect his craft at this level.”

Wilks is a former defensive backs coach, so that helps. He also singled out pass game coordinator/secondary coach Joe Whitt and defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker as members of the staff who will help in Ward’s development.

“Those guys are great teachers,” Wilks said. “My background at that position, I think, will be a plus for him, as well, with some of the things that I have learned and implemented over the years in just trying to get guys in the best position to be successful.”

Ward’s season ended on injured reserve after he suffered two concussions at the end of the season. Ward missed the Browns’ finale against the Ravens, but was able to participate in the Pro Bowl.

Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was critical of Ward’s tackling at times. Wilks knows that teaching tackling is a major point of emphasis in today’s NFL, where player safety is paramount, and that teaching that technique to the entire roster is a priority.

“We have to make sure that he is doing it to where he can make sure he can maintain 16-plus games throughout the year,” Wilks said, “so we have to teach him the right way.”

* Wilks, as you would expect, wants the Browns’ defense to continue forcing turnovers.

“That has been a part of my background and my makeup ever since I came into the league with the Chicago Bears,” he said. “You go back and look at the history of what we did there and same thing in San Diego, the year we went to the Super Bowl in Carolina. We pride ourselves not only on taking the ball away but scoring on defense.”

* Cleveland was someplace he wanted to be. Just ask him.

“I scheduled this (interview) first because this is where I want to be,” he said.

Why? Young talent on both sides of the ball. And maybe something you didn’t expect to hear.

“You can’t win in this league if you don’t have a quarterback," Wilks said, "and we have a quarterback.”

Browns introduce Mike Priefer as special teams coordinator: 3 takeaways | cleveland.com
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/02...ncart_big-photo

BEREA, Ohio – Mike Priefer was introduced as Browns special teams coordinator on Thursday at the team headquarters in Berea.

Actually, he introduced himself.

“My name is Mike Priefer and I’m the new special teams coordinator of the Cleveland Browns and it sounds really cool to say that because being from this area I grew up a big Browns fan … Indians, Cavaliers,” Priefer said. “Really excited to be here. Huge opportunity. Great time to be a Brown with the team that we have.”

Priefer turned down an offer to return to the Vikings for a ninth season, choosing to bet on himself. He spent the first 10 years of his life in Northeast Ohio, splitting time between Middleburg Heights and Brunswick. His father, Chuck, was the head coach at Padua (and later a special teams coach with the Chargers and Lions).

The 2012 NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year took questions from the media on Thursday. Here are three takeaways:

Special teams philosophy

If special teams coordinators are supposed to be energetic and enthusiastic, Priefer fits the bill. Those characteristics also seep into his coaching style.

“You need to have good players who love the game of football,” Priefer said. “I’m going to tell the guys when they get in the building here in April that you can’t be a good special teams player unless you’re passionate about the game of football. If you’re just out there to get a paycheck or out there to get by or just want to be play linebacker or running back, first of all you’re not going to help our team win, but you’re also not going to help us on special teams.”

Priefer said how quickly the Browns turn around their special teams will depend on how quickly the players buy into what he’s doing. A good first step would be reducing the unit’s penalties. The Browns committed 21 special-team penalties last season, fifth-most in the league. The Vikings, meanwhile, had a league-low seven (and just 10 in 2017).

“We’re going to play penalty free football, we’re going to play fast, physical, disciplined,” he said, “We’re going to play with enthusiasm and passion and we’re going to help our football team win games.”

His path to coaching

Priefer considered joining the Army after high school, but his father suggested trying an academy, which led him to Navy, where he was a quarterback and wide receiver from 1985-88, and then flew helicopters as an officer for five years.

“Being a coach’s son, I learned that coaching is teaching,” Priefer said, “and my experience in the Navy helped me become a better leader.”

Priefer as an aircraft commander at age 25 was in charge of 50 enlisted men.

“I loved it,” he said. “What that trained me for was helping me become a better leader and make mistakes like we all do at that age. I learned a lot of about being a leader like how to help young men reach their goals and their full potential. At the end of the day it was a great learning experience for me as a leader and has helped me in my coaching career thus far.”

Addressing controversy

Priefer was suspended for three games in 2014 after former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe accused him of making homophobic remarks. Priefer denied Kluwe’s allegations, but an independent investigation found enough reason to lead the team to levy the suspension. It was later reduced to two games.

Priefer didn’t shy away from the issue on Thursday.

“A situation occurred in Minnesota where I made a comment I shouldn’t have made. I apologized for that comment,” Priefer said. “And I learned a lot from it. What I learned is that you can’t say hurtful things about people, period. Not matter where you are or who you are talking to.”

Browns’ trio of new coordinators want to seize opportunity to win in Cleveland | cleveland.com
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/02...ncart_big-photo

BEREA, Ohio -- Wednesday night, after Baker Mayfield won the Professional Athlete of the Year at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, he was asked about the excitement Browns fans are feeling about 2019 after the team’s 5-3 finish to 2018.

“If they weren't excited, I think they'd be kind of blind to what was going on,” Mayfield said. “The excitement's real and it should be.”

Thursday, when the Browns introduced their trio of new coordinators, it sounded like they got the message.

“To me, it is pretty simple,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “I have always chosen places based on the people and the opportunity to win.”

Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said this is the interview he scheduled first because this was the place he wanted to come.

“When you look at personnel and the direction with the things that (General Manager John) Dorsey is doing and his crew, it was a no-brainer,” Wilks said.

Even special teams coordinator Mike Priefer sang the same tune.

“When I came here and met with John, met with (head coach) Freddie (Kitchens) and was around the organization, I said that the excitement and the buzz in the building right now, this is where I really want to be,” the northeast Ohio native said.

This all sounds a little strange. It wasn’t that long ago that Gregg Williams came blustering into the media room here preaching culture change after a 1-15 season. Maybe he was on to something. Less than two years later, it was Williams’ rise to interim head coach that helped spur the Browns to that 5-3 finish.

Williams is with the Jets now, but one of the other key components to that equation, Kitchens, is running things. He’s assembling a promising coaching staff that, at least on Thursday, sounded ready to jump on a train they hope rolls into next January.

Monken, in fact, had never even met Kitchens prior to the interview process.

“When you start looking at taking jobs, at least for me, in order of what I was looking for was opportunity to win and, potentially, a franchise quarterback,” Monken said.

So he took an offensive coordinator job where he wouldn’t have playcalling responsibilities, something he listed third on his priorities list. That franchise quarterback is a big reason for all of this.

“A guy that loves football,” Monken said about Mayfield, “that loves to compete, that loves to be around the building and owns his mistakes, which is a great start.”

It would have been easy for Wilks to simply cite the young talent on the defensive side of the ball -- and he did -- but that wasn’t all.

“You can’t win in this league if you don’t have a quarterback and we have a quarterback,” he said.

“Not only do we have one, we have one that I consider to be, from my studying and the things I learned from him coming out of college, is he is an alpha male,” he said. “He affects not only the offensive side of the ball but this team.”

Take a minute to catch your breath, because that sounds a little strange, too.

There is no guarantee that the wins spigot will suddenly open in 2019. Monken, of all people, knows that. He was part of a Buccaneers team that was a favorite to make a leap the last two years in the NFC South and it never happened.

The Browns are suddenly an appealing team, a place where veteran coordinators see an opportunity to win, a place where a coordinator like Monken can come after things went south in Tampa. It’s a place where Steve Wilks can find a home after a one-and-done run as a head coach in Arizona. Priefer admitted to gambling on himself when he let his contract expire after the 2018 season in Minnesota. Suddenly, there’s an appealing reason to come home.

To borrow a line from Mayfield, the excitement’s real.

Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks might enlist Julius Peppers to help Myles Garrett take it up a notch
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/02...up-a-notch.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Myles Garrett has studied Julius Peppers extensively on film, and now he might get to work with him in person.

New Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who coached Peppers in Carolina in 2017, said he might call on the nine-time Pro Bowler to come to training camp or otherwise help Garrett.

“That’s always a possibility,’’ Wilks said during his introductory press conference Thursday. “You always try to look, whether it’s former players or coaches with different traits and skills that you’d like to try to bring in, so that’s definitely a thought. I’m sure that (Peppers is) going to have a lot of time on his hands now with retiring. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to be able to coach him that one year. A great football player.”

Whether or not Peppers helps, Wilks wants to assist Garrett, a 2019 Pro Bowler, reach his other lofty goals such as NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

“Myles is a very talented individual,’’ Wilks said. “I’m excited about working with him and trying to really get him to that next level.’’

Wilks said the next level includes a more dominant edge-rusher, which echoes what former Browns defensive coordinator Clyde Simmons told cleveland.com at the Senior Bowl.

Garrett, who finished seventh in the NFL -- a half-sack shy of tying the Browns’ record -- with 13.5 sacks, is one of the most physically-gifted athletes Wilks has seen.

“Very fluid, quick off the ball, great skillset,’’ said Wilks. “I was very excited when I started watching tape and just his ability to be able to anchor and play the run. A lot of times when you have guys with that skillset, it’s just a mindset of really trying to get after the quarterback. I know what I just said earlier about this being a pass-happy league, but there is nothing more demoralizing to a defense than having a team run the ball down your throat.

“That’s the one thing we have to pride ourselves in is stopping the run first. I think he does a great job of doing that. We just have to continue to add to his repertoire for pass rush.”

He acknowledged that another premier pass-rusher opposite Garrett would help. The next leading sacker was Larry Ogunjobi with 5.5. Emmanuel Ogbah was limited to three.

“As I mentioned earlier, you can never have enough rushers, whether you complement him from the inside with a strong 3 technique that can rush and get off the ball or where it’s another guy from the outside because I think at that particular time, it affects their pass protection. They can’t really lean to one side, and it really takes some pressure off him.”

Thanks for the articles.

Hoping for the best, but there are a ton of question marks regarding this staff.

i like the wilks hiring, but its a bit concerning that his one big year as a DC came what is now 4 seasons ago in Carolina.

im not gonna really say anything about his time at zona because that whole situation was a trainwreck, and he got dealt a super bad had with that front office.

as far as the OC, i think all of us will be more focused on that. i like freddie, and im glad he got the HC gig. i just wonder what that dynamic will be like.

Wilks was only the coordinator in Carolina for one year, 2017.

well, i was wrong, and now that you gave me correct info, im even more concerned.

im less worried about the coordinators than I am about the HC. I'm still not sold on Freddie as a HC. All the coordinators have a good track record as coordinators with alot of experience. Freddie was a position coach for his whole career...this is a big jump. Don't get me wrong.. I'm rooting for him as he seems like a top notch guy. A very cleveland like persona. I believe he and Dorsey has surrounded him with a great staff. He's in a great position to succeed

Actually, I think the point of surrounding Freddie with quality and experienced coaches is to help him make that transition. My concern is, if the Browns do as well as expected in 2019, Monken and Wilks could both be gone in 2020 as HC themselves.

I really like the nods Freddie made regarding the coordinators.

I gotta tell you, maybe it's just nothing, but I think I see trouble ahead for Monkin. The guy just didn't sit right with me and I can't actually give you a solid reason.

The other two I feel very comfortable with... Especially Priefer (sp). Can you imagine, you grew up here, and if you don't produce, you lose your job and perhaps your family LOL Just kidding,,,

I don’t understand this thinking dawg .. IF our coordinators are hot preospects it means we’re WINNING and WINNING BIG ...

IMO having HOT/SOUGHT AFTER COORDINATORS should be the GOAL as opposed to something that should be FEARED ...

But thats just me ...

Wilks was just fired after one season in ARZ. I think he'll have to be a successful coordinator for more than one season to get another HC shot.

Here’s Monken’s interview ... I’ve HARDLY EVER listened to these things cause there almost always all fluff ... i don’t sense that from these guys. There as straight forward as they can be ... maybe its cause i always thought our FO/coaches were LYIING about there outlook and talent on the team .. I BELIEVE these guys when they talk about the talent on the team ... we FINALLY HAVE A BUNCH OF IT ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3rqfcejUBQ


I tried to embed it ... no clue why i can’t ...

My brief summary ...

Misc ramblings ...

- took the job because of the people and the opportunity to win ...
- young talent on roster
- because Bake is here
- personality fit with Freddie
- there meshing O’s together now ...
- no personal connection with Fred or the King before interview
- mentioned this was a developmental league ... witch meshes with the were teachers theme
- likes to pass but doesn’t care how we move the ball to score points ... said last year they had 6 players that had over 700 yards and another one that was close and would have got there if not for injustices .. he wants to SPREAD IT AROUND IN THE PASS GAME ...

ON BAKE

- ability to make plays out of the pocket ...
- mentally tough and inspires other around him to play better ...
- holds himself to high standards and holds those around him accountable
- LOVES FOOTBALL and owns his mistakes ..

There all ready breaking each other’s chops ..

Said he almost didn’t take the job Bake played at OU while Monken spent time at OK State ... said he told Bake they beat OU in 2011 ... Bake countered with U did it with a 40 year old QB ... *LOL* ..

I FEEL REAL GOOD ABOUT THIS ... ... dude sounds like another OAR IN THE WATER ...

LETS GOOOOOOooooooooooooo ....

And from everything I've read, his firing was undeserved. The team was a bad team to begin with, and he lost every member of the starting OL from the beginning of the season. If he comes here and does a great job, then those looking for a HC are likely to overlook that.

Please look up the words concern (the word I used) and fear (the word you used instead.) You will find that they mean different things. Concern is a rational reaction to a potential or real problem, while fear is a largely unproductive emotional state. My concern is that replacing our new coordinators in 1 year with candidates as good may not be possible. That does not cause me fear.

Snarky ... i like it ...

I don’t understand this thinking dawg .. IF our coordinators are hot preospects it means we’re WINNING and WINNING BIG ...

IMO having HOT/SOUGHT AFTER COORDINATORS should be the GOAL as opposed to something that I’d be CONCERNED ABOUT.

But thats just me ...

So what are u saying .. we should have hired LESSER COORDIANTORS?... BRILLIANT

Snarky’s way more fun than patting each other on the back all time ..

YOUR TURN ...

I'm not saying that at all. I'm happy with the hires, and hope that they stay for more than just 1 year. I agree, cross that bridge when we come to it, and enjoy it while we have it. But I am also aware that, should they be gone in a year, we will likely suffer a downgrade.

I have a similar--albeit polar--feeling as you. Like you, I don't want to lose more coaches. Unlike you, I think it is more likely they will be fired than recruited by other teams.

I think its a little early to be worrying about coordinators leaving for other jobs. I am also less concerned about coordinators being fired. If they are fired that means they didn't do their job.

Coaching has a significant role in this and everything I have read indicates Kitchens will succeed. Pretty sure we'll be fine.

Perhaps it's my wrong impression, but TM seemed distant, very reserved, to me. It's as if he didn't want to be there; perhaps he wasn't feeling well. Whatever the reason, I admit to being a little less than impressed...

I agree we’ll suffer a “downgrade” if Wilks has to leave .... I’m not sure downgrade is the proper word but we’ll go with it ... i’d Say adjustment period would be more accurate and it may end up a downgrade ... that part u never know until after the fact ....

i trust KIng John and Freddie will bring in someone that will run the same “style” D that GW/Wilks did but the terminology and some other things may change ... they did that with the Wilks hire and KJ will go get players to fit what Wilks wants to do ... if they didn’t bring in someone with a different philosophy with the Wilks hire, I don’t see them doing it if Wilks leaves in a year or two ...

I’m not that worried about the O ... IF Monken gets plucked it means we’re WINNING and Freddie will be going no where ... NOT MUCH WILL CHANGE for that reason alone ... the new hire will bring in new philosophies FREDDIE and the NEW OC will collorabte on and they will INCORPORATE from the new guys concepts but it will be an ADDITION as opposed to a “CHANGE” ... Freddie will be the MAIN FORCE on O ...

MAKE SENSE? .. did i explain that correctly? ...

Thanks for the post link here. Wife wanted to know how his last name is pronounced. Didn't know; do now. Welcome, coach! Win a bunch.

Me neither ... 2019 is gonna be a BLAST!!!!

I can’t wait for FA for the first time basically since our return .. and i dont expect us to make a HUGE SPLASH ... maybe one high end/ big name signing ... the mid level and depth guys ... i expect to see a decent amount of shoring up in those areas of FA ...



Monken said in his presser there “meshing” the O together ... that tells me Freddie ain’t BSing when it comes to a COLLABORATIVE EFFORT .... witch to me is HUGE ... it’s what i wanted last year from our two MORONS H/H ...



Lets just be HONEST .. our d SUCKED last year ... the only positive about it was it created TO’s ... we gave up entirely to many points and yards ...

I expect ADDITIONS at every level of the D ....

One thing I’m very curious about ... how Wilks willl utilize both Avery and Peppers ... IMO Williams WAY UNDERUTILIZED both of them when it came to getting after the QB ... Avery started off as solely a pass rusher .. and he EXCELLED AT IT ... then we had injuries and he got more PT and he went to exclusively a coverage guy .. i get it .. he had too .. but to HARLDY EVER or NEVER to let him rush the passer was STUPID IMO ... his talent was not utilized properly ... GW and his son basically handcuffed him ....

Peppers was the opposite in that at the beggining of the year .. i don’t remember him hardly ever getting after the QB .. when Blake took over he was WAY LESS AGGRESIVE but u saw Peppers blitzing more .....



I am EXCITED and keeping with my theme ... OPTIMISTIC ...

LETS GOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo! ...

We are going to have qualify what a "big splash" is or isn't. Pit and I have kind of gone back and forth on this and he has mentioned Dorsey's history when he says we aren't going to make a big splash.

So, do you guys think that Dorsey didn't make a big splash last year? I'm not just talking free agency. I am talking about the entire off season.

Dorsey didn't trade his draft picks away. He used them. He made trades for guys like Landry, Randall, and Taylor. He brought in guys like Mitchell, Gaines, Carey, Hyde, the two OTs, Smith, and some lesser players.

See.........I think he made a huge splash in changing the roster in just one year. I was conditioned to guys like Farmer and Sashi who hardly brought anyone in, unless you think Kenny Britt is a "big splash."

I wouldn't rule out Dorsey making more trades and bringing in a few key free agents. I also would not rule out him moving up in the draft a time or three. I'm not saying it will be in round one, but it might be wise to move up to the top of round 2. We have the picks to do this.

I don't know..........stuff like that is making a "big splash" in my book. And have you guys not noted that it isn't just me talking about taking advantage of our rookie contracts?




This is a common sentiment, but I think it is overblown. First of all, using yards to rank defenses is stupid. Secondly, turnovers are the biggest stat in a football game other than the score. They should not be minimized.

I know you love stats, so here are a few:

We ranked second in takeaways last year. We were 8th in turnover differential. We held the Rats to 9, Saints to 21, Falcons and Donks to 16, Panthers to 20, and Bengals to 18. We also have to consider that our offense was 24th in giving up turnovers. They put our D is some bad, bad spots. The Browns were 25th in points allowed. That is not very good. However, the Browns were only 20th in points scored. I know you like math..........is there a huge difference between 20 and 25?

The D needs work, but I think the narrative that there is some huge gap between the offense and defense is vastly overblown.

In regards to your "big splash" comment, I meant in terms of huge, long term contracts in the FA market. Dorsey certainly turned the roster and talent level around during the past off season. But in terms of a money investment standpoint, the only BIG MONEY deals were TT for a single season and Landry.

What I think he does a great job of is finding players that many consider mid tier and throw away players and using their talents to greatly improve the roster.

So the big splash part of it on my part simply means I don't see him paying big money on long term deals to more than one, possibly two players.

I certainly feel we'll see a lot of moves again this year that will certainly improve the roster just like last off season. So a splash in moves and improvement? Yes I see that coming. Contracts of 60-80 mil. over four years? I don't see a lot of that coming.

I would just like to see them add two quality FAs on the defense.Not bank breakers, but solid guys who produce.

We'll need to spend some of the cap and we better do it now before we have ty re-sign everyone in 3-4 years.

Solid set of coordinators. Looking very good in my opinion. I think Baker being in Cleveland is the huge difference maker. Everyone gravitates towards him and just wants to be part of what he’s part of. Sure it could all go south but I really feel this time it won’t... and it’s because we got a very special QB in that locker room... dude makes everyone better.

I don't disagree to an extent but if we sign FA's to long term deals, say four years? If we sign them to big money deals, their contracts will be being paid at the same time as we'll be trying to extend our current players. That's where things can get complicated.

They could mitigate that to some extent by front loading their contracts but I'm not enough of an expert on that side of things to know quite how they would structure that.

Signing bonus money is spread over the length of the contract. Keep that amount fairly small. Say it is 8 mil spread over 4 years....cap hit 2 mil a year.

Guarantee him 30 mil over 4 years. Pay him 15 mil for all 4 years, but the guarantee would be paid in two years, at which point you could cut him to save cap space. In this case it would be 30 mil minus the 2 mil per year remaining on the signing bonus..you gain 26 mil in space.

The hard part in managing it over a 53 person roster year after year. You always want to have cutable players from a cap standpoint so you don't get stuck. That is where teams run in to trouble.

Players want most of their money in guarantees these days; lots up front in signing bonuses.

In the old days, the common thinking was to back-load contracts to minimize the current hit, pushing the pain of a contract down the road.
These days, we're seeing more front-loading; getting the painful part out of the way in the Now while a team has money. This lets a team get a player and make them happy while having the effect of actually decreasing their impact on the cap the longer they are with you. This makes it easier to turn around and do it again with another player the following season.

Under the old way of doing things, it would get progressively harder to keep coming up with room; you traded prosperity in the moment for Cap Hell in the future.

With the amount of cap space we have, we can do a few decent signings that allow us to heavily front load things settings us up to be able to do the same next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, etc...