DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns Fire Joe Woods

I don't like to see people fired, but i think we all knew this was the inevitable outcome.

I guess the next thing is who we hire and if we elect to keep any of the current defensive coaches. With them, I don't know if any are worth keeping.

About 3/4 of a season too late. I wanted him gone before it was cool. Seems like a decent guy though, and I hope he lands on his feet into another job soon.

Did the special teams coach follow? If not, he should be close behind.

Sounds like they have someone in mind if you read the tea leaves (Schwartz or Zimmer)

Flores seems to be the popular option at the moment but I think that is more about the name than any real connection at this point. The name I keep coming back to, which you have referenced, is Zimmer. I feel like this is an underrated option in the sense that it's not brought up a lot, but perhaps a good one.

- Knows Stefanski from his time in MIN
- Previously a HC who could help Stefanski at times.
- Def. scheme might be a nice match
- Has a hard-nosed approach, which does differ from Stefanski. The defense might need that right now.

Not sure how Zimmer would mesh with the overall approach of the Browns organization, but I think there are elements that make sense. I'm not even sure if he wants to coach anymore either.

I agree. Zimmer would be a logical choice

If true, this is how I thought it would play out. Priefer to stay, AVP to stay. Stefanski wasn't ever going to be fired.

Ejiro Evero might also be a name to watch if he doesn't get/want the Denver HC job.

Yeah he’s a hot name to watch

Based on nothing but a hunch, Zimmer (or someone Zimmer-ish) may be a fit and an upgrade for Woods. But simultaneously beyond that, this hire may also be looking at Ski's replacement in a year. I would still hand off play calling to Van Pelt. I's prefer the ST follow Woods.

With either Pittsburgh, Baltimore, or Cincy.

LOL

Give up the play calling Stefanski

JC...

I was one of the few who wanted Zimmer as our HC over Hue Jackson...players have always raved about Zimmer, and they play hard for him. I recall back when he was the Bengals DC, and he (Zimmer) lost his wife to cancer, instead of taking a leave...He was there, with his players and team...Guy just bleeds football. Would keep the 4-3 concept, which is ideal for Myles, and creating havoc on the dline...And he doesn't mind man coverage, which would be more ideal for Denzel and our secondary (though that switches often) I have no proof of it, But I think the interchangeable safety role Woods had in place...often wasn't performed to task, and often left to busted coverage (heck Pickens TD catch yesterday, you can see the confusion...even for a seasoned vet like JJ3)

Whomever the choice is, I hope they can turn this D around, which is no small task...considering 3/4 of the Dline needs re-tooled, a vast majority of the LBs in addition...and that's just the front 7.

I don’t think this is going to happen, but I wouldn’t be against it

ok now get Clowney back

Lol he’s so gone

No thanks!

j/c:

I don't like the idea of Zimmer getting the job. He has aged a lot. Game has kinda passed him by. I don't see how he fits w/Depo and Berry. I also think it can be uncomfortable when the former boss works under the guy that used to be beneath him. There is also the family thing w/Zimmer.

I think Evero would be a great choice, but he may be in line for a HC gig.

Flores might bring some of the toughness that we need. Unlike some others, I think turning over the defense to a competent coach is a good thing for an offensive minded HC to do. You don't see guys like Andy Reid, Shanny, McVay, etc getting involved in the defense. They talk in meetings and suggestions are made, but their hands are not ot that side of the ball.

I would be shocked if the Browns hired Zimmer to be the DC. Stefanski’s former boss now working for him seems like a truly awkward fit. Has a similar scenario ever occurred before?

Does Stefanski have a good relationship with Zimmer outside of public niceties after Zimmer, at one point, blocked Stefanski from interviewing for an OC position with another team when he was with the Vikings? Zimmer then passed on promoting Stefanski to be his OC and named DeFilippo to be his OC instead.

It’ll be interesting to see who Stefanski is able to hire with the perception that he is entering the season already on the hot seat. The candidate will have to have in the back of his mind that there is a real possibility that the DC job could very well be a one year gig.

A call should be made to Ejiro Evero, though he may have better offers.

This timeframe would seem like it would suit Flores well. Hell, even if the team does well, he'll be looking for another HC job. If not, the same applies.

I don't know if a scenario has applied before but if it did, Wade Phillips would be involved! Hahaha. That dude has been everywhere.

I’d take him

This.

I'm not convinced Flores ever gets another HC job after his current lawsuit agaist the NFL. A team would be hesitant to fire him should things not work out. Could be more problematic that it is worth.

It could make for some fun fireworks having Flores and Chad O'Shea back in the same building though!

Not trying to argue, but I don't believe that is true.

In the first Bengal game, we played 4 DEs across the DL for most of the game. We played Man Coverage against Pittsburgh in both of our games while playing Zone for the majority of snaps this season. There were games where we used sort of an umbrella package to defend teams that liked the short, horizontal routes.

j/c:


His name seems to have come up a lot in season-long rumors about how good he is and his DC potential....

j/c:





We'd probably be one of his 11 interview requests, just like last time.

Brian Flores, Jerod Mayo named potential Joe Woods replacements
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Cory Kinnan
January 9, 2023 8:55 am ET


The Cleveland Browns made it official this morning, relieving defensive coordinator Joe Woods of his duties after a year where he fielded the worst run defense in football. His fate was sealed against the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday. They now seek out a new defensive coordinator who can take a unit with too much talent and get them to maximize it. And according to ESPN’s Kimberley Martin, who is known to have ties to general manager Andrew Berry, the Browns are targeting two high-profile candidates in Brian Flores and Jerod Mayo.

Here we take a look at both Flores and Mayo and what makes them good candidates.




The resume of Flores is an impressive one despite his controversial firing by the Miami Dolphins that cost them their 2023 first round pick. Flores went to serve as a defensive assistant under Mike Tomlin with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 (mainly because he would have to give back chunks of his buyout had he taken a coordinator gig).

Before becoming the head coach of the Dolphins, where he had the 10th ranked defense in 2021 in DVOA, Flores was a long-time assistant in New England under Bill Belichick. He joined the Patriots at the age of 23 in 2004 as a scouting assistant, became a pro scout in 2006, and was hired to Belichick’s coaching staff in 2008. He was then the defensive coordinator in New England for nearly a decade, hired in 2011, before landing his gig with the Dolphins.

He has had success as an NFL head coach and could help this team immensely as head coach Kevin Stefanski would no longer have to babysit the defensive side of the football. He was named as a potential candidate earlier in the season.


Jerod Mayo


The next candidate was actually a player under Flores as a member of the New England Patriots. Throughout his eight-year playing career, Mayo was named as an All-Pro once and a Pro Bowler twice. He was also named as the 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Patriots.

He has been the linebackers coach in New England since 2019 after retiring from the NFL in 2015. He has been the defensive play-caller in New England since he took on the role of linebackers coach (which, of course, has never been confirmed by Belichick). Mayo has a pipeline in place to become an NFL head coach, so with either of these candidates, the Browns would need to create an internal pipeline to replace him should he move up the ranks quickly.


https://brownswire.usatoday.com/lists/browns-brian-flores-jerod-mayo-joe-woods-replace/

Either one would be a good choice IMO

Get Williams on the phone , hold the Mayo 😁

Do these two names herald a switch back to the 3-4??

Please no.

j/c...

JJ3’s act has run cold here. He’s one of the main culprit’s on defense with a lack of consistency

Yea, I think John Johnson will be released to save cap space around $12 Mil. By the way I think both he a Dilpit are both better Strong Safeties than Free Safeties. Cutting JJ3 and bringing in a center fielder Free Safety will improve the defense. That way Dilpit can focus on coming up and assisting in the run defense and then new free safety can stay back and assist in down the field throws. Hopefully improve our interception totals.