DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum What Now Pt. 2

My biggest concern with Harbaugh is that he is very similar to Stefanski in one big way ....... that he refused to get rid of ineffective coordinators.

You point out how few games Dart and Ward won yet overlooked their progress and their potential as QB's.

And allow me to point something else out to you. I have pointed out why most NFL teams address the QB position first and then build the team around their QB's afterwords. This what both the Titans and Giants are doing. You yourself said you would never compete for a championship without a top tier QB. So it makes sense that rookie QB's Would have a losing record since the process of building the team around them is in the beginning stage.

So wouldn't it stand to reason that in their rookie years, before the team is built around them, that the win totals would be low?

That's something Harbaugh may see that we don't have and can't offer. A legitimate franchise QB prospect for him to build around.

It seems odd that you yourself claimed it isn't reasonable to think Harbaugh would seriously consider being HC of the Browns and now seem to doing quite the opposite.

Offer him part ownership? I understand that while you are somewhat older than I am, not by that much. I understand that we are both desperate for the Browns to win a Super Bowl before our days on this earth are done. But I also understand that the Haslam's have no motivation to give up part ownership to land a HC.

If I were in their shoes instead of in mine neither would I.

j/c…

You both make a lot of sense. I don't think revenge and setting himself apart would feed enough ego to look beyond the downside though.

Perennial loser that seems to have a curse, owner that meddles, alienate the very fans that hold you the highest by joining a division rival. If you fail you go from elite to the brunt of jokes. Yes, everyone will still recognize your body of work; but still - the brunt of jokes.

This simply isn't appealing enough. If we were locked and loaded and this was a draft class like 2018? Maybe. But there is no QB on this team and none that jumps off the page (that you can feasibly draft) in the draft. The owner is already saying the DC stays. No matter how you slice it, we are probably the least attractive destination. And while we may offer a stab at immortality and revenge, the downside is just way too down.

I’d start fresh…new city, new team and new conference. I don’t want to go into my last teams place once a year. Too much unnecessary added stress. Willing to bet that’s what he does.

I agree. Haven't watched a lot of Ward but I suspect the star may fall a good deal for Dart. I live with all Giant's fans and watched more Giants than Browns this year. He's got a lot to like but he also seems like he gets rattled, forced into errors a lot. He's more than a little over confident and tries to force things. He's fun to watch and the team really responds to him but he's not hard to figure out.

Living in the Nashville area I get to see a lot of coverage on Ward. While he is on a very bad team much like the Browns are, you can see how he has developed and improved over the course of the season. That's no actual guarantee of what he will become but all of the signs are currently pointing in the right direction.

So we can have 4th Quarter meltdowns?

Falcons (SB LI) : 28-3; lost 28-31
Green Bay: 24-6; lost 27-31 ... on the heels of a 5 game losing streak to close out the season, all five games featured the Packers collapsing late in the game after leading.

I'd take LeFleur and hopes he brings Malik Willis along for the ride as well. Kid looked really good in relief of Love this year.

Kick Jador to the curb. Make Willis #1, Dillon as backup. Trade back in the draft. Draft 2 OL and 2 WRs in 1st and 2nd round. O would be back in business.

Ravens announce interview with Jim Schwartz

The Ravens have wrapped up another head coaching interview.

The team announced the completion of their meeting with Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on Wednesday. It’s the ninth interview they have conducted since firing John Harbaugh last week and several more are expected to take place before they move to another round of meetings.

Schwartz, who was a Ravens assistant from 1996-1998, has also interviewed for the vacancy in Cleveland. He went 29-51 over five seasons as the Lions’ head coach.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said at a Tuesday press conference that he’s “very intrigued” by coaches like Schwartz who were hot coaching candidates and did not find great success in their first stops as a head coach. Brian Flores, Kliff Kingsbury, Matt Nagy, Vance Joseph, and Schwartz’s former boss in Cleveland Kevin Stefanski are others who fall into that category.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profo...ens-announce-interview-with-jim-schwartz

If they hire a young unproven OC or DC as the HC (Minter, Udinski, Scheelhaase, Shula, or PItcher), the Browns could keep Reese and Schwartz. If not these two, they could hire McDaniel, Brian Callahan, or BIll Musgrave as the OC, and for the DC position, Zach Orr, Dennard Wilson, Anthony Weaver, Nick Rallis, Jonathan Gannon, or Jeff Ulbrich. The question becomes can these young guys work with these coordinators.

We could be looking at the next Sean McVay or seeking a new head coach in a year or two.

I'm trying to keep a lot of people in mind to try and help convince myself everything will be okay when they sign someone with no proven track record as HC when all of the best candidates have already signed elsewhere.

I thoroughly agree with you.

I think he right thing to do is hire Jim Schwartz. He has been very successful as D Coordinator and has past head coach experience. Our GM and Owner have expressed interest in him staying on a D Coordinator with interviews according to reports. I think if he is so valuable you want to keep him on just hire him as head coach. Your best player Myles Garrett has been on record saying he is a fan of Schwartz's detailed organized approach. Look what this team has and what is does not have. It has a playoff caliber defense. Sustain that and build the offense around that. Hire Schwartz and let him hire an offensive coordinator that compliments his defense.

What they will probably will do is hire the 30-year-old supposed to be genius and try to be the smartest person in the room and hope Schwartz stays on as D Coordinator. It might work but if that is what they want to do why not just keep Stefanski? He was already the smartest person in the room type

Yep.

This is the Browns we are talking about, I'm thinking we take what we can get (sighs).

I expect us to be so busy with adding candidates for interviews that we see people snapped up by other clubs and we must pick from the others left over. What are we looking for that Ski lacked or failed out that got him the door. Interviewing 50 or so doesn't mean you had a good search or that your "due-r" diligence was more effective. It does indicate a choice to interview more people than needed, and honestly, they can't all bring our answer. I want us to offer the job(s) to proven candidates strong in what we need. Limit what we are sining the HC to do. It is a kind off organizational triage. Avoid the past committee approach, lots of input, lots of losing Focus and simplified yardsticks for success are needed to address this culture. First, stop bleeding. I would hire Schwartz and Callahan, find a new STs. Hire your anchors.

I just want to take a moment to point out that we are nearly a full month into 2026 and the Cleveland Browns have not lost a single game this year.


As far as the head coach search, I think that because our FO is set and we are set on Schwartz staying as DC (provided he doesn't leave to be the HC elsewhere), we have the luxury of sitting and waiting to see who might become available as the playoffs go along. Whomever it is that comes in will really only need to bring their head coach organizational skills and an offense. Most of the rest of the staff is already set.

See? We can still be positive when need be!

I think you are right on your assessment at this point. However, I expect at least 1 or more QB name to rise before the draft. There were names before the college season started that were seen as possible top prospects, but they dropped due underperforming on the field. Two years ago, Drake Maye had an underperforming year at North Carolina, but he still rose in the draft process. I think QB's performances in the Senior Bowl practices and game will be closely monitored. If a QB performs well during the senior bowl week, they now have a golden opportunity to change the conversation.

Under such a scenario they will have to hire someone at the HC position who is willing to let the FO and owner dictate to him the entire defensive side of his own coaching staff. That's in no way the normal process. A HC usually selects and hires his own coaching staff. That will greatly reduce the candidates willing to take the job.

If the owner and FO wants to dictate to you who will be a full one half of your coaching staff, how sold are they on you as a HC from day 1? This sounds like just another recipe for disaster.

I'll be more and more happy as the temptation to reach for a QB keeps going down.

Build that Oline, stock that WR room with young talent.

I agree

Pick # 6, OT- Mauigoa (UM) or Fano (UT), #24, OT-Dunker (IA), #39, WR- Bell (UL) or Brazzell (TN) or Conception TX A&M), #70, QB-Beck (UM), #107, OG-Reed-Adams (TA&M), #139, DL-Bear Alexander (OR), then BPA remainder. If Beck is gone get best QB FA available.

I don't see waiting until pick #39 as a good gamble to make any major upgrade to the WR room. It's certainly possible but certainly not a good gamble for a major impact.

I thought this was supposed to be a deep WR class? I keep seeing mocks with Jordyn Tyson going to us but that he also has an epic injury rap sheet. Most important ability is availability. I'd be perfectly happy if 9 out of 10 picks we took like 6 OL and 3WRs. That won't happen of course but it would be great. Use the last one on another RB or blocking TE. I don't see a point on taking another developmental QB. We don't develop QBs. In Cleveland, they need to be "heat and serve".

Even though he had a great draft last year I have the sneaking suspicion that Berry will have some head scratchers. Like if Caleb Downs is sitting there at 6. It would be hard to argue the pick from a BPA standpoint but would help us win 0 games in the short run.

Is the draft here yet?

I actually see things much differently than that. If they don't think the QB they've been searching for is in this draft, I see every possibility they will trade down again for another first round pick in next years draft.

Another complication is that teams at the bottom of the draft have less needs. That's why they're winners and more complete teams. Teams selecting before us in round 2 have already gotten their #1 need and have the luxury of scooping up any remaining gems left on the board. If there are truly any WR steals left in this draft by that point, I look for them to be snatched up late first or early second round. We hear the talking heads say a lot of things every year before the draft. How deep or how weak certain positions are and projections of where players will be selected. Like Shedeur Sanders being a first round draft pick. Over the years I've learned not to take what they say as serious as some people do. But to each their own.