"Nine days since Jim Schwartz resigned as their defensive coordinator, the Browns are getting closer to naming his replacement. Head coach Todd Monken's decision could come "within the next day or two," Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. Monken has spent this weekend conducting in-person interviews with candidates, according to Cabot. Two finalists, Texans defensive pass-game coordinator Cory Undlin and Falcons PGC Mike Rutenberg, have met with Monken."
"Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver and safeties coach Ephraim Banda are also still in contention. Thanks in part to his defensive coordinator experience with the Raiders from 2012-14, Tarver is the "stronger internal candidate" than Banda, Cabot writes. Banda was the co-defensive coordinator at Miami from 2019-20 and the DC at Utah State between 2021-22, but he has spent all three of his NFL seasons coaching safeties."
"Considering Monken intends to keep Schwartz's system in place, that may be important. With Schwartz then the Eagles' DC, Undlin spent four years under him (2016-19) as their defensive backs coach. They won a Super Bowl together in 2017. In addition to his experience with Schwartz, Undlin has also worked with Monken. The two overlapped as Jaguars assistants from 2009-10."
Todd Monken has conducted in-person interviews and could name Jim Schwartz's replacement within a day or two. Finalists include Texans defensive pass-game coordinator Cory Undlin and Falcons PGC Mike Rutenberg. Internal candidates Jason Tarver and Ephraim Banda remain under consideration, with Tarver viewed as the stronger internal choice due to past DC experience with the Raiders. Banda's collegiate coordinator experience contrasts with limited NFL coordinator résumé. Rutenberg has extensive NFL tenure but has never run a defense or worked on the same staff as Schwartz. Undlin worked under Schwartz in Philadelphia and overlapped with Monken in Jacksonville. Tarver and Banda helped produce a top scoring defense and Myles Garrett's record sack season.
Read at Pro Football Rumors
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]