Rob Chudzinski could have been on his way to the beach right now, cashing big checks from the Browns while doing so.
Instead, he’s working with a Costanza-esque title for the Colts, the special assistant to the head coach.
“I wasn’t going to sit and do nothing,” Chudzinski told Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. “My wife would have thrown me out of the house by now.”
“There’s nothing too big or too small I won’t do. That’s why I’m here.”
While there was some concern that the former Panthers offensive coordinator might step on the toes of Colts play-caller Pep Hamilton, it turns out Chudzinski is spending as much of his time working with the Colts defense.
“I can sit down with Chud for a good 30, 40 [minutes] to an hour and just melt through stuff that he did in Carolina and what he did in Cleveland as well,” defensive coordinator Greg Manusky said. “It’s a great addition for me to have a guy like that from an offensive perspective. Even though [Pagano] is here, it’s still a defensive perspective. ... I understand, ‘OK, I want to beat this protection.’ But how do you actually beat it?. ... [Chudzinski explains] ‘Here’s what the guard’s thinking. This is what the center’s thinking.’ That helps me to come up with something that’ll beat that protection.
“When we’re breaking down tape of other teams we’re going to be playing, it’s great to sit with him and [learn] why are they doing those things? You never really know as a defensive coordinator because you’re never in those [offensive] meetings. When I sit with him for those hours, I’m listening to what he’s thinking. It’s those little things.”
Chudzinski can also bring some valuable insight to the AFC North, which the Colts will play this year.
And the best part is, he’s doing it for a cut rate, since the Browns are already paying him to do it.