On Sunday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that former Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski has been sharing his thoughts about his experiences dealing with owner Jimmy Haslam, CEO Joe Banner and General Manager Mike Lombardi in Cleveland with the team’s candidates to replace him.
“Part of the problem here is -- from what I’m told -- candidates have been calling Rob Chudzinski, who went one-and-out with the Browns,” Rapaport said. “The reviews have not been favorable; he’s an honest guy. He’s been honest with them and when you talk to people involved in these interviews, it doesn’t sound like Banner, Lombardi and Haslam have all been on the same page.”
That’s not the only place where people appear to be on different pages. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports, via a league source, that Chudzinski has not spoken to any of the candidates for the job.
Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Packers quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo and Chargers coordinator Ken Whisenhunt have all reportedly interviewed for the job, with McDaniels taking himself out of the running last week. Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase and Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott may interview in the future.
Whether Chudzinski has spoken to candidates or not, the quick hook he got after signing a four-year deal to coach a Browns team that had no quarterback and made moves that suggested they were building toward better days in the future can likely speak for itself if candidates are wary of the triumvirate making the decisions in Cleveland.