The exodus of coaches from New England could continue, with a guy who has said he’ll “definitely” be back possibly still leaving.
Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com reports that the Browns and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels have had “more conversations” this week, and that McDaniels is “possibly back in the mix” for the job.
As we pointed out last week, at least one league insider believes McDaniels could still be in play, even though he removed his name from consideration after interviewing for the job.
Nothing stops the Browns from continuing to pursue McDaniels. With the Patriots’ season over, the Browns can offer him the job, if they want.
It’s possible that McDaniels’ name has re-emerged as the Browns try to finalize a deal with Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, whose agent, Trace Armstrong of CAA, could be driving a harder-than-expected bargain. The Browns may need leverage, and reports of discussions with McDaniels and an interview with Greg Schiano could be aimed at driving down the price of a guy who otherwise has the Browns where he wants them — even if no one else had interviewed him for a head-coaching job in the current hiring cycle.