ABOUT STEVE WILKS

1. When the Browns hired Steve Wilks as their new defensive coordinator, I wasn’t sure what to think. He had just been fired after one year and a 3-13 record as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. He had been a defensive coordinator in Carolina for only one year (2017).

2. The Panthers had a top 10 defense in most important areas under Wilks in 2017. But it was only one year. Before that, he spent 11 seasons mostly as a defensive backs coach for three NFL teams.

3. The Browns have to get this right. New head coach Freddie Kitchens will spend a lot of time with the offense. He’ll call plays. He will mentor quarterback Baker Mayfield. He did hire a strong offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, but Kitchens never coached any defense in the NFL or college.

4. A year ago, Wilks was one of the hot names to become a head coach. He interviewed with the Giants. In 2017, he interviewed with the Rams, who eventually hired Sean McVay as head coach. The Cardinals did hire him before the 2018 season.

5. Wilks is a disciple of Carolina head coach Ron Rivera. He worked with Rivera with the Panthers, Chargers and Bears. Washington also interviewed Wilks about becoming defensive coordinator for 2019, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL network.

6. In Arizona, about everything went wrong for Wilks. We’ll start with his big mistake. He took an above average defense that played a 3-4 scheme and tried to turn it into his favored 4-3 scheme. Browns fans know the agony of switching a defense in such a significant fashion.

7. The good news is the Browns played a 4-3 scheme under former coordinator Gregg Williams in 2017-18. They have been drafting players who fit a 4-3 scheme, such as defensive ends Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah. So the style of defense Wilks likes to play should fit well with the Browns.

8. I find it hard to understand why coaches say they will fit their schemes to the players, but often refuse to do so. I remember Gregg Williams saying it was obvious the Browns had far more players (Joe Schobert, Larry Ogunjobi, Ogbah and Garrett) better suited for a 4-3 than the 3-4 played by former coordinator Ray Horton.

9. So what happened in Arizona? In early July, Cardinals GM Steve Keim was arrested for “extreme DUI” and eventually suspended by the team for five weeks. He reportedly blew a .193. He missed nearly all of training camp. It’s critical for the GM and the coach to work together in training camp as rosters are finalized, players are evaluated.

10. The Cardinals opened the season with Sam Bradford as the starting quarterback. He started three games: two TD passes, four interceptions, lost two fumbles, team scored only 20 total points.

11. The Cardinals went with rookie Josh Rosen in Game 4. It was the typical bad team, rookie QB nightmare. The Cardinals had seven offensive linemen hurt during the year. They went with 10 different offensive line combinations. Rosen was sacked 45 times in 13 starts, completing only 55 percent of his passes.

12. A source in Phoenix told me that Wilks was “forced” to hire Mike McCoy as offensive coordinator. Remember, Wilks was a defensive guy...he needed a strong hand to guide the offense. McCoy was fired in the middle of the 2018 season. McCoy also was fired during the 2017 season in Denver.

13. There were times when Wilks seemed overwhelmed. His decision to switch defenses haunted him. The Cardinals ranked 26th in points, 32nd. vs. the run and 20th in yards allowed. The previous year playing the 3-4 defense, the Cardinals were 9th in yards allowed, 19th in points, 6th vs. the run.

14. But he had a weak front office and a weak coaching staff. He replaced Bruce Arians, who was very popular with the fans. He should be grateful he was fired because the Cardinals are a mess, witness their decision to hire Kliff Kingsbury as head coach. He had a 35-40 record at Texas Tech and was fired after the 2018 season.

15. Some in the media thought Wilks was fired prematurely. Perhaps that’s so. This reminds me of the firing of coaches such as Chris Palmer and Rob Chudzinski by the Browns. I have no clue if they could have been successful given more time, but their situation was impossible to win.

16. Wilks was the Browns' top choice to be the defensive coordinator. They targeted him early and set up an interview quickly. They believe his leadership can be a game-changer for the Browns. His experience as a head coach will make him more effective as a coordinator. He is extremely popular and respected in NFL circles. He is considered a good motivator. He knows the 4-3 defense. He likes to blitz. His expertise is working with defensive backs. He seems like a good fit.

ABOUT GETTING FIRED

In a video earlier in the week, I mentioned a comment from an NFL executive telling me how coaches “live in fear of being fired every three years.”

Then I saw this story from Dave Mangels of SB Nation.

Seven different head coaches were hired before the 2016 season, including Hue Jackson by the Browns.

Guess how many are still with their same team to start a fourth season in 2019?

One!

That’s Doug Pederson in Philadelphia.

Adam Gase was hired and fired by Miami. He has been hired by the Jets.

Chip Kelly lasted one year with San Francisco.

The others fired: Dirk Koetter (Tampa Bay), Ben McAdoo (Giants), Mike Mularkey (Titans) and Jackson (Browns).

I thought I’d go to back to 2015, when seven coaches were hired.

Guess how many are still with their original team?

That’s right...one!

Take a bow, Dan Quinn in Atlanta.

Here’s the others now fired: John Fox (Bears), Rex Ryan (Bills), Jack Del Rio (Raiders), Todd Bowles (Jets), Gary Kubiak (Broncos) and Jim Tomsula (San Francisco).