Gregg Williams

The Browns hired Gregg Williams as their new defensive coordinator.

(AP)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here's basic fact that is seldom mentioned when the Cleveland Browns change head coaches in the off-season -- they have a very hard time putting together a coaching staff.

The Browns hired Hue Jackson on January 13, 2016.

He was their fourth head coach in six years. Here's the list: Pat Shurmur (2011-12), Rob Chudzinski (2013), Mike Pettine (2014-15) and Jackson (2016).

If you are a big-time coordinator, you probably were already off the market by the time Jackson was hired a year ago. Or else, you probably would decide Cleveland is a risky place to work.

So when Jackson was looking for a defensive coordinator, he had two choices:

Someone who had not been a defensive coordinator before.

Someone who recently had been fired and had a spotty record as a defensive coordinator.

Because Jackson was going to spend so much time with the offense, he correctly realized he needed an experienced coordinator. That guy would be a like a head coach for the defense.

Ray Horton already had been fired by the Browns in 2013. That was part of the fallout when Chudzinski was fired after one year.

I was told one option was keeping Chudzinski, but the Browns were going to fire Horton. They went for the nuclear option, and started over.

Horton went to Tennessee as defensive coordinator in 2014. In 2015, he remained with the Titans, but was demoted as veteran Dick LeBeau was put in charge of the defense. Horton is a LeBeau disciple, so they were able to work together.

But the fact remains, Horton had problems with his defense with the Browns in 2013 and with Tennessee in 2014.

Jackson knew that when hiring Horton, who was still being paid by the Browns from his 2013 contract.

It didn't work out again.

I'm not going to blame Horton for everything. But if he had a better track record, then it would be easier to make a case for more patience.

By midseason, I was ready for a new defensive coordinator because many of the same problems Horton had with the Browns in 2013 reappeared in 2016.

I'm not going bury you with all the defensive stats. They are bad.

Virtually everyone who closely follows the NFL will say Gregg Williams should make the Browns better.

I'm glad they made the move.





THERE IS BAGGAGE

Williams comes to town as the defensive coordinator who was suspended for the 2012 season for his role in "Bountygate," where New Orleans Saints players were reportedly paid to knock opposing players out of the game.

It was ugly and it's easy to find plenty of stories about it.

I admit to not being surprised when I heard it. I had no clue about Williams. But I had heard players rewarded each other for knocking out quarterbacks, etc.

Williams became the face of this deplorable practice that had been a part of some football teams for decades.

I don't like it. But I also know the league could have found other coaches if it chose to really look hard. Instead, suspending Williams became a warning sign for everyone in the NFL to cut out that practice.

This goes back to original premise of this story: Most coordinators coming to the Browns have something about them...

Inexperience...

Iffy track record...

Or something else, as with Williams.

In fact, the one coach least likely to have a bounty system is Williams, because he is under the most scrutiny.

A NEW APPROACH

Williams is a 4-3 defensive coach, and I greet that with a standing ovation.

Other than the Eric Mangini version of the 3-4 defense, I have seen it mostly fail here.

One of the better defenses the Browns had was the 4-3 run by Dick Jauron in 2011-12. It was basic. Players had clear assignments. It's wasn't great, but it looked organized.

Williams has a history of improving defenses.

One executive told me that Williams is "an upgrade" over Horton, "and he will make a difference if they get him some players."

He also said Williams can be difficult at times on a personal level. We'll see how that works out. But his history is that players tend to relate to him.

Also, the Browns drafted some linemen who are best in a 4-3, such as defensive ends Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib.

I can imagine Jamie Meeder and Danny Shelton in the middle of the line, with Ogbah and Nassib at the ends. They also will have more options to draft linemen. It's easier to find guys to play in the 4-3 system.

I'm open to what Williams brings to the Browns.

This is not just change for the sake of change. This is a change that needed to be made.









