Browns could reportedly offer Josh McDaniels a “Belichick-like” role
Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick talk during the Patriots’ Super Bowl LII practice in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. (Elsa/Getty Images)
98.5 The Sports Hub staff report
The Cleveland Browns seem awfully determined to do everything they can to get Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels to think twice about his status in New England.
Even if it means potentially giving all the keys to the franchise to the 43-year-old McDaniels.
With McDaniels seemingly at the top of Cleveland’s list, and on the heels of the Browns dismissing front office head John Dorsey, NFL analyst Gil Brand ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if the Haslams (who are reportedly very enamored with the idea of bringing McDaniels in) offer McDaniels a role similar to the one Bill Belichick has with the Patriots.
In other words, the Browns would be talking about Josh The Coach and Josh The GM.
While it’s unknown if that is something that McDaniels even wants (this wasn’t part of the deal when McDaniels originally “left” New England to become the Colts’ new head coach before backing out), it could be an interesting wrinkle to add to the McDaniels sweeps, which is expected to also include the Giants and Panthers. Especially if Nick Caserio, who has had a close relationship with McDaniels for over two decades (predating their time with the Patriots, actually), decides to leave New England following the expiration of his contract at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
But in the now, this all seems like a bunch of maybes and hypotheticals, as McDaniels remains focused on the task at hand beginning with this Saturday’s wild card weekend meeting with the six-seed Titans.
“When that stuff is presented to me or discussed with me or whatever, then we’ll deal with it appropriately,” McDaniels said on a Monday conference call with the media. “Honestly, it’s pretty easy for me in terms of my formula: I’m the offensive coordinator of the Patriots. We have a lot of work to do, we can improve in a lot of areas to try to get ready for this week – our biggest game of the year against, certainly, the best team we’ve played since a postseason game.
“Our players deserve that, our coaches deserve that, and that’s what they’re going to get from me.”
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