The Browns have hired Jim Schwartz as their new defensive coordinator. Excellent choice. If you read my blog, you know Schwartz has been on my “hope they hire list” for a while. This team has been in a must win now frame of mind since the acquisition of quarterback Deshaun Watson. So, hire the guy who most fits your scheme. Jim Schwartz is a known quantity in the league. His defenses stop the run, sack the quarterback and create turnovers. Schwartz has already worked in Cleveland as a scout for Bill Belichick in 1993, so he knows the town and the fans.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the Browns wanted to hire someone with previous head coaching experience. The only two candidates with HC experience they interviewed were Schwartz and Brian Flores. Apparently, they didn’t want to wait for Flores to conclude his interviews with other teams. Good. Make the hire and start targeting the players Schwartz will need to be successful. I still maintain the Browns will need to sign two defensive tackle free agents and possibly a safety. I wish I was a fly on the wall during the interview to know how Schwartz felt about the current roster, because that’s a question the Browns have to ask.
As mentioned earlier, Jim Schwartz defenses have been very good. I’ll highlight two of his 14 seasons as a DC. In his one year as the Buffalo Bills DC, they led the league in sacks, were fourth in the league in yards allowed and were third in takeaways (30). In the year he won a Super Bowl ring as the DC of the Eagles, their defense was number one against the run (79.2 yards per game), were third in the NFL in opponent third down success (32.2%) and fourth in takeaways (31). Hell, as a head coach he took the Detroit Lions to the playoffs. The Lions. He became head coach the year after they finished 0-16. That snapped an eleven-year playoff drought.
Finally, Schwartz isn’t going to put up with any crap from his players. They’re going to work and work hard. I don’t want to see any drive extending penalties by the 2023 Cleveland defense. All in all, the Browns got this hire right.