The Browns seem to be losing respected DC Jim Schwartz, and former Steelers RB Merril Hoge is excited about it. For the past few seasons, Schwartz’s defense has been about the only thing making Cleveland competitive. When the team passed on him for their head coach vacancy, he responded by resigning from his job.
“I was like, ‘God, if they can hold onto him, they got half their problems solved over there’”, Hoge said about the Browns potentially retaining Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator on 102.5 WDVE. “That defense is pretty good. That rookie linebacker they got over there, what they have off the edge”.
The Browns have had a top-five defense twice in the past three seasons thanks to Schwartz. Even in the other year, they performed well on a drive-by-drive basis. They were just forced to field so many drives that it looked worse.
“This I think puts a dent in them, because what does this next coordinator do?”, Hoge said. “That is a blow, because he had that defense dialed in and he knew them and understood them. And they liked playing for him, too, which is another plus”.
Jim Schwartz drew up in the Browns organization, beginning there in 1993 as a personnel scout for three seasons. From there, he moved on to the Ravens when the franchise changed locations and names. He spent another three seasons in Baltimore as a defensive assistant, later moving on to the Titans, where he found his first defensive coordinator opportunity.
After eight seasons as the Titans’ defensive coordinator, Schwartz landed his first, and still only, head coaching job. He served in that role for the Lions for five seasons, but only had one winning season. Since then, he has worked for the Bills, Eagles, Titans again, and then finally back home to the Browns.
Despite reportedly being a strong candidate for the Browns head coach job, Jim Schwartz lost out to Todd Monken. Monken had also briefly worked in Cleveland for one season, most recently serving as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator.
Despite his resignation, the Browns still hold Schwartz’s contractual rights over the next two seasons. At least one Cleveland reporter believes there is enough bad blood between the two parties that the team would force him to sit out the next two seasons.
Schwartz will turn 60 later this year, so time is running out on him landing another head coach job. In the meantime, Browns defenders are probably very confused about what’s going on. He commanded a lot of respect, and they still intend to run the defense he installed. But it sounds like they will have to do so without him, one way or another.
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