Maurice Hurst II #90 of the Cleveland Browns
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Maurice Hurst II #90 of the Cleveland Browns
In the coming months, as the Cleveland Browns begin to overhaul their personnel and make changes to the roster, as OTAs and minicamps get rolling, players will get adjusted to the changes that the organization has made at the top. The team jettisoned head coach Kevin Stefanski and though it feels like the saga played out months ago, appeared positioned to promote popular defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to the head coaching job.
But the Browns went in an unexpected direction with their hire, and brought in Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to take over for Stefanski. We know what happened from there–Schwartz was angry, stormed out of the Browns offices, and vowed never to coach for the team again. The Browns tried to persuade him to stay as the DC but Schwartz declined.
While there has been much pontificating from the Browns media and other observers about that situation, there has not been much said by the players who played for Schwartz themselves.
Browns’ Maurice Hurst: ‘It Was Tough’
But this week, veteran defensive lineman Maurice Hurst, who was brought to the Browns by Schawartz in 2023, did speak up about the changes in the coaching staff. And while there will be cliches coming from players in the near future about the transition, Hurst was pretty honest about the disappointment the players felt in Schwartz being passed over.
“It was tough, man,” Hurst said. “As a defense, we were really pulling for Schwartzy to be back. Obviously, that is good for business if you’re a defensive lineman and your defensive coordinator becomes the head coach, like, probably will give you more time with the team, maybe a new deal. For business you definitely want that, and he has done such a great job. I know how passionate he is and how much he cares, so that was hard for me to see him not get that job because he’s the one that brought me here and believed in me and I believe in him equally, so—you know, that was tough.”
Change Is Afoot in Cleveland
Of course, as Hurst admitted, there is a personal connection that comes with playing for years under one coordinator that he had with Schwartz, and as a player who is a fringe roster guy at this stage of his career–Hurst is 30 and has appeared in 23 games in three seasons–he could wind up being forced to move on from the Browns.
That’s just the reality of the NFL, he said. Especially with the Browns, where turnover has been common.
Said Hurst: “That’s the league at the end of the day. NFL, Not For Long, and it really is Not For Long. You never know what the team is going to be like from year to year. You never know what guys are going to stay, you never know what guys are going to come up from the draft class, you don’t know what guys are going to get injured. You just never know.
“Especially us, with the quarterbacks and all that stuff. I have had seven quarterbacks since I have been here. Maybe eight.”