The Cleveland Browns reportedly pulled out all the stops for Josh McDaniels on Friday, flying him and his wife out on owner Jimmy Haslam's team plane for his head coach interview.
The New England Patriots offensive coordinator and Ohio native also has dreamed about coaching the Browns since childhood, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, and likely would jump at the chance to work with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
But McDaniels to Cleveland isn't a done deal just yet.
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McDaniels and Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, who interviewed with the Browns this week, have had colleagues "in their ears ... warning them to think twice about the Browns job" because of Cleveland's "short leash" with head coaches, Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reported Friday.
The Browns indeed have had more head coach turnover than any NFL team since Haslam took over in 2012. None of their five head coaches -- Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Gregg Williams (interim) and Freddie Kitchens -- have lasted three full seasons.
McDaniels' and Stefanski's colleagues likely would try to convince them to turn down any head coach job to stay put.
But there's another factor for McDaniels to consider, per Cabot: Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta and his analytics team are expected to play a "larger role" going forward.
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McDaniels should have a say in who Cleveland hires to replace general manager John Dorsey -- and reportedly has someone in mind -- but would need to be willing to work with DePodesta, who came to the Browns in 2016 after a career in Major League Baseball.
McDaniels has opted for stability in recent years by spurning the Indianapolis Colts and others to remain with the Patriots. The Browns offer him yet another opportunity to take a leap of faith, but the job is not without risk.
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