Browns

Defense

After a couple of close loses, the bottom may have fallen out of the Browns season yesterday. If the Browns have a losing record this year, Butch Davis is likely gone.

It looks like he’ll get a job, and may inspire a bidding way between the Browns and 49ers.

Looks like Nick Saban and Romeo Crennel have similar taste in men. Both lost out on Eric Mangini to the Pats.

Oakland has lost RBs coach Tom Rathman, OC Greg Knapp, and now Ryan, not to mention the assistants Lane Kiffin made off with to college. Buddy’s lesser known son, Ryan’s defenses were dictated by Al Davis in Oakland so we can’t say for sure how they’ll look with the Browns. The Raiders’ 4-3 was awful against the run and used no blitzes. Ryan has experience running the 3-4, however, and will very likely employ that alignment in Cleveland.

That staff might include Romeo Crennel as defensive coordinator. Another candidate to run the Browns’ defense if Mangini gets the job is current Raiders DC Rob Ryan. Mangini nearly got Ryan on his Jets staff last year.

“Hell, yeah, I’d have interest,” Ryan said. “I will be a head coach in this league, and I will be damn successful, too.” Uh-oh. Is the league really big enough for two Ryan boys holding forth on a weekly basis? The Raiders defensive boss from 2004-08, Ryan has a history with owner Al Davis.

It’s been evident from the Cleveland papers that owner Jimmy Haslam holds Saban in high regard, but the NFL ship has sailed for the successful Crimson Tide coach. Of his 2005-2006 stint with the Dolphins, Saban said he had “a very, very difficult time thinking that I could impact the organization in the way that I wanted to or the way that I was able to in college, and it was very difficult for me, because there’s a lot of parity in the NFL, there’s a lot of rules in the NFL.. ... I’ve put it to rest.”

Despite seven head coaching jobs coming available on Black Monday, it’s Zimmer’s first interview of the season. Intense and outspoken, he brings a resume that includes 18 years in the NFL and five years at the head of the Bengals’ defense. This year, he coaxed a breakout season out of DT Geno Atkins and developed WLB Vontaze Burfict as the unit finished sixth in the league. The Browns could steal an asset from their division rival while simultaneously filling their own vacancy.

Asked if he planned to use a 3-4, a 4-3, or a hybrid scheme, Horton said, “It won’t be a hybrid, not unless we’re playing golf. It’ll be a 3-4. It’ll be the same defense we ran [in Arizona].” While coach Rob Chudzinski said Thursday that Cleveland would use both 4-3 and 3-4 fronts, Horton insists the Browns’ defense will mimic the Steelers’. Horton spent seven seasons in Pittsburgh as a defensive backs coach.

The report obviously comes from Heckert’s camp. Sources tell FS Ohio’s Pat McManamon that Haslam and CEO Joe Banner have been impressed with Heckert’s work. A potential sticking point is that Banner will be involved in personnel decisions, with the GM and all other football people reporting to him. The decision could come down to Banner’s willingness to let Heckert work freely. Several NFL insiders also confirm that NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi is “not nearly as likely” to be brought on board as Pro Football Weekly’s report suggested. Banner has referred to the Lombardi speculation as “wild speculation,” “unfounded,” and somebody “taking a shot in the dark.”