Todd Monken may not be the most inspiring head coaching hire of this NFL cycle, as a 59-year-old first-timer who isn’t coming off a trip to the playoffs and has never even been to the Super Bowl. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t turn out to be one of the best ones.
Fans of the Cleveland Browns may have preferred someone younger and more exciting, like Nate Scheelhaase or Grant Udinski, or someone they had heard of before, like John Harbaugh or Mike McDaniel. Or they might have been comfortable with someone they know and respect, current defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
But Monken it is, and CBS Sports insider Charles Davis has a message for Browns fans about their new head coach, stating their team got “the right guy.”
“Here we are, rallying for Todd Monken. I don’t think the Cleveland fans are going to do that, but they may have gotten the right guy,” Davis said.
There is a lot to like about Monken, especially when you look back at his work as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator the past three seasons. During that time, Baltimore ranked first in rushing yards per game, yards per rushing attempt and rushing yards before contact, and third in rushing touchdowns.
In addition, quarterback Lamar Jackson won NFL MVP once and was runner-up once, and he had arguably one of the greatest QB seasons ever with 41 TD passes and more than 4,100 yards with just four interceptions. Though he and Monken may have had a bit of a falling out this season, the combination was highly successful.
Developing a franchise quarterback will be Monken’s primary but most difficult task with the Browns. Though the lack of one may have turned off some potential candidates, Monken must be willing to take on that challenge.
A former college head coach at Southern Mississippi who later helped the University of Georgia win back-to-back national championships as its offensive coordinator, Monken will have his work cut out for him in Cleveland. The Browns have made the playoffs just three times since being reinstated into the NFL in 1999.
So, if he can somehow get the Browns to become perennial contenders, those fans will certainly come around on this hire.
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