After another disappointing season, the Cleveland Browns have made some changes to their coaching staff so far this offseason.
Defensive coordinator Joe Woods was fired last month, and they decided to replace him with Jim Schwartz, a decision that some fans in The Land seem to like.
More recently, the Browns let go of special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, and they’re focusing on finding a suitable replacement for him.
One candidate for the job is New York Jets special teams assistant coach Leon Washington, who they reportedly just interviewed.
The #Browns interviewed #Jets special teams assistant coach Leon Washington for their vacant special teams coordinator job, source said. Bubba Ventrone, #Colts special teams coach, is also a top candidate.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 22, 2023
Years ago, as a player with the Jets, Washington was a standout.
He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Jets in 2006, and although the 5-foot-8 man contributed as a running back on offense, it was on special teams where he made a name for himself.
In his second season, he logged 1,291 yards and three touchdowns on kick returns, and the following year he had 1,231 kick return yards, to go along with his 448 yards and six touchdowns as a running back and 355 yards and two scores through the air.
Altogether, Washington had a league-high 2,332 all-purpose yards, which earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro first-team honors that year.
He continued to shine brightly the next two seasons under head coach Rex Ryan as New York made it to back-to-back AFC Championship Games, although he missed part of the 2009 campaign with a severely fractured fibula.
Washington played a total of nine seasons, and he holds an NFL record with two kickoff return touchdowns in one game.
NEXT: Why The Browns Had To Move On From Mike Priefer
