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Browns HC Todd Monken makes claim on offense.
The Cleveland Browns introduced Todd Monken as their new head coach on Tuesday.
Monken had served as the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator and now is a first-time head coach in the NFL. Although Monken is a first-time head coach, he said he will continue to call the offensive plays.
“Yes,” Monken said when asked if he would call the plays.
Monken will have full control of the Browns’ offense, which could be good news as Cleveland’s offense struggled last season.
One of the biggest questions Monken will have to address is who will be the team’s starting quarterback. Cleveland has Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel under contract, but the Browns could look to add a quarterback.
If the Browns do add a quarterback, Monken said there are certain traits he wants from a quarterback.
“Well, I’m just going to start with personality traits,” Monken said. “I mean, when you talk about who’s going to lead this team, who has the ‘it’ factor? who has those characteristics that the team wants to follow and believes in them because the ball’s in their hand every down?
“This game is going to come down to two-minute situations, four-minute situations where you’ve got to be able to execute the high level. And we’re just talking about some of the characteristics that you’re looking for, let alone some of the physical traits that we’ll get a chance to talk about later.”
Whether or not that means Sanders or Watson will start is uncertain.
Monken Unsure on Coaching Staff
Although Monken will be calling the offensive plays, he still has to fill out the rest of his staff.
One of the major questions is whether Jim Schwartz will remain the team’s defensive coordinator. He wasn’t happy that he didn’t get the head coaching job, but Monken is hopeful he will remain as the DC.
Yet, Monken isn’t putting any firm dates on when he will have his staff filled out, as he said it takes time to make sure he has the right people.
“I don’t control that,” Monken said of when his staff will be hired by. “I mean we’re going to vet as many candidates as we can to get it right. When I was the head coach at Southern Miss, we lost a coach and Pete Golding, who’s now the head coach at Ole Miss, he was our eighth safety interview, our eighth.
“Our D-coordinator was absolutely livid of why it took so long. We didn’t get the right hire; we hadn’t found it yet. I think, just like they all vetted for the head coach coaching position, don’t get worn out – make sure you get the right people at the start, and that’s what we’re going to do. So, there is no timeline to get it right.”
Monken went 13-25 as the head coach at Southern Miss from 2013 until 2015, as his only head coaching experience.
Monken Excited About Browns QB Room
Although the Browns could look to land a new quarterback this offseason, if they don’t, Monken likes the room.
The Browns QB room features Sanders, Watson, and Gabriel, and Monken believes there’s a lot to like in the room.
“Well, I think like any position on the team, that’s still to be determined. Am I excited about Shedeur, am I excited about all the quarterbacks in the room, am I excited to coach this football team? Absolutely. I can’t wait for them to get back and for us to get started.”
However, this offseason will be intriguing as Cleveland could draft, sign, or trade for a new quarterback.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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