The Cleveland Browns shocked the NFL world when they opted to hire former Baltimore Ravens‘ offensive coordinator Todd Monken to be their new head coach. While the decision has had some big repercussions, particularly when it comes to defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s future with the team, Monken has hit the ground running with the Browns.
The first order of business for Monken involves finding new offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators for his staff. According to several reports, Monken has already identified a top candidate for his offensive coordinator position, as Ravens’ run game coordinator Travis Switzer appears to be the frontrunner for the job.
Travis Switzer Emerges as Frontrunner for Browns’ Offensive Coordinator Gig
The idea is to pair Todd Monken’s passing game with Switzer’s run principles from Baltimore.
Due to no fault of his own, Monken has found himself in a chaotic situation right off the bat with the Browns. In the days leading up to his hire, the overarching expectation across the league was that Schwartz would become Cleveland’s new head coach. Instead, it went with Monken, and as a result, it appears Schwartz has no plans of sticking with the Browns as a member of Monken’s staff.
Since Schwartz is still under contract with Cleveland, and the team has publicly made it known that it would like to keep him in town, that makes his future with the team a bit messy. While Monken will likely need a new defensive coordinator at some point in the future, he knows for certain he’s going to have to hire an offensive coordinator.
Unsurprisingly, Monken is going to look to bring guys with him that he has worked with in the past. That has led to Switzer, who had been a member of John Harbaugh’s staff with the Ravens since 2017, emerging as a candidate for the Browns’ offensive coordinator job. While he still has to interview for the position, it seems increasingly likely that, if all goes according to plan, he will be following Monken to Cleveland.
“Ravens run-game coordinator Travis Switzer is considered the frontrunner for the Browns OC job, per sources,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported in a post on X. “He’s set to interview with the team soon. The idea is to pair Todd Monken’s passing game with Switzer’s run principles from Baltimore.”
Should the Browns Hire Travis Switzer?
GettyRavens’ run game coordinator Travis Switzer has reportedly emerged as the frontrunner for the Browns’ offensive coordinator opening
Switzer has spent the past three years working as Baltimore’s run game coordinator, and he’s played a big role in helping revitalize Derrick Henry’s career, while also allowing Lamar Jackson to establish himself as the top dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. Pairing him up with Monken could provide a strong foundation for Cleveland to build off of on the offensive side of the ball.
There’s still some procedural work that needs to be completed before Switzer potentially lands with the Browns, but all signs are pointing to him being Monken’s first big hire since joining his new team. The familiarity between these guys would surely make them an effective pairing, and it’s safe to say that Switzer would be a solid hire for Cleveland’s offensive coordinator vacancy.
Frontrunner Emerges for Browns’ Offensive Coordinator Job After Todd Monken Hire