Josh McDaniels ‘well-positioned’ for Cleveland Browns head coaching job

The Cleveland Browns head coaching search will have a wide range of candidates, but Josh McDaniels is reportedly ‘well-positioned’ for the job.

The Cleveland Browns coaching search is expected to have general manager John Dorsey looking at a wide range of candidates, whether it be college coaches or NFL assistants who have never been a head coach.

This is Dorsey’s first time in charge of a coaching search, so it is hard to predict who he prefers to hire as a head coach. He is known to keep things close to the vest, making it hard for anyone to know what he is thinking.

However, CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported on Sunday that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is ‘well-positioned’ for the Browns head coaching job if interim head coach Gregg Williams is not retained.

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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer have both reported over the weekend that Williams is likely not going to be retained as the head coach. Despite his success, Dorsey is likely aiming higher for his pick at head coach.

McDaniels is an extremely accomplished offensive mind, as he has been credited with keeping the Patriots offense as a potent unit despite not having top-tier play-makers on the roster.

McDaniels has been connected to the Browns head coaching opening since former head coach Hue Jackson was fired in October. The MMQB’s Albert Breer, who has connections with the Patriots organization, has stated since October that McDaniels is an obvious candidate and that he considers McDaniels to be one of the front-runners for the Browns job.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has been a noted fan of McDaniels, as he almost hired the 42-year-old coach in 2014 before McDaniels pulled out of the running. La Canfora also reported that Haslam attempted to hire McDaniels another time, and he remains high on the Bill Belichick disciple.

McDaniels will have a lot of naysayers in this coaching cycle after he backed out of taking the Colts job last off-season. McDaniels had accepted the job to become the Indianapolis Colts head coach, but would back out of the agreement a day before he was supposed to be introduced.

After backing out of the deal last second, some front offices may not want to risk hiring a coach that is willing to leave or back out of the deal at any time. Despite that, McDaniels has been connected to multiple openings or potential openings in this coaching cycle.

Dorsey has likely done all of his background work on candidates already. One of the purposes of firing Jackson in October was to have plenty of time to research and do background work on all potential candidates.

Dorsey is close friends with Colts general manager Chris Ballard, as Ballard was Dorsey’s right-hand man during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs. Dorsey has most likely already called Ballard about McDaniels, and his word could mean a lot if the Browns do consider McDaniels as a front-runner for the job.

McDaniels has plenty of roots in Ohio, as he was born in Northeast Ohio and went to college at John Carroll University. His connections to the area could be an item that would make McDaniels want to become the Cleveland head coach.

He also would have the opportunity to coach a young roster that has their franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield. This is a rare opportunity for aspiring head coaches, as they would have a young roster that is ready to compete for the playoffs in their first season.

McDaniels certainly has all of the qualifications that any front office would want from a head coach candidate. But McDaniels is known to be patient and will wait for the perfect fit before becoming a head coach somewhere. If he feels that Cleveland is the perfect fit, La Canfora’s report shows that he may have an organization that will welcome him.