5 Coaching Candidates if Cleveland Browns move on from Freddie Kitchens
2. Robert Saleh
This is going to be a popular name this offseason as a head coach candidate although most fans might not know who he is. He is Robert Saleh the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.
He has been coaching since 2002 at both the NFL and college levels mostly as a defensive assistant. In 2014 he got a chance to coach linebackers for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He did that until 2017 when he got the job he has with the 49ers.
His first two years with San Francisco were far from impressive, they ranked 27th in yards allowed in 2017 and 13th in the same category in 2018.
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That is nothing compared to the jump they made this year and he will be one of the hottest names in coaching because of how good the 49ers defense has been this year. San Francisco ranks third in yards allowed and second in points allowed.
They have 11 interceptions, 18 fumble recoveries, and 45 sacks, so Saleh’s defense is good at making big plays. The Browns could use that
A criticism of Saleh may be that the defense he is coaching is littered with good players which is true they have first-round picks all over their defense not mention a veteran and Super Bowl champion like Richard Sherman.
The Browns have a lot of talent on defense as well; Myles Garrett, Joe Schobert, Denzel Ward, Larry Ogunjobi, Mack Wilson, and Greedy Williams just to name a few. That is a group of players any defensive mind can work with.
Cleveland may be skeptical of hiring Saleh because he has only been a coordinator for three years and has never been a head coach, they may have made that mistake with Kitchens. But Saleh could be a homerun hire and the Browns might regret if they have the chance to get him and they don’t.