Mike McCarthy, Josh McDaniels the front-runners for Cleveland Browns?

The Clevleand Browns are once again in the market for a new head coach, and Mike McCarthy and Josh McDaniels could be viewed as the front-runners.

The Cleveland Browns will be looking for their 19th full-time head coach in franchise history after firing Freddie Kitchens on Sunday. Even though the decision was just made official, the Browns may already be looking heavily at two coaches: Mike McCarthy and Josh McDaniels.

The Browns were reportedly making calls around the league about a potential head coaching change and candidates before their Week 17 game, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. If there is truth to the rumor, then there is a good chance the Browns already have their candidate wish list built.

Mike McCarthy appears to be the most likely option because of his connection with the Browns front office. With John Dorsey, Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith all being from Green Bay during the time of McCarthy’s run as the Packers head coach, they are very familiar with the veteran coach. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report said Sunday he feels like Cleveland is McCarthy’s job.

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McCarthy would make sense for Cleveland not only because of his connections with the Browns front office, but also because he is the type of coach the Browns need. After experiencing Cleveland’s struggles with a rookie head coach, especially with the players in the locker room, it is clear the Browns need a veteran coach who understands game management and will be a leader the players can trust.

It is also worth noting McCarthy has taken his year away from coaching to rebuild himself as a coach. He has a deeper respect for analytics and has adjusted his offense to fit the more modern schemes. He is attempting to become a more innovative head coach and has supposedly learned from his mistakes in the past.

Miller is not the only one who feels McCarthy has a shot in Cleveland, as La Canfora said Sunday he would be surprised if McCarthy is not a candidate in Cleveland. Despite being available last offseason, McCarthy was not a part of Cleveland’s search for a head coach. La Canfora also believes it would be surprising if New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is not involved with the Browns search as well.

McDaniels has been linked to the Browns because he is reportedly the coach Dee Haslam wants for next season. Albert Breer of the MMQB believes that the Browns job is one of only two jobs McDaniels would leave the Patriots for this offseason. McDaniels being a Northeast native plays a role in that feeling, but also because of who is on Cleveland’s roster.

The Patriots and McDaniels were heavily linked to Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield during the draft process in 2018, so it would not be surprising if coaching Mayfield would make McDaniels want to come to Cleveland. The biggest question about McDaniels is if the front office structure would be a deterrent and would cause him to pull himself out of the running for the job.

It is still extremely early in the search, but McCarthy and McDaniels are the two names who are the most connected to the Browns. With the Browns wanting a veteran coach, seeing those two names being connected to the Browns is not surprising, and they could even be the front-runners.