Cleveland Browns: 3 offensive coordinator candidates to watch

The Cleveland Browns have an entire coaching staff to fill. Who will emerge as offensive coordinator candidates for Kevin Stefanski?

There has been a lot of speculation about the Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator opening as its been rumored that Wade Phillips is the front-runner. But there has been some uncertainty when it comes to the Browns vacant offensive coordinator job.

Former OC Todd Monken left to take his talents to Athens, Georgia where he will be calling plays for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.

There are a lot of questions in regards to who will be open to the offensive coordinator job. Will Kevin Stafanski be calling his own plays? Will Stefanski be looking for an experienced play caller? Does Stafanski want a young up in comer to help him design the offense around Baker Mayfield?

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All legitimate questions. Let’s take a look at three options for Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns.

Gary Kubiak, Assistant head coach Minnesota Vikings

Kubiak is a Super Bowl winning coach and play caller who would bring instant credibility to this coaching staff. Having somebody with Kubiak’s experience around will surely be a benefit to a first time head coach in Kevin Stefanski.

They also obviously worked together last season and implemented a zone blocking run game together. If Kubiak were to come to Cleveland he would probably want to have play calling responsibility. Otherwise why would he leave the Viking where his son is currently on staff?

Here is what Stefanski said about play calling during his introductory press conference on Tuesday, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com:

"“We’re going to work through that,’’ he said in his introductory press conference Tuesday. “As we put the staff together, if there’s someone that’s on staff that I feel gives us the best chance to win, that person will call the plays. It doesn’t have to be me. But I think I want to work through that and see as we put the staff together.”"

So with Stefanski open to allowing someone else call plays, if he were able to land Kubiak it would be a home run hire. I just wouldn’t expect to see Kubiak want to move again after joining the Vikings to help Mike Zimmer and coach with his son. This one is a long shot.

Mike McDaniel, Run game coordinator San Francisco 49ers

Mike McDaniel (36) would be a young up in coming coach hire the would seem to mesh with Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland front office. McDaniel is a Yale graduate who played wide receiver while in college. Being a fellow Ivy Leaguer would surely be a welcomed hire by chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta and the potential hire of GM Andrew Berry.

McDaniel was in Cleveland before serving as wide receivers coach in 2014 for coach Mike Pettine. Having worked in Washington, Cleveland, Houston and San Francisco for Kyle Shanahan, McDaniel would seem to be able to bring his extensive knowledge of the zone blocking scheme to Cleveland with him.

Klint Kubiak, Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach

Well if Stefanski cant land Gary he may try to land his son Klint. Klint Kubiak served as the quarterbacks coach for Stefanski in Minnesota last season. Having been a quarterback coach for Gary Kubiak in Denver and a wide receiver coach for Denver and Kansas University, Klint Kubiak has a good amount of coaching experience for only being 32 years old.

Kubiak played safety at Colorado State from 2005 to 2009 where he was a team captain and then moved on to Texas A & M where he served as a graduate assistant.

Again, Kubiak would be the young up in coming coaching hire that would seem to align with Stefanski’s offensive philosophies. Does he have enough coaching experience to warrant the task of handling Baker Mayfield? That would be a major concern if hiring the younger Kubiak.

Next. Former Browns receiver Antonio Callaway signs in XFL. dark

There you have it Browns fans, three offensive coordinator candidates to keep an eye on.

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