Cleveland Browns have a star in the making at defensive coordinator
New Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods has the looks of the next big thing in coaching.
Probably not too many Cleveland Browns fans knew who Joe Woods was before Kevin Stefanski hired him as defensive coordinator but his credentials should excite fans.
He has been coaching in the NFL since 2004 and has been primarily a defensive backs coach. He and Stefanski both joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2006 and they would coach together for the next eight years.
Woods left Minnesota in 2013 then after a year in Oakland with the Raiders, he went to the Denver Broncos as a defensive backs coach. That year they went to the Super Bowl and beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in a game that was dominated by the Broncos defense.
Woods was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017 and held that spot for just two seasons. In his first season in this role, the Broncos ranked 22nd in points allowed and improved that to 13th his second season.
In 2017 they were one of the best defenses in the league in terms of yards allowed as they ranked third in the entire league. The next season Woods’ defense was more of a bend don’t break unit which they were very good at although their record didn’t reflect it.
Last season he almost won another Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers as their defensive backs coach. Although they were led by veteran Richard Sherman, they got production from players like Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt, and Akhello Witherspoon all who probably outperformed expectations.
If he can do that in Cleveland with players like Greedy Williams, Terrence Mitchell, and Karl Joseph along with Denzel Ward leading them you could see a very similar secondary.
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If Woods performs then there is a chance he won’t be long for Cleveland if a head coaching opportunity comes along.