Joe Woods has to be on the hot seat after the Cleveland Browns meltdown in Week 2. If they did want to move on, these 3 could be replacement candidates
Sunday was a tough one for the Cleveland Browns. They seemingly had the win in hand but then surrendered 14-points in the final 1:55 to the New York Jets and lost 31-30.
It was the second week in a row where the defense gave up several huge plays and surrendered a lead late, but this time, there was no last-second field goal. That means defensive coordinator Joe Woods will be feeling the heat.
While that’s true, it’s not likely the Browns fire Woods in-season, and if they do, they’ll likely just promote from within meaning the defense won’t change much. If they do want to make a shift in philosophy, they should look outside and these three names could make sense.
Browns potential Joe Woods replacements
3. Larry Foote, Bucs passing game coordinator and inside linebackers coach
Right now, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the top defenses in the game. Head coach Todd Bowles was key in them winning the Super Bowl a couple of seasons ago when they kept Patrick Mahomes from doing much of anything at all.
That same season, while Bowles was still the defensive coordinator, Larry Foote was coaching linebackers for him. Since then, he’s added passing game coordinator to his title — and the Browns need help with their passing game.
Foote did spend many years with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a player and that means he’s also familiar with this division and knows what it will take to win the AFC North.
2. Anthony Weaver, Ravens assistant head coach and defensive line coach
Another assistant coach who is very familiar with the division is Anthony Weaver, who was a defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens for four seasons. He was a former second-round pick who recorded 144 tackles and 14.5 sacks for Baltimore.
He then headed to the Houston Texans in 2006, where he spent his final three seasons. There, he added 121 tackles and one sack to his career total. Weaver’s playing days ended in 2008 and he went into coaching in 2010.
The first stop for him was Florida, then North Texas — spending one year with each. Weaver jumped to the NFL in 2012 as the assistant defensive line coach for the New York Jets. He’s also spent time with the Buffalo Bills, was with the Browns in 2014 and 2015, and then the Houston Texans where he became the defensive coordinator in 2020.
After the coaching staff was changed out, Weaver headed to the Ravens in 2021 and is now the assistant head coach and defensive line coach. Baltimore is coming off a rough game as they surrendered six touchdowns to Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins but he’s still an experienced coach who has been working with a stellar defense in Baltimore. It could be worth kicking the tires, especially if it weakens a rival.
1. Kris Richard, Saints defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator
Another coach with a Super Bowl ring, Kris Richard was on the sidelines during the Seattle Seahawks ‘Legion of Boom’ run. Serving as a defensive backs coach for much of his tenure with Seattle, he was the defensive coordinator from 2015 through 2017.
His next stop following his departure from the Seahawks was in Dallas, where he worked under Jason Garrett and Rod Marinelli. He arrived in 2018 and spent the next two seasons as the defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator — even calling the plays as Marinelli focused on coaching the defensive line.
Richard was out when Mike McCarthy was hired and has been with the New Orleans Saints for the past two seasons. He’s got an interesting title as of now, serving as the defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator/secondary.
His secondary just held Tom Brady to 190 yards which is pretty impressive — especially when you see how Joe Flacco tore through the Browns secondary.
Richard was once seen as a hot head coaching candidate but he’s also known for being a bit fiery. Perhaps his aggressive approach could be a welcome change for Cleveland as they need something to light a fire under them. Especially in the final minutes of games.