The Cleveland Browns have a new head coach. Todd Monken has officially taken the reins of the team, and he's brought some of his former assistant coaches along with him, just like most head coaches do.
However, the teams and the fans still don't know what will be of their defense. Jim Schwartz is still under contract for the next couple of years, and Monken is reportedly willing to work with him. The defensive coordinator, on the other hand, doesn't feel that way.
Schwartz is reportedly looking to leave the team after being bypassed for the head coaching position. Considering that, sports pundit Jim Rome shared some incendiary thoughts on the way the Browns' front office dealt with this whole situation.
"I don't know what the Browns were thinking, but Jim Schwartz clearly did not wanna stay and coach under somebody else, especially a 59-year-old dude who's never been a head coach in the NFL when Schwartz himself already was," Rome said on his show. "The Browns didn't know that? They were surprised by that? Because, if so, that's incredibly Browns, and incredibly stupid. Even dumber, did they not check with Schwartz beforehand?"
Jim Rome blasts Browns over Jim Schwartz decision
Rome said that the Browns should've known how Schwartz was going to react to being snubbed, especially knowing how badly he wanted to be a head coach again. More than that, they should've consulted with him if he was OK coming back and coaching for someone else before reportedly trying to impose him onto other candidates.
At the end of the day, there's no way to justify Schwartz's actions. Angry or not, he was hired to do a job, and he's still under contract. The Browns expect him to conduct himself professionally and do the job he was hired to do.
Then again, the last thing this team needs right now is more drama and another distraction. Todd Monken's arrival came with mixed reviews, and the fans and the media will always keep tabs on everything revolving around Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. They can't afford a non-player to be such a major storyline and draw this much attention.
Schwartz has earned his stripes with the Browns, and he should probably draw consideration for another head-coaching position. But if he's not willing to swallow his pride and finish the job in Cleveland, so be it. There's no reason to even consider keeping him around against his will.