While the Cleveland Browns have already moved into second-round, in-person interviews with Jim Schwartz and Todd Monken, there is a massive legal hurdle standing in the way of any actual hire.
Under current NFL rules, a team is not able to officially name a head coach until they have completed in-person interviews with at least two external minority candidates.
Here is why Browns fans should be panicking:
The McDaniel Disaster: Andrew Berry’s primary plan to satisfy the rule (and potentially hire his top target) evaporated on Wednesday. Mike McDaniel, who's biracial, withdrew his name from consideration to join the Chargers as OC, leaving the Browns with zero completed in-person minority interviews.
The Scheelhaase Waiting Game: The only remaining minority candidate on the Browns' "shortlist" is Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. The problem is that because the L.A. Is in the NFC Championship, the Browns are legally barred from meeting him in person until Monday Jan. 26th at the earliest.
The "Sham" Interview Dilemma: To hire Schwartz or Monken today, Berry must find a second minority candidate to interview immediately. The problem? Most top-tier candidates like Brian Flores (who has already interviewed with the Ravens and Steelers) may view a late-stage call from the Browns as a "box-ticking" exercise, leading to the exact "sham interview" optics the league is trying to eliminate.
More: Browns Mock Draft round-up: Cleveland eyes Carnell Tate and O-Line help with two 1st-round picks
A Self-Inflicted Freeze: By not scheduling more minority candidates in the first round, Berry has handcuffed the Browns' front office. While they wait for Scheelhaase, rivals like the Bills (who requested Grant Udinski) and Baltimore can move in and steal the very candidates the Browns are currently "hosting."
Andrew Berry assumed Mike McDaniel would show up for his interview. He didn't. Now, the Browns are stuck in a holding pattern while the rest of the NFL picks over the coaching staff they want.
| Candidate | Browns Status | Rival Threat | The "Panic" Factor |
| Jim Schwartz | FROZEN. Completed second interview, but cannot be hired until the Rooney Rule is met. | Ravens & Steelers. Both rival AFC North teams have interviewed him to replace their legendary coach departures. | Losing the locker room's favorite leader to a division rival would be a PR nightmare. |
| Grant Udinski | STALLED. Believed to be a finalist, but the Bills just requested an interview with the 30-year-old prodigy. | Buffalo Bills. With Sean McDermott out, the Bills offer Josh Allen. They can move faster than Cleveland. | If Buffalo offers the job Monday, Udinski won't wait for Cleveland to finish "compliance" meetings. |
| Todd Monken | ON HOLD. Had his second interview Tuesday. He has history in Cleveland, but the clock is ticking. | Tampa Bay Bucs. Monken is being pursued for an OC role with play-calling power that he might take to escape the wait. | A veteran "Plan B" candidate who could disappear if Berry doesn't secure him soon. |
| Jesse Minter | DELAYED. Interviewed Thursday, but the Ravens—his former employer—are lurking. | Baltimore Ravens. They need a defensive identity after the Harbaugh era. Minter is their "homegrown" top target. | The Ravens are notorious for moving efficiently; they won't let a technicality stop them from pouncing. |
More Browns News:
- A.J. Brown to Cleveland for a 1st-round pick? 3 reasons the Browns must say no
- Steelers, Bills circling: Browns at risk of losing top HC candidates Grant Udinski and Nate Scheelhaase
- Mel Kiper’s Browns Mock Draft 1.0: A new ‘perfect fit’ duo to save Cleveland’s offense?
- Who’s really running Browns HC search? ESPN host claims it’s not just Andrew Berry
- NFL All-Rookie Team revealed: Which two Browns topped the PFWA list?