Cleveland Browns: 5 replacements for Freddie Kitchens

CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Freddie Kitchens of the Cleveland Browns talks to Baker Mayfield on the sidelines during the first quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by: 2018 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

Eric Bieniemy

Eric Bieniemy could have probably taken a head-coaching job last season if he really wanted to put himself out there. It’s just a fact that Andy Reid’s offensive coordinators take jobs as head coaches. Matt Nagy went to Chicago, and Doug Pederson went to Philadelphia before him. Now that Bieniemy has Patrick Mahomes to work with, it’s no surprise he’s getting teams to try and hire him.

Think about the pieces he’s used this season. He helped Matt Moore lead the team to victory despite all of us thought he was retired. He put up a system that helped overcome the major injury of Tyreek Hill at the beginning of the season. Bieniemy got Sammy Watkins to contribute when he absolutely needed him. Lose Kareem Hunt after his off-field issues? No problem, still the fourth-highest scoring offense.

Bieniemy is really good at getting everyone involved in the offense. It does help to have the best quarterback in football, but that’s the heights that Mayfield hopes to reach one day. He wants to be an MVP candidate, just like Mahomes was last season.

It seems pretty clear that an offensive mind is going to get the job, especially if it’s someone without the proper experience. Bieniemy is as good as a choice as any. He’s been coaching since 2001, and has just been waiting for his first chance as a head coach. It may be scary for the Browns to hire another person with no head-coaching experience, but with a scheme like Bieniemy’s, and with the track record of former Reid protege’s, this might be the right person at the right time.

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