Cleveland Browns: 5 replacements for Freddie Kitchens

Ron Rivera

We left the one who may soon become the front runner for last. Ron Rivera lost his job in Carolina earlier this year, mostly because of his inability to get an injured roster over the top. He did get the most out of Kyle Allen, but look at that offense. It’s Christian McCaffrey and everyone else. Despite that, Rivera was still finding ways to stay competitive week in and week out.

Rivera has already talked to multiple teams, but we can’t see him choosing a team like Washington over an offense like Cleveland’s. Rivera brought a team to a Super Bowl and coached an MVP.

When one really looks at the stats of Rivera’s teams, it may surprise you. He’s coached an offense better than tenth once as head coach, his first year with the Panthers all the way back in 2011. He’s the only defensive-minded coach on the list, and there’s a reason for that.

His experience would hold more clout than his lack of offensive prowess, however. This Browns team’s biggest headline this year was their star player swinging a helmet at an opposing quarterback. There is a character problem with the Browns, and they need a no-nonsense guy like Rivera who can also get players to fight for him.

Even when he was being fired, Panthers brass had nothing but nice things to say about him. People love working for Rivera.

Rivera may not be the best option when it comes to stats, but he’s the best option when it comes to personalities. On a team with probably more than any in the league, that might be the most important quality.