Turning 60 this week, Todd Monken is not the oldest coach in Browns history, but he's close. Blanton Collier was 64 when he coached his last season in 1970. (TheLandOnDemand)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
He sobbed. He laughed. He cussed.
It was Todd Monken’s day to reach the finish line of his “long journey” to be an NFL head coach. Emotions spilled out for a lifer coach who turns 60 on Thursday.
He’s the oldest man to coach the Browns since Bud Carson, who turned 60 in his second season in 1990. Before that, Blanton Collier retired in 1970 at the age of 64.
“Wow! I’m jacked,” Monken said. “And I’m excited to be with the Cleveland Browns. It’s hard to even put into words.
“I mean, I’m not getting any younger, let’s be real honest here. Although I’ll say this, that the version your getting of me now is a hell of a lot better than it would have been 15, 20 years ago.”
As advertised, Monken didn’t mince words. He answered most questions directly. When he declined to answer, he didn’t hide behind a word salad.
Let’s get into specifics of what we learned.
Jim Schwartz
No light was shed on the status of disgruntled defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, though owner Jimmy Haslam stated, “Those conversations are ongoing.”
At no time, however, did Monken, Haslam, or GM Andrew Berry say, “We’d love to have Jim back.” That omission stood out.
Everyone used the “it’s inappropriate to comment at this time” line, which leads me to believe a resolution is coming soon, one way or the other.
In response to early questions about Schwartz’s future, Monken said he had spoken to him, but then his answer trailed off to what “a bitch” it was to go against the Browns’ defense six times in the last three years. He chose to credit the players for that.
Later, when pressed that the defensive players wanted Schwartz back, Monken elaborated on his opinion that the players have made the Browns defense what it is.
“First off, my anticipation is we’re not going to change the system,” he said. “Very difficult to go against. Not planning on changing the system. We’re built for the system that they’re in currently. And I’m not going to get into staffing because it’s not the time to get into that. But they can be rest assured that we’re going to keep the same system. We’re still going to let them attack. We’re still going to let them play free. I can’t see it any other way. They’re a big reason why I took this job, the defensive players.
“I didn’t take this job because of Jim Schwartz. I have a lot of respect for Jim Schwartz, as I would hope he has for me, but I took it because of the players that are here, the ownership, Andrew Berry, and the ability to build this roster from the ground up on the offensive side.
“So, and I said this to the other guys, and I didn’t think I’d say it, but I’m going to say it: When I was preparing for the Cleveland Browns, I wasn’t trying to chip Jim Schwartz. I was chipping Myles Garrett. An, when I was sliding a protection to the outside backers or Grant Delpit that were blitzing off the edge, I was sliding a protection for players. When I was worried about throwing to the right against Denzel Ward or Tyson Campbell to left, that’s what I was worried about.”
In a separate Q&A, Haslam made mention of the four “outstanding coaches” under Schwartz on the defensive side. At least three of those defensive assistants showed their support for Monken by attending the press conference in the rear of the team meeting room.
Haslam said “we would hope” to keep the defense intact.
“The same players, which is a great place to start, and then the same basic coaching staff,” Haslam said.
So who’s the starting quarterback?
Much has been made of the video the Browns posted on social media of Monken greeting quarterback Shedeur Sanders in his office on his first day on the job. And the fact the Baltimore Ravens wanted to draft Sanders in the fifth round, when Monken was the team’s offensive coordinator, but they retreated when Sanders informed them he didn’t want to sit behind starter Lamar Jackson.
Not surprisingly, though, Monken was non-committal about his thoughts on the Browns’ QB room, which currently is made up of Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel.
“Like any position on the team, that’s still to be determined,” Monken said. “Am I excited about Shedeur? Am I excited about all the quarterbacks in the room? Am I excited to coach this football team? Absolutely. I can’t wait for them to get back and for us to get started.”
Monken declined to answer how much he contributed to the Ravens’ scouting of Sanders a year ago.
Pressed on what he’s looking for in a quarterback, Monken responded, “Well, I’m just going to start with personality traits. I mean, when you talk about who’s going to lead this team, who has the ‘it’ factor? who has those characteristics that the team wants to follow and believes in them because the ball’s in their hand every down?
“This game is going to come down to two-minute situations, four-minute situations, where you’ve got to be able to execute the high level. And we’re just talking about some of the characteristics that you’re looking for, let alone some of the physical traits that we’ll get a chance to talk about later.”
Accountability
Haslam said he and J.W. Johnson, his son-in-law and a general partner, talked with “30 or 40” Browns players at times during the three-week-long coaching search.
“If you said give me one common word, it is we need more accountability,” Haslam said. “So that stuck with us.”
At locker-cleanout day, cornerback Denzel Ward was the only player to voice accountability, specifically on offense, as something he wanted in the next coach.
Monken said, “I always thought I understood what it meant to confront anything that gets in the way of winning football.” He doesn’t shy from keeping it real with his players and telling them what they might not want to hear.
“I think you have to hold the players accountable for what they say their dreams and aspirations are,” he said. “You have to find out what really do you want, individually with your career, and then what do you want collectively as a team. And all you’re doing is holding them to what their goals and aspirations are, like people did for me.
“I am who I am because my parents did that for me. They didn’t do that to me, they did that for me. And that’s the way I go about it, because I think everybody likes honesty till they don’t like what’s said to them honestly.
“And I’m the same way, I’m no different – I like being stroked in a good way. I’m no different. I don’t like the other side of it, but that’s how I’ve gotten a lot better. And the people that love you the most, they’re going to be honest with you. But all it is, is finding out what are your dreams and aspirations, and then let’s fight like hell to achieve them.”