Welcome back, Chud

Rob Chudzinski—the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

You want to talk about something I just didn't think would happen, this is it. Hiring Chudzinski definitely doesn't make the big "splash" pretty much everyone thought owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner would go for. But here we are, and this is what we've got.

And the more I think about it, the more I think I like it.

If you don't remember, Chudzinski has ben in Cleveland with the Browns twice before—under Butch Davis in 2004 as the tight ends coach, and then under Romeo Crenel from 2007-2008 as the offensive coordinator.

Chudzinski's spent the past couple of years as the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator, guiding Cam Newton to a then rookie-record 4,051 passing yards in 2011, along with 706 rushing yards. Obviously, having an elite talent like Newton helps you as a coach, but Chudzinski's offenses ranked seventh and 12th in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The guy also likes to run the ball, as they ranked third in 2011 and ninth in 2012 in that category. Good news for Trent Richardson, no?

I know I've seen some people on Twitter comparing this hire to that of Pat Shurmur, and I really don't see it that way. At least Chudzinski has been at the helm of top-10 offenses in his career—multiple times. Mike Holmgren hired Shurmur after two seasons of being offensive coordinator in St. Louis, where the offenses ranked 29th and 26th. So seriously, let's stop the Chudzinski-Shurmur comparisons.

Let's think about it—that offense in 2007 was excellent. The Browns ranked eighth in total offense—12th in passing and 10th in rushing. They also ranked eighth in points. Derek freaking Anderson made the Pro Bowl that year, throwing 29 touchdowns. Sixteen of those went to Braylon freaking Edwards. Kellen Winslow also set a franchise record for tight end receiving yards.  

So what else do we know about Chudzinski? Well, he's 44 years old, so that means he has plenty of time to grow as a coach. He also grew up in Toledo and was apparently a Browns fan. And the fact that he's already been in Berea two other times is certainly a plus.

Now additionally, reports are that Norv Turner is likely to be a part of Chudzinski's staff—presumably as the offensive coordinator. Chudzinski worked under Turner in San Diego, and apparently Turner's son, Scott Turner, was one of Chud's right-hand men in Carolina. The younger Turner is also likely to join the Browns staff.

I don't think anyone is a fan of Turner as a head coach, but as a coordinator Turner has been largely successful. He's had five top-15 offenses in seven years as coach, and has had four in the top-10. I really think bringing in Turner(s) would be a good thing.

What I'm a little more nervous about is the defense. If all the reports on Twitter are true and the Browns do, in fact, switch to a 3-4, then the defense is going to be significantly behind the offense. Let's face it—the Browns have pretty much one viable linebacker and his name is D'Qwell Jackson. James-Michael Johnson has some potential, but the fact is the Browns have a solid core of defensive linemen...for a 4-3. Though I do inherently prefer a 3-4, it's going to take maybe 2-3 years to adjust personnel.

I may be in the minority, but as I said, the more I think about it, the more I like this hire. Banner's hired a little-known coach before, and his name was Andy Reid. Ever heard of him?

Yes, the Browns have gone through so many different changes since 1999, and I don't want to just say "this time is different," but...yeah, I just won't say that.

I'll put it like this instead—the fact that Banner has put together a successful franchise before, and the fact that Haslam has run a successful business venture like Pilot, makes me feel pretty good about Chudzinski. Let's at least give him a chance, Browns fans.

No matter what, he can't be worse than Shurmur.

...right?

~MAS