Todd Haley highlights list of most significant offseason coaching hires
The Cleveland Browns made a surprising move when they selected Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick, passing on safer prospect Sam Darnold and measurables archetype Josh Allen.
But nobody was shocked the Browns took a quarterback. They were preparing for one's arrival prior to the draft, building the team and coaching staff around their future signal-caller even before he arrived.
Along with acquiring receiver Jarvis Landry and running back Carlos Hyde, and welcoming back electrifying receiver Josh Gordon last season, the Browns armed head coach Hue Jackson with a renowned quarterback specialist when they hired Todd Haley as offensive coordinator.
Of all the league's coaching changes this offseason, and there were several high-profile hires at the head coach and coordinator level, Haley's addition to the Browns' staff is arguably the most significant one.
He has a public reputation for being brash, arrogant, moody, and temperamental, but there's no arguing with his resume of producing high-scoring offenses and elevating the careers of the quarterbacks he's coached.
Despite some tension - to put it kindly - in his six seasons with the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger (who shares a similar personality), Haley produced a top-10 scoring offense in each of the last four seasons, and top three in total yards in three of the past four years.
Before Haley arrived at the start of 2012, Roethlisberger had made just two Pro Bowls, passed for more than 4,000 yards twice, and thrown more than 26 touchdowns in a season just once in his eight campaigns. Since then, Big Ben has made four more Pro Bowls, passed for 4,000 yards three more times, and thrown more than 28 touchdowns four times in six seasons.
Roethlisberger didn't complete fewer than 63 percent of his passes or register a passer rating under 92 during Haley's tenure and he led the NFL in passing yards per game twice in his past four seasons.
Although Haley's head coaching tenure with the Chiefs was marked by feuds with management, he did coach a Matt Cassel-quarterbacked team to 10 wins and an AFC West title in 2010, producing the league's 12th-best offense and a Pro Bowl season from Cassell, who, at best, can be considered a mediocre quarterback.
As Cardinals offensive coordinator from 2007-2008, Haley coached the league's seventh- and third-ranked offenses, respectively, and enabled Kurt Warner's return to prominence after he was relegated to a backup role from 2004-2006. Warner led the Cards to the Super Bowl in 2008, with the 37-year-old completing 67 percent of his passes and posting a 96.9 passer rating.
Haley now moves onto his next project: Creating an offense that capitalizes on Mayfield's accuracy and mobility and masquerades the 6-foot quarterback's height and trouble seeing over his offensive line.
Mayfield might be Haley's most difficult undertaking - or second to Cassell - but the coach's track record suggests the quarterback's transition won't be as difficult as the scores of other Browns quarterbacks who've preceded him.
OTHER SIGNIFICANT COACHING HIRES
Kris Richard, Cowboys DBs coach/passing coordinator
The Cowboys' defense starts with Rod Marinelli's defensive line, but Dallas has a pair of good, young corners in Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis to complement talented safety/nickel, Byron Jones. Richard, who previously coached with the Seahawks, is tasked with turning this trio and the Cowboys' pass defense into something resembling the Legion of Boom.
John DeFilippo, Vikings offensive coordinator
Mike Zimmer hired "Flip" to replace Pat Shurmur, who turned Case Keenum into a legit starter. Vikings brass then gave DeFilippo, the former Eagles quarterbacks coach, a free-agent gift by signing Kirk Cousins. The marriage between DeFilippo's schemes and Cousins' talent will be instrumental in the Vikings attempt to get back to the conference championship game - and actually win it this time.
Matt Nagy, Bears head coach
Let's face it: Andy Reid's assistants have, for the most part, succeeded as head coaches. John Harbaugh won a Super Bowl. Doug Pederson, Nagy's predecessor as Reid's offensive coordinator in Kansas City, just delivered the Eagles their first Super Bowl in team history. Sean McDermott went to the playoffs in his first year with the Bills. Ron Rivera has coached the Panthers to the Super Bowl. Nagy, considered a master of offensive schemes and known for being aggressive, is the perfect pairing for second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, last year's No. 2 overall pick who has good arm strength and athleticism. Look for the Bears' offense to make major strides in 2018.
Brentson Buckner, Buccaneers defensive line coach
No team made more defensive line upgrades this offseason than Tampa Bay, which traded for Pro Bowl pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul, signed Super Bowl champions Vinny Curry and Beau Allen, and used the 12th overall pick on stud tackle Vita Vea, adding some serious firepower to a front four that already included six-time Pro Bowl tackle Gerald McCoy. Buckner, a 12-year NFL veteran, coached the Cardinals' defensive line for the last five seasons. The Cards led the NFL in sacks in 2016, while the Bucs recorded the league's fewest sacks last year.
Kerry Coombs, Titans defensive backs coach
New head coach Mike Vrabel went back to his alma mater to find his first assistant. Coombs lacks NFL experience but has been coaching Ohio State corners since 2012, which means he's helped develop first-round picks Marshon Lattimore, Eli Apple, Bradley Roby, and Denzel Ward, along with Gareon Conley and Nate Ebner. The Titans picked cornerback Adoree Jackson in the first round last year and signed former Patriots corner and Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler this offseason to beef up their pass defense, so Coombs has some talent to help groom.
Geoff Mosher is an award-winning sports reporter, radio host, and TV personality with more than 20 years of experience covering all major sports and leagues. He also hosts regularly on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia and is co-host of "The Sports Shop" on Facebook.
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