With the NFL combine kicking off early next week (This staff member will be there and is seeking your questions in The Feed), the Cleveland Browns are slowly putting their defensive staff together, even if they have not made any of the decisions official.
New HC Todd Monken has chosen Mike Rutenberg as the team’s new defensive coordinator. That decision was a bit of a surprise, with two qualified candidates already on the Browns coaching staff, Ephraim Banda and Jason Tarver, and a few other external coaches who seemed to be perfect fits.
A day after reportedly promoting CB coach Brandon Lynch, Rutenberg has now given Banda and Tarver new titles as well:
Both Banda and Tarver, like former DC Jim Schwartz, were under contract in Cleveland but now get new titles and, possibly, a raise to continue coaching with the stellar Browns defense. The two could find themselves in prime positions for defensive coordinator roles next season if Cleveland’s unit has another solid year.
The Browns tend to announce new coaches and other promotions the day before the NFL combine, so we should have the entire staff become official on Monday.