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The links between former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and the Cleveland Browns organization have made sense ever since the Packers fired McCarthy after their week 13 loss. Now reports indicate that the Browns are indeed making a serious effort to bring McCarthy in, at the very least to interview for their vacant head coaching position.
There are plenty of reasons to make a logical connection between the two parties. John Dorsey, a former Packers executive, is the Browns’ general manager. Eliot Wolf, another former Packers executive, is his right-hand man. Alonzo Highsmith, yet another former Packers personnel man, holds a prominent role in Cleveland’s scouting department.
Adding in a talented young quarterback in Baker Mayfield and it’s easy to see why McCarthy would be interested in the job. Now we have the first firm report that the Browns have contacted McCarthy about the possibility of coaching the team in 2019, as reported by the Toronto Sun’s John Kryk.
Cleveland is interviewing a wide list of individuals, and likely will submit requests to speak with some of the same people that the Packers hope to interview to replace McCarthy. One name that both teams have reportedly asked to interview is Dan Campbell, the New Orleans Saints tight ends coach. Expect Josh McDaniels to receive a request from the Browns as well.
Still, at least one individual thinks the McCarthy-to-the-Browns possibility is already a done deal:
Hearing former Packers coach Mike McCarthy will be the next head coach of the Browns.
— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) December 31, 2018
Bob McManaman is a beat writer for the Arizona Cardinals, who reportedly made overtures to McCarthy recently. The Cardinals offered him complete personnel control, as reported by CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora on Sunday, but McCarthy reportedly turned that offer down. La Canfora further reported that McCarthy plans to sit out 2019, though that could change if given the right opportunity.
It’s too early to trust reporting about a deal being in place between McCarthy and the Browns, but all the connections make sense, and Dorsey has apparently made the necessary first move to make it happen.