Shawn Mennenga Stays With Browns as Special Teams Assistant

When the Cleveland Browns announced that special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was being retained and the report of him being given a two-year extension, I wondered, "what about Shawn Mennenga?" If Tabor was valued by the new regime, wouldn't it make sense to keep his assistant too? It was the million dollar question that kept me up at night.

Yesterday, amidst the introductory press conference for new defensive coordinator Ray Horton, it was revealed that Mennenga would indeed be staying on board as Tabor's assistant. "Shawn and Chris (Tabor) have a great chemistry and I felt it was important to keep that continuity on special teams," said Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski.

Before joining the Browns in 2011, Mennenga's background was as a defensive coordinator or linebackers coach at smaller colleges. Again, it's worth asking the question: does the retention of the special teams coaches mean that the Browns will retain one or both of their special teams Pro Bowlers?

The Browns also released a statement on the hirings of assistant defensive backs coach Bobby Babich and defensive quality control coach Daron Roberts, which were reported a few days earlier: "I got to know Bobby well during our time together in Carolina and see him as an outstanding young coach," said Chudzinski. "Daron is an extremely bright individual and will greatly support our defensive staff. I know all three of them will be tremendous assets to the Browns."

You can see an updated look at the entire Browns' coaching staff, and which vacancies remain, here.