Report: Browns to interview Vance Joseph for defensive coordinator

The Cleveland Browns plan to bring former Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph to town to interview for the vacant defensive coordinator role.

The interest in Joseph was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who cited an unnamed source:

Joseph was fired by the Broncos on December 31 after spending two years as head coach with Denver. Under his watch, the Broncos went 11-21. His defenses were also nothing special, according to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra:

While the offense struggled, it’s not as if Joseph’s defense overwhelmed opponents, despite talent at each level. In two years, the Broncos allowed 22.8 points per game (15th in the NFL), and 104.5 rushing yards (11th), and 58.3 red zone conversion rate (19th). Led by Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr., the Broncos D had their moments, but not enough to carry Denver to the postseason.

Of course, Joseph was saddled with John Elway’s poor drafting record and inability to find a quarterback after lucking into Peyton Manning in 2012, so not all of the blame for what went wrong in Denver should fall on his shoulders.

Prior to being hired by the Broncos, Joseph spent 2016 as defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, a year that saw the Dolphins finish 29th in total defense and 18th in scoring defense.

Joseph was a defensive backs coach with the Cincinnati Bengals for two seasons (2014 to 2015), with the Houston Texans for three seasons (2011 to 2013), and the San Francisco 49ers for six seasons (2005 to 2010). During his time in Houston, the Texans had the league’s No. 2 defense in 2011 and No. 7 defense in 2012, although that may have had more to do with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips than Joseph.

However, according to an ESPN story at the time of his hiring in Denver, former players have credited Joseph with having the ability to communicate expectations and game plans, which is always nice to see in a coach.