Sunday Dawg Chow: Browns news (1/15/23)

Dawgs By Nature:

• Browns add Eagles coach to their DC search process (Jared Mueller) - The Cleveland Browns lost out on interviewing Jerod Mayo as it seems the defender is sticking with the New England Patriots despite the request from Cleveland and the Carolina Panthers request to interview him for their head coaching position. Friday evening, reports came out that the Browns had added another candidate to the mix in Dennard Wilson.
• Nick Chubb named a finalist of “FedEx Ground Player of the Year” (Barry Shuck) - 2022 marks the 20th year that FedEx awards a passing player plus a rushing athlete with the “FedEx Passing Player of the Year” and the “FedEx Ground Player of the Year.” Cleveland’s Nick Chubb along with Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders Josh Jacobs are this year’s finalists. The trio also completed the Top-3 spots in the NFL rushing category with Jacobs on top followed by Henry and Chubb.

Cleveland Browns:

• Joel Bitonio hit hard by latest losing season, worried about running out of time (Browns Zone) - Joel Bitonio can hear the clock ticking. Not exactly Marisa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito stomping her foot on the porch in “My Cousin Vinny,” but the sense of urgency is there. Bitonio, the left guard who was named first-team All-Pro for the second straight year Friday, has always taken losses hard. He’s too talented and too dedicated to simply accept defeat.
• Deshaun Watson trade impact. About Baker Mayfield & Jim Schwartz (Terry Pluto) - From the moment the Browns made the shocking trade for Deshaun Watson, they were in big trouble for the 2022 season. A team with a strong culture and coaching staff possibly could have overcome it. At least, they could have delivered something like a 9-8 record instead of 7-10.
• Browns interview Philadelphia Eagles assistant Dennard Wilson for defensive coordinator job (Beacon Journal) - The Browns conducted a third interview for their vacant defensive coordinator position on Saturday when they spoke with Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach Dennard Wilson, the team announced. Wilson, 40, has been the Eagles’ defensive backs coach since 2021 under head coach Nick Sirianni and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
• Boise State safety JL Skinner could be perfect target in April’s draft (Browns Wire) - A trending issue with the Cleveland Browns‘ defense over the last couple of years has been a lack of true free safety. They have guys that play in the box well but lack a true center fielder back deep preventing explosive plays over the top. If the team were to target Boise States JL Skinner they might be able to finally fill that roster hole.

NFL:

• NFL officiating under scrutiny after Seahawks-Rams controversy (ESPN) - After multiple controversial officiating decisions in Sunday’s playoff-shaping game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, multiple executives and coaches said the NFL needs to reevaluate how it chooses and trains its officiating staff for future seasons.
• Damar Hamlin visits Bills facility for first time since being discharged from hospital (NFL.com) - Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who was discharged from a Buffalo hospital more than a week after suffering a cardiac arrest during a game on Jan. 2, appears to be back with his teammates. In an Instagram story posted by Bills linebacker Matt Milano on Saturday, Hamlin can be seen smiling and greeting teammates at the Bills facility in Orchard Park, NY.
• In Split Seconds, Their Moves Make All the Difference (New York Times) - The elite NFL receivers Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Tyreek Hill, DeVonta Smith and CeeDee Lamb helped us dissect the art of route running. Here’s how they do it.
• Kliff Kingsbury buys one-way ticket to Thailand, not interested in coaching right now (Fox Sports) - Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury has been approached by multiple NFL teams to interview for their vacant offensive coordinator positions but has no interest in taking those opportunities, according to FOX Sports NFL insider Peter Schrager.