Cleveland Browns Coaching Staff Charged With Creating a Pass Rush

Head coach Eric Mangini was hired by owner Randy Lerner to instill some toughness and accountability to a Browns team that could be generously described as dysfunctional under former coach Romeo Crennel.

Mangini is the former head coach of the New York Jets, whose teams went a combined 23-25 under his stewardship.

The Jets did have two winning seasons under Mangini in his three years at the helm.

Known as a strict disciplinarian who requires hard work on the field and attention to detail in film studies, Mangini loves to give his players pop quizzes on assignments and game plans.

He has often been mockingly been referred to by the New York media as Man-genius. It is a moniker that has stuck with the pundits because of his perceived arrogant attitude.

Ironically, Mangini's coaching career started from very humbling beginnings.

He started as a ball-boy and then worked on the public relations staff with the Cleveland Browns under Bill Belichick. Essentially, he was a “gopher” (go-for) for the coaching staff and the media at the Browns’ training facilities.

But he earned a reputation as a hard worker who moved up the chain quickly with Belichick in the Patriots organization. He was the defensive backfield coach, and later the defensive coordinator with New England after Romeo Crennel left to take the job in Cleveland.

His tutelage in New England included taking an injury-ravaged secondary and turning it into one of the most effective units in the NFL in 2004.

He did that despite having to use wide receiver Troy Brown at cornerback and linebacker Don Davis at safety for a stretch.

While at New England, he was an essential part of one of the best coaching staffs in the league during their AFC and NFL dominance.

Mangini named Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator. Daboll was the former quarterbacks coach during Mangini’s last two seasons with the Jets.

Daboll is another Belichick disciple, spending seven seasons and earning three Super Bowl rings as a New England assistant coach.

From 2000 to 2006, Daboll was promoted from defensive coaching assistant to wide receivers coach. He also spent two years as a graduate assistant at Michigan Statue University under Nick Saban.

For more on Daboll, see my column http://bleacherreport.com/articles/170153-cleveland-browns-forging-a-new-identity .

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan comes from good football stock to say the least.

He is the son of famed former NFL coach Buddy Ryan, who among other exploits, was the coach of the Vikings “Purple People Eaters” defense in the ‘70s and revolutionized football with his “46” Bears defense during Chicago’s 1985 Super Bowl title.

Rob’s twin brother Rex is now the head coach of the New York Jets after serving as one of Mangini’s assistants there.

But Rob has put together a pretty strong resume of his own. He has been coaching football in some capacity for 22 years, 11 in the NFL, and the last 5 as the defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders.

Despite the Raiders difficulties in putting together winning seasons, it was far from Ryan’s fault.

His defenses were consistently in the top one-third of the league. In 2006, the Raiders were tops in the NFL in pass defense and ranked third overall.

He was named “Football Insiders” Defensive Coordinator of the Year that season.

Ryan is yet another former Belichick employee. He worked from 2000-2003 as linebackers coach for New England, which produced Pro Bowlers Willie McGinest and Tedi Bruschi (who came into the NFL as a college defensive lineman).

That 2003 Patriot unit led the NFL in fewest points allowed.

Ryan first coached in the NFL as a defensive backs coach for his father in Arizona in 1994. The Cardinals defense was ranked third in the NFL in 1994, and in 1995 they led the NFL with 42 takeaways.

His many years as a college coach included a two-year stint as the Oklahoma State defensive coordinator, where he was named The Sporting News Coordinator of the Year in 1997.

His defense at small Hutchinson Community College in 1996 led the nation in total defense, sacks (56), and set a national record by recording 49 turnovers.

Perhaps the most important members of the defensive staff for the Browns will be defensive line coach Bryan Cox and linebackers coach Matt Eberflus.

Many Browns fans might remember Cox as a precocious, outspoken linebacker, who played 12 years in the NFL. Cox earned Pro Bowl honors in the 1992, 1994 and 1995 seasons.

Cox played for the Dolphins, Bears, Jets, Patriots and Saints in his NFL career, getting a Super Bowl ring while with the Patriots in 2002.

He has been the assistant defensive line coach on Mangini’s Jets staff since 2006.

Eberflus has no prior professional coaching experience, but was most recently the Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach at the University of Missouri.

Missouri won the Big XII North Division in his last season in the college ranks. He spent eight seasons at the University of Missouri.

Eberflus’ ties to Ohio include being both a player and coach at the University of Toledo. He was a two time first-team All-MAC selection and worked on the Toledo staff from 1992 to 2000.

Ryan, Cox and Eberflus will be charged with the duty of getting a pass rush out of the front seven, an area of concern for the Browns since its expansion.

The teams’ success or failure to get to the quarterback may hinge on their ability to develop defensive end/linebackers Alex Hall and Cameron Wimbley.

Hall and Wimbley are clearly the team's most athletic and physically gifted pass rushers. But to this point, no one has been able to turn potential into consistent on-the-field results.

Wimbley, the former first-round draft choice out of Florida State University, came into the league with high expectations.

In his 2006 rookie year, he recorded a whopping 11 sacks. But in the last two seasons combined he has just nine quarterback takedowns.

Wimbley is an intelligent kid who has tremendous God-given skills. But he has yet to develop any kind of technique beyond trying to out-run opposing offensive tackles to the edge.

Cox put together a solid NFL career getting to the quarterback. Perhaps he can teach Wimbley that using a variety of moves is more important than just being the faster player.

This is just his fourth year in the league, so there is hope that this new coaching staff can get Wimbley’s career back on track.

Alex Hall came into the league as a sixth round “project” in last year’s draft. He arrived from small St. Augustine’s College in North Carolina where he dominated against players with lesser skill and size.

Unfortunately, Hall had no experience playing against major Division I athletes while in college. Nor did he have any knowledge of how to play in more complicated defensive schemes.

But Hall’s athletic ability alone allowed him the opportunities to not only make the squad, but to get on the field in a limited role in 2008 (recording 3 sacks).

He stands nearly 6’6” and has a tremendous wingspan. Bulking up in the weight room (from 215 to 250 lbs.) in the off-season has turned him into a “freakish” looking athlete.

Newly acquired David Bowens, formerly of the Jets, is expected to start ahead of Hall. But after 11 seasons in the league, it would be expecting a lot of Bowens to man the outside of the 3-4 defense full-time.

Hall will get a shot to be a situational pass rusher at the very least if he can impress the coaches during training camp.

There is talk that Mangini was impressed with Hall after studying the Browns game film from 2008.

Hall has the ability, with some proper coaching, to turn into a special defensive force.

The Browns also drafted linebacker/end David Veikune and linebacker Kaluka Maiava in the second and third rounds respectively. They, along with Beau Belle, Leon Williams, and last seasons’ leading tackler D’Qwell Jackson, are all young linebackers in need of direction.

The team brought in veteran middle linebacker Eric Barton to not only play a significant role on the defense, but to lead and teach these young players how to play in this 3-4 system.

After years of trying and failing, the hope is that this new group of coaches can get this front seven to finally put some pressure on the quarterback.

Someone besides nose tackle Sean Rogers needs to collapse the pocket.

The remainder of the Browns coaching staff is as follows:

Assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Brad Seely

Defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson

Defensive quality control coach Andy Dickerson

Running backs coach Gary Brown

Tight ends coach Steve Hagan

Offensive line George Warhop

Wide receivers coach George McDonald

Quarterbacks coach Carl Smith

Strength and conditioning coach Tom Myslinski

Assistant strength and conditioning coach Alan DeGennaro

Assistant strength and conditioning coach Rick Lyle