Browns Rumors: Ex-Head Coach Freddie Kitchens Struggled with Load Management

There might be a reason the Cleveland Browns opened the 2019 season with a lopsided 43-13 defeat to the Tennessee Titans.

ESPN's Josina Anderson reported Thursday on SportsCenter that some Browns players thought former head coach Freddie Kitchens "pushed them too much in training camp, and that spilled over into Week 1."

Anderson added that Cleveland believes Mike McCarthy, a candidate to replace Kitchens, would be much better with the players' load management. The team planned to interview McCarthy on Thursday.

Anderson's report highlighted the risk of hiring somebody who lacks experience as a head coach or high-level assistant. Kitchens only had a few months under his belt as Cleveland's offensive coordinator before he was promoted to head coach last January.

Knowing how much to push players physically to prepare them for the regular season without going overboard is a delicate balance. 

A 2-6 start certainly raised some questions over Kitchens' offseason preparations in general, and as the year unfolded, he simply looked ill-equipped to lead the Browns.

The Athletic's Zac Jackson reported Tuesday that offensive coordinator Todd Monken had grown so frustrated he expressed exasperation to opponents:

"Multiple sources told The Athletic that late in the season, Monken would spend time on the field before games telling opposing coaches how bad things were with the Browns, calling the team a 'total mess' and saying that Kitchens' Sunday play calling generally steered away from most things that had been in the game plan from Wednesday-Saturday."

The criticism about Kitchens' training camp approach also brings to mind a report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport laying out how Odell Beckham Jr. was playing through a sports hernia injury that would require surgery. Beckham had previously referenced an injury he suffered in training camp.

Baker Mayfield openly questioned whether the Browns' trainers adequately addressed the injury in the first place before walking back his comments.

More than anything, the concerns about Kitchens' ability to manage the players' workload provided further explanation why Cleveland fired him after only one year on the job.