The Cleveland Browns have yet to make the hiring of head coach Freddie Kitchens official, but apparently, the 17th full-time coach in franchise history is hitting the ground running in building up his first coaching staff.
According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, Kitchens and the Browns are set to interview former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant coach Todd Monken for their vacant offensive coordinator position.
Prior to being linked to the Browns as a potential assistant coaching candidate, Monken interviewed for the New York Jets’ head coach opening, as well as for offensive coordinator position with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Monken has 30 years of experience within the coaching profession, including four as the Jaguars’ wide receivers coach (2007-2010), and then, as offensive coordinator/position coach for the Buccaneers (2016-2017).
During the 2018 season, Monken served solely as the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers.
Additionally, Monken has held graduate assistantships, position coach, coordinator and head-coaching duties at various schools on the collegiate level.
In 2016, Monken’s offense accounted for 5,542 net yards and 22.1 points per game, the third and fourth-most productive single-season totals in franchise history. The Buccaneers converted 340 first downs and had a 43.9 percent success rate on third-down attempts, which was the best mark in franchise history and sixth-highest in the NFL.
Under Monken’s direction, wide receiver Mike Evans earned his first Pro Bowl invitation in 2016 after turning 96 catches into 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns. Evans’ 12 touchdowns tied his own team record and were second-most in the NFL during the 2016 season.
Should Monken be offered and take the Browns’ offensive coordinator position, he will get to work with one of the NFL’s best rookies from the 2018 season, quarterback Baker Mayfield.
No rookie in the near 100-year history of the NFL has thrown more touchdowns passes than Mayfield.
Mayfield broke the NFL record with his 27th touchdown throw of the season with 3:24 to play in regulation of a season-ending 26-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC North Division clash at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on December 30.
After taking over the first-team offense in the second quarter of a Week 3 win over the New York Jets, Mayfield completed 310 of his 486 attempts (63.8 percent) for 3,725 yards and 27 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.
Although Mayfield does not get official credit for the victory over the Jets because he came on in relief of an injured Tyrod Taylor, the first-year quarterback guided the Browns to seven wins and the greatest single-year turnaround in franchise history.
Individually, Mayfield set franchise records for the most passing touchdowns and yards by a rookie, and his 3,725 yards rank as the sixth-best single-season in team history, regardless of years of service. Additionally, Mayfield had three of the top five passing yards games by a rookie, as well as the fourth-most accurate season of any Browns quarterback ever.
Additionally, Monken would inherit a productive running game.
Of all rookie running backs who have played for the Browns since their founding in 1946, no one rushed for more yards than Chubb, as he set the franchise single-season record in a 26-18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 23.
Chubb rushed for a game-high 112 yards on 19 carries, which gave him 972 yards on the season.
Chubb broke the old mark for rushing yards by a rookie that was set by Trent Richardson during the 2012 season. Richardson rushed for those 950 yards on 267 carries, while Chubb eclipsed his yardage total on 84 less attempts.
Chubb finished the 2018 season, one in which he was seldom used in the first seven games, with 996 yards and eight touchdowns on 192 carries. Chubb had 11 20-yard runs, four 40-yard bursts and 47 first-down conversions.