The Cleveland Browns have landed a new offensive coordinator.
The team officially announced on Wednesday that Todd Haley is taking the job.
Haley spent the past six years as Pittsburgh's play-caller, but the Steelers decided not to renew his contract following last week's 45-42 playoff loss to the Jaguars. Not helping matters, the 50-year-old Haley reportedly struggled to get along with star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
A former head coach for the Chiefs, Haley will take over an offense that habitually flat-lined over the past two seasons under coach Hue Jackson. It's unclear if Jackson will retain play-calling duties, but it's impossible to imagine the hyper-experienced Haley joining the staff without full power to call his own plays.
His relationship with Big Ben aside, Haley's offense thrived in Pittsburgh, finishing top-10 in points over the past four seasons and consistently whipping defenses with the likes of Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell.
Cleveland doesn't offer that brand of star power, but the Browns boast a talented offensive line, a handful of playmakers -- Duke Johnson, Isaiah Crowell, Josh Gordon, Corey Coleman and David Njoku -- and a boatload of valuable draft picks.
Haley is likely to be working with a rookie quarterback if (and when) the Browns select one with the first- or fourth-overall pick in the draft. The team also houses DeShone Kizer and Cody Kessler under center, but neither have done enough to prevent Cleveland from heat-seeking their choice from the college ranks -- or pursuing a veteran in free agency or via trade.
The question here is what sort of scheme we can expect from the Browns. Will it be Haley running Jackson's offense, his own playbook or a mixture of both? Cleveland went without a coordinator over the past two seasons largely because Jackson -- an experienced play-caller -- was brought in under the assumption that he alone could rescue the offense.
One win and 31 defeats later, all assumptions have been scattered to the wind. Haley will be given the chance to put his fingerprints on an attack sorely in need of a savior.
