After a lengthy wait, the Cleveland Browns can finally hire the man they've targeted for new coach Kevin Stefanski's defensive coordinator position.
Joe Woods is in Cleveland today to interview with the Browns, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Wednesday morning.
Woods, assuming all goes well, is expected to be named the Browns' new defensive coordinator.
The 49-year-old has been the favorite to land the Cleveland DC job but was just a tad busy until this week coaching in the Super Bowl as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator.
Woods got his start as an NFL assistant in Tampa Bay in 2004 as a defensive quality control coach. When Mike Tomlin got the DC job in Minnesota, Woods followed him from the Bucs to the Vikings, where he spent eight seasons as the defensive backs coach from 2006-2013. It was there Woods met Stefanski, who was in Minnesota during Woods' entire run.
Woods has long credited Tomlin as a role model as a coach.
After eight seasons in Minnesota, Woods had a one-year stop in Oakland, then moved to Denver from 2015-2018. The final two years with the Broncos, Woods got his first chance to wear the defensive coordinator title under Vance Joseph.
A longtime DBs coach, Woods has worked with many stud defensive backs including the likes of Richard Sherman (49ers), Aqib Talib (Broncos), Chris Harris (Broncos), Charles Woodson (Raiders), Xavier Rhodes (Vikings), and Ronde Barber (Bucs), among others. The Browns have a good young duo in Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams for Woods to help mold. Along with pass rusher Myles Garrett (if cleared from an indefinite suspension), Olivier Vernon, Larry Ogunjobi, Damarious Randall, et al., the pieces are there for the Browns defense to take a giant step forward in 2020 under Woods.
