According to a report from Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, the Cleveland Browns are set to hire Duce Staley as the team’s running backs coach.
The Cleveland Browns may be on the verge of hiring another offensive assistant. Josina Anderson of CBS Sports is reporting that Duce Staley has informed the New York Jets he intends to join the Browns staff under head coach Kevin Stefanski, which would make him their second hire of the coaching cycle.
Staley is being hired as the team’s running backs coach. Previously, he held the title of assistant head coach Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and most recently the Carolina Panthers, so that could be a possibility with the Browns.
Staley could theoretically take on the title of running game coordinator. Those were the titles that Stump Mitchell held.
Staley would be the latest evidence of their intent to get younger on the coaching staff. After hiring Tommy Rees to be their tight ends coach, who is 31, Staley is 48 years old, 16 years younger than Stump Mitchell.
It stands to reason that if Staley is hired as part of the coaching staff, one of his responsibilities will be to help adapt the Browns running game. After Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending injury, the Browns running game all but fell apart. Further injuries to the offensive line further exacerbated the issue.
Speaking of Chubb, that is one of the potential players that Staley would have the opportunity to work with in Cleveland once he recovers from his injury. The Browns also have Jerome Ford and could be in the market for additional help at that position this offseason.
Staley’s decision to choose the Browns over the Jets could come down to any number of reasons. Staley knows Jim Schwartz and Andrew Berry from his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, but one of the best reasons might simply be stability.
Breece Hall is an outstanding talent in the Jets backfield, but there are questions about the Jets coaching staff heading into this season.
Most coaches would jump at the chance to work with him. But after being talked about as a potential contender, the team lost Aaron Rodgers for the season and limped to a 7-10 record.
There is pressure on them to perform this year and Staley just uprooted his life to move to Carolina where he was part of a in-season staff purge in their first season.
Stefanski’s coaching house in Cleveland is built on a much stronger foundation. For Staley, who was considered a rising star in coaching circles, success with the Browns could help him get back on a trajectory for better roles, which could include offensive coordinator, but Staley likely has aspirations to be a head coach in the NFL. Helping the Browns develop a dominant running game could be another achievement he could add to his resume.
New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams wants to stay in the Big Apple as long as he can and says he’s “disappointed” that his name continues to surface in trade talks this offseason. The former first-round pick out of Alabama said this week he likes where he is and sees his future in New York.
“I really want to be a Jet for life,” Williams told CBS Sports Radio’s Zach Gelb. I like New York and I want to play in New York. I’d be disappointed if they traded me and didn’t tell me.”
The Jets were reportedly not shopping Williams in November, despite reports to the contrary. The Jets drafted Williams with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he started in nine games as a rookie. During his first season, he made a combined 28 tackles with four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
