The Cleveland Browns, shaking up their staff after a disappointing 6-10 season, have requested to interview Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero reported the news first, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Chris Mortensen reported separately. Because the Bills are playing in the Wild Card this weekend, an interview wouldn’t be able to take place until afterward.
Daboll, 44, is finishing his second season with the Buffalo Bills. During that time, he’s overseen the development of quarterback Josh Allen from polarizing project into solid starter. His 2018 Bills offense was a travesty, ranking 30th in yards and points. The Bills, collectively, had one of the worst passing seasons in franchise history that year. But in 2019, armed with new personnel, Daboll’s offense was moderately boosted out of the bottom tier. Buffalo ranked 23rd in points and 24th in yards. They had a top-ten rushing offense, and a passing attack that ranked between 20th and 25th in most key stats. But Allen looked far more effective in his second season, throwing twice as many touchdowns while cutting his interception rate in half, and that speaks to Browns viewers who watched Baker Mayfield regress across the board in his second season.
Daboll’s coaching resume certainly speaks for itself—before his Buffalo stint, he was Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator on a championship-winning Alabama team, and prior to that he won two Super Bowls as part of Bill Belichick’s coaching staff. Actually his ring count reaches five, in total, if you stretch his career back to when he joined the New England Patriots as part of the defensive coaching staff, then as their receivers coach. Between those stops he bounced around the league working for former Patriots coaches Eric Mangini and Romeo Crennel, and spent a year as Tony Sparano’s offensive coordinator.
In addition to Daboll, Josh McDaniels and Greg Roman have also been requested by the Browns, per Adam Schefter.