Why it’s surprising the Browns did the right thing by firing Freddie Kitchens

This post has been updated after the news came out that the Browns fired head coach Freddie Kitchens.

I’m not here to tell you that I told you so, but I did tell y’all the Cleveland Browns would be a dysfunctional mess this season under the totally inexperienced head coach Freddie Kitchens and his young hotshot quarterback Baker Mayfield. Well, I was right.

In fact, this season has been even worse than I thought. The Browns have been undisciplined, unprofessional, and an unmitigated disaster.

But guess what, folks? I was wrong about one thing: I thought they would run back the same crew next year. Instead, Kitchens is out after an embarrassing loss to the Bengals in the season finale.

Specifically, ego of general manager John Dorsey. I like John Dorsey. He signed me in Kansas City, and then two seasons later he signed my brother, Mitchell, to a large contract. I respect Dorsey, but like most general managers, he’s got a giant ego.

Dorsey built this Browns team. It’s his baby. He took over near the end of their 0-16 season in 2017. He retained Hue Jackson as the coach and traded for Jarvis Landry right after free agency opened in 2018. He drafted Baker Mayfield before the 2018 season. When things started poorly in that season, he made the correct decision and fired Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Gregg Williams was promoted to head coach and Kitchens to offensive coordinator. Mayfield was put into the lineup and Cleveland finished strong in 2018, with high hopes for the team in 2019.

Entering the 2019 offseason, the Browns hired Kitchens as the head coach, traded for Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon, and brought in other pieces like Morgan Burnett and Sheldon Richardson. There was Super Bowl hype, which was always overblown, but the expectations to win the division or make the playoffs as a wild card was real. This team was talented everywhere except offensive line.

I understand why the hype was there, but I told everyone who’d listen why it wouldn’t work. And not to rehash the season, but it didn’t go well. Most people believed changes were needed, and I was one of them, but I didn’t think they would happen.

What should happen now that Dorsey fired Kitchens is finding an adult to coach this team. A coach who demands accountability and gets the most out of his players. A coach, or offensive coordinator, who can get Mayfield playing confidently and quietly (please), and be able to handle all the personalities on the team. A coach players can trust in the bad times. That coach could be Ron Rivera, Mike McCarthy, or whoever else.

Every week we got a report that a player was asking to get out. So does Dorsey make those moves? If you hire a new coach whom the players will respect, then you probably don’t have to trade anyone. But if they still want out, you’d 100 percent trade a player like Beckham for draft picks or an offensive lineman. You don’t need more than one excellent wide receiver to win in the NFL.

Look at the Patriots, Ravens, Saints, Niners, etc. They have one stud and then multiple players that fit your scheme. Dorsey then spends his capital this offseason adding offensive linemen, receiving talent, and probably more help on the front seven of the defense. A new coach would have a loaded team with hopefully tampered down expectations.

Dorsey is making changes, but guess whose fault the failures are? His. He built this team. He hired Kitchens. He traded for OBJ. He drafted Mayfield. This is his baby and the failures fall squarely on him. If I’m the owner of the Browns, how do I trust Dorsey to find the next coach, or make moves in free agency after the failures of 2019?

Now Dorsey’s on the hot seat if the new changes don’t pan out, but it was the right call to fire Kitchens. I’m just surprised that it happened.