Todd Monken's arrival has come with some strong messaging. Now, it has to resonate inside the Cleveland Browns locker room.
Many coaches have tried and failed at turning the Cleveland Browns into a consistent winner.
Kevin Stefanski was the latest victim in Cleveland's seemingly never-ending coaching carousel. What's funny is, Stefanski was actually the most successful coach the franchise has had since it was reinstated in 1999.
Two playoff appearances in six seasons weren't enough to buy him more time, though. Now, it's on Todd Monken to try to turn things around and change a culture largely defined by losing.
As Monken kicks off his first offseason program, he's setting a very strong tone for what he expects the team's identity to be on his watch.
"That we’re smart. We’re physical. Unbelievable effort. And our execution should pop off the tape," Monken asserted. "That doesn’t matter what we’re running, what play we’re running. That identity should be there. What are we trying to establish? A team that nobody wants to play."
Just two months on the job, Monken, with his first opportunity to be a head coach, is talking the talk. He hasn't minced any words since he first set foot in the building.
At his introductory press conference, the 60-year-old took a stern stance on defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's future, affirming that he didn't take the Browns job because Schwartz was here.
Monken has also remained steadfast that his team will be built around the strengths of his players, and that it's his job to find out what those are for every player.
That's particularly true on offense, where the Browns are largely starting from scratch. It's one of the biggest reasons Monken was hired; those in charge wanted someone who could turn that group around.
He has a bold vision for what the identity looks like on that side of the ball.
"I don’t care what it takes to score, it’s about scoring points," he said during his introductory press conference. "I would hate to put some sort of…any type of connotation as to what system that we are, other than playing to our players’ strengths."
Monken sounds like a football coach. Others who have sat in that office have as well. The real work begins now, with the start of the offseason program. Publicly, Monken's message is one fans will eat up. However, it has to resonate in the locker room.
This time of year is all about establishing a foundation, a sense of direction for the organization's future. That's hard enough to do, but Monken is also attempting to outrun ghosts of Browns coaching history. Can he be the one who finally flips a culture of losing?
The months ahead and the decisions made at key areas of the roster will determine how everyone remembers the Todd Monken era in Cleveland.
Browns Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Browns. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.