Jim Schwartz is the new defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns. Schwartz comes to the Browns after years of NFL experience, most recently with the Tennessee Titans as a senior defensive assistant, after breaking into the league as a personnel scout in Cleveland under Bill Belichick.
He’s best known for his five seasons (2009-2013) as the head coach of the Detroit, and this is where the worlds collide for me. His final season as the Lions head coach was my first year as credentialed media covering the team.
I won’t beat around the bush; I love the move to hire Schwartz as Joe Woods’ successor. I openly campaigned for it on social media and in various radio spots. There are a couple of reasons why I’m bullish on the divisive Schwartz.
Scheme
Schwartz uses an aggressive 4-man front in the style of longtime Eagles coordinator Jim Johnson. His defenses rely heavily on generating pressure with just the front four. First with the Titans (2001-2008) as a coordinator, then with the Lions as head coach and subsequent coordinator stops in Buffalo (2014) and Philadelphia (2016-2020), Schwartz’s defensive units perennially ranked near the top in sacks and at or near the bottom in blitz percentage.
Don’t mistake the dearth of blitzing for not being aggressive. Far from it. Schwartz uses a barrage of twists, stunts, alignments within the four-man line and even some more advanced gimmicks like the asynchronous rush or the inverted line (ends inside, tackles outside). His expansive use of the Wide-9 technique with his ends is Schwartz’s signature.
Spotlighting his standouts
Everywhere he’s been, Schwartz has thrived at catering to the skills of his top talents. From Jevon Kearse and Kevin Carter in Tennessee to Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vandenbosch in Detroit and the Brandon Graham/Chris Long combination in Philadelphia, Schwartz prominently features his top talents and puts them in optimal situations to succeed.
That certainly bodes well for Myles Garrett in Cleveland. The Wide-9, where the EDGE lines up beyond the outside shoulder of a tight end–even if there is no tight end to that side of the formation–creates considerable space for Garrett to get options to use either his freakish power or incredible speed and cornering ability. Expect to also see Garrett kick inside into a 4i or 5-technique, too.
Cleveland holes
You might notice that he’s almost always had more than one impact member of the front four. Garrett gives him arguably the best individual talent he’s ever had on the outside, but the Browns don’t have a No. 2. they might not even have a No. 3 on the roster right now, and that’s one of the reasons why Woods is gone.
If GM Andrew Berry, who was with Schwartz in Philadelphia before joining the Browns, wants this to work, he has to know the defensive tackle position is offseason priority No. 1. The Browns already desperately needed at least one new starting DT, preferably one who can collapse the pocket reliably. Now that position is a non-negotiable necessity.
So is having a balance to Garrett at DE. Alex Wright can develop into a No. 3 DE in Schwartz’s scheme, which plays well to Wright’s quickness and length. But the No. 2 DE is not on the roster. Jadeveon Clowney wouldn’t be it even if he returned, either.
The good news? The rest of the returning defensive personnel fits what Schwartz typically wants quite well. He’s a coordinator who leans on man coverage outside and Cover-3 and Cover-1 in the middle. Schwartz knows how to mask and mix up his coverages too.
In Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome and Martin Emerson, the Browns are set at CB for Schwartz. His use of a traditional split of strong and free safety also fits the Browns existing personnel of Grant Delpit and John Johnson–presuming Johnson returns, a debate where the dynamic has changed with Schwartz’s hiring.
The linebacking corps is tailor-made for Schwartz when everyone is healthy. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is a perfect fit in the middle, a smart, speedy backer with range. Jacob Phillips and a return from a bigger SLB like Sione Takitaki are good enough for a defense that emphasizes the front four and the back four (or five). Tony Fields works as a depth piece. Crashing the gaps inside the Wide-9 alignment against the run and carrying TEs to the safeties in coverage are the primary functions. No blitzing and no heavy man-coverage required.
Stefanski impact
One of the big reasons I wanted Schwartz is his personality. Schwartz is proudly prickly. He is not afraid to be defiant or difficult. A Georgetown grad, Schwartz is a very bright guy and isn’t shy about letting folks know he’s smart.
His personality is not for everyone, but his abrasive, prideful nature serves a great purpose in Cleveland. He is the boat-rocker and willing antagonist I strongly believe is needed to help head coach Kevin Stefanski.
It’s overstating the situation to say Stefanski was surrounded by assistants who are complacent or “yes men”. But there has not been enough pushback or negative feedback to Stefanski internally, certainly not in the strident way Schwartz will deliver those things.
Don’t mistake those qualities in Schwartz for disloyalty or not being a team player. It’s more about Schwartz being willing to speak up if he sees things that he doesn’t think will work, and not just on his own defense — and Schwartz does so in full-throated spirit to help the team win. He found that balance very nicely in Philadelphia with head coach Doug Pederson and in Tennessee with Jeff Fisher, who wasn’t afraid to dish it right back. Schwartz loved that, by the way.
The coaching dynamic needs to change in Cleveland. That’s Schwartz.
It might not work, no question about it. If the defensive line doesn’t get significant personnel upgrades immediately, it could very well be one-and-done for Schwartz in Cleveland. Berry, Stefanski and the Browns trust Schwartz and respect his process and his results enough to believe he can pair with Stefanski and thrive. I do too.
