Editor's note: Tony Grossi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN 850 WKNR.
The Freddie Kitchens story is like none other in Browns’ coaching history.
From selling cars and washing FedEx trucks in Tuscaloosa, AL, to the 17th head coach in Browns history, Kitchens rose from humble beginnings to the guardian of a football galaxy ready to explode.
Kitchens’ homespun speech, southern dialect and fondness for an orange Dawg Pound hoodie has bonded him instantly with a long-suffering fan base tired of losing, disrespect and ridicule.
He is an us-against-the-world coach for an us-against-the-world fan base.
“If you do not wear brown and orange, you do not matter,” Kitchens decreed at his introductory press conference.
He frequently quotes civil rights leader Benjamin E. Mays saying, “Those who start behind in the game of life must run faster to catch up.”
“I have been running fast my whole life,” Kitchens adds.
Kitchens ran so fast that he caught up to a head coach search that GM John Dorsey admitted didn’t include him at the start.
He was Browns running back coach in January of 2018, interim offensive coordinator in October, and now head coach.
It’s one of the franchise’s all-time underdog stories.
And yet, Kitchens steps to the plate with several major advantages that no other Browns coach has enjoyed in their expansion era.
1. A franchise quarterback already broken in.
Kitchens’ eight-game stint as offensive coordinator enabled him to forge a healthy relationship with Baker Mayfield, coach him through the inevitable growing pains of a rookie quarterback, and make the necessary changes (Greg Robinson in at left tackle, Desmond Harrison out) for Mayfield to coalesce with a young offensive unit.
Mayfield was 6-7 as a starter. He also earned a win in relief of injured starter Tyrod Taylor in Game 3 against the Jets when he erased a 14-0 deficit in his very first appearance.
So, if you credit Mayfield with that victory, he already owns the fourth-most wins of the 30 Browns starting quarterbacks in the expansion era behind Tim Couch (22), Derek Anderson (16) and Brian Hoyer (nine).
Couch was the only other No. 1 overall draft pick among the 30 quarterbacks. When Butch Davis took over as Browns coach in 2001, Couch already had missed nine games with a broken thumb and had been battered by 66 sacks in his first 22 games.
Not only did Mayfield perform at a level that should win him multiple rookie-of-the-year honors, he escaped remarkably unscathed from any lingering injury.
2. Continuity in the offensive system.
Every new Browns coach has had to undo the offense he inherited and implement his own. Kitchens’ jump-start as the interim coordinator allows him to maintain the continuity of the offensive system.
Further, Kitchens doesn’t have to learn his personnel and his players don’t have to learn him. They’re beyond that.
That familiarity allows Kitchens to use the offseason program and minicamps to expand the offense and take it to the next level. In other words, they are in Year 2 of the offense as Kitchens takes over as head coach – instead of Year 1.
3. An exceptional football operations staff intact.
Every single coaching change in the expansion era has been accompanied by a change in general manager or head of football operations. Finally, that’s not the case this time.
Dorsey’s football operations department had no turnover and is coming off a stellar transaction season that significantly upgraded the roster while still adding assets in 2019.
Their stockpile of 10 draft picks includes third- and fifth-rounders of New England as a result of Dorsey trades of Danny Shelton and Josh Gordon, fifth- and seventh-rounders of Jacksonville (Carlos Hyde and Cody Kessler), and a seventh-rounder of New Orleans (Devaroe Lawrence).
4. Limited player turnover.
Most rookie coaches have to suffer through rampant roster turnover. Not Kitchens.
After Dorsey added 31 new players to the opening-game roster in 2018, turnover is expected to be much less in 2019.
The team’s major unrestricted free agents are Taylor, cornerback Phillip Gaines, Robinson and receiver Breshad Perriman. Taylor is certain to leave, Gaines is possible, but Dorsey has said he “absolutely” wants to re-sign Robinson and Perriman.
Receiver Rashard Higgins is the only major restricted free agent, and the Browns can easily keep the Mayfield favorite by giving him the second-round tender, projected at about $3 million.
Two players under contract whose futures are uncertain are linebacker Jamie Collins and kicker Greg Joseph.
Collins, entering his age 30 season, has no cumbersome guarantees left in the third year of his four-year, $50 million contract and would save the team $9.25 million in salary at a relatively cheap salary cap charge of $2.5 million if released or traded.
Joseph, whose rookie season in relief of Zane Gonzalez was shaky, is under contract with no guarantees.
5. A venerable veteran coaching staff.
Most rookie head coaches have difficulty assembling their first NFL coaching staff. Kitchens has been agreeable to Dorsey’s help in attracting coaches with solid NFL experience.
While Kitchens’ full staff is still not complete, his major hires have been impressive.
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks – Thirteen years in the NFL with five teams, including one year as coordinator with the Carolina Panthers and last year as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken – Three years as coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and four years as receivers coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, along with five years college experience in the Air Raid offense with Oklahoma State and Southern Mississippi.
Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer – Sixteen years in the NFL with five teams, the last eight with the Minnesota Vikings.
Offensive line coach James Campen – Fifteen years as line coach or assistant line coach with the Green Bay Packers.
Adding it all up, Kitchens may play the underdog chip considering how far he has come, but he has more resources, talent and support than any first-year head coach in the Browns expansion era.