The staff of new Browns head coach Hue Jackson may be starting to take shape.
According to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com on Tuesday, the Browns are interviewing Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton for the same position. The team is said to have “made it clear that they want to hire” Horton and that such a hiring “could happen quickly.”
#Titans DC Ray Horton arrives in Cleveland today for his interview. #Browns made it clear they want to hire him, could happen quickly
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 19, 2016
Horton, 55, is an old friend having already served as the defensive coordinator for the Browns in 2013 before leaving for the Titans in 2014.
The former NFL defensive back presided over a Tennessee defense that ranked 12th in fewest total yards allowed last season, per ESPN. Horton would have a tough task on hand in Cleveland, however, as the Browns ranked 27th by the same metric.
There can’t be a surplus of candidates that are lining up to take a job in the black hole that is the Browns franchise, which could explain the team’s urgency in making the Horton hiring happen. After all, Jackson already appears to have hired himself as his own offensive coordinator next season. As such, Cleveland better hope they close the deal with Horton and close it fast.
H/T Rotoworld
