Ken Dorsey, who was terminated by Buffalo earlier in the current season, becomes the second candidate to engage in discussions with Cleveland regarding the coordinator position, according to an individual familiar with the matter. The Browns, which will continue conducting more interviews, have also scheduled a meeting with Jerrod Johnson, the quarterbacks coach for the Houston Texans, for the offensive coordinator role, as reported by the same source. CBSsports.com first broke the news about the meeting with Dorsey, while ESPN.com was the first to report on the interview with Johnson.
Dorsey, a former starting quarterback for the Browns from 2006-08, is one of 37 quarterbacks to have started for Cleveland since the franchise’s expansion reboot in 1999. Having gone 0-3 as a starter in 2008, Dorsey, 42, previously played for San Francisco. He was Buffalo’s offensive coordinator until his dismissal by Bills coach Sean McDermott in November.
The Browns found themselves in need of an offensive coordinator following the unexpected departure of Alex Van Pelt earlier in the week. The team also parted ways with running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney after the Browns’ 45-14 defeat in the wild-card round against the Houston Texans. The reason behind Van Pelt’s departure has not been disclosed by the Browns. General manager Andrew Berry is set to address the media on Monday.
In the preceding week, the Browns interviewed Andy Dickerson, the offensive line coach for Seattle, for the offensive coordinator position. Dickerson, who spent time as an assistant coach with Cleveland in 2009-10, has been with the Seahawks for the past three seasons. Before joining the Texans, Jerrod Johnson served as an assistant QB coach in Minnesota and spent three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.