We have a leader in the clubhouse in Cleveland.
Citing a source informed of the team's plans, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported the Browns are staging a second interview Thursday with Ken Whisenhunt. Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer first broke the news of Whisenthunt's meeting with the team.
The recently fired Arizona Cardinals coach is the first candidate in Cleveland to meet with the Browns a second time and has to be considered a front-runner for the job.
A source familiar with Jimmy Haslam's views on the coaching search told Rapoport the Browns owner values finding a strong leader over X's and O's.
The Browns started their chase for a new coach talking about finding a rock-solid visionary who would hold the role for years to come. The subtext was a big-name coach who would galvanize the fan base.
Whisenhunt has been to a Super Bowl. He's the first coach to take the Cardinals that far, and he is well-respected in football circles, but this isn't who fans had in mind when this journey began. Mere weeks ago, Whisenhunt was answering questions about the swirling quarterback mess in Arizona.
It's not that Whisenhunt isn't a qualified and proven leader -- he is. But the Browns seemed to be talking about someone else when this search began.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
