Todd Monken Confident Browns Defense Will Thrive With Or Without Jim Schwartz

The Cleveland Browns are still waiting to see whether defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will return to the team after being passed over for the team's head coaching job in favor of Todd Monken.

Monken made it clear that while he has a healthy respect for Schwartz, he is confident the defensive players will help the unit remain strong even if the 59-year-old coordinator opts not to return.

"I didn't take this job because of Jim Schwartz," Monken said at his introductory news conference. "I have a lot of respect for Jim Schwartz, as I would hope he has for me. But I took [the job] because of the players that are here, the ownership, Andrew Berry and the ability to build this roster from the ground up on the offensive side."

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Monken then briefly paused and decided to further explain his logic, despite saying he wasn't sure whether he would use this example publicly.

"When I was preparing for the Cleveland Browns, I wasn't trying to chip Jim Schwartz," the former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator said. "I was chipping Myles Garrett."

Of course, Monken will still have to win over the likes of Garrett – who posted a cryptic message to Instagram after the team hired Monken over Schwartz – and Denzel Ward, who called Schwartz "an amazing coach" and said he's "hoping he stays on the team" in a phone interview with Cleveland.com.

Perhaps Monken can convince Schwartz to resume his post. The veteran defensive coordinator remains under contract with the Browns, after all, and it isn't clear what type of recourse he'd have to break off his commitment to the team, barring retirement.

Either way, Monken wasn't yet ready to comment on staffing decisions at his introductory news conference. Still, he assured his defensive players the system would remain in place regardless of whether Schwartz returns to the team.

"They can be rest assured that we're gonna keep the same system," Monken told reporters. "We're still gonna let them attack. We're still gonna let them play free. I can't see another way."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Browns' Todd Monken: 'I didn't take this job because of Jim Schwartz'