CORY UNDLIN AND MIKE RUTENBERG NAMED FINALISTS FOR BROWNS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOB
Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator search: Cory Undlin, Mike Rutenberg, and Jason Tarver fight for the 2026 DC role
Cory Undlin, who used to run the Detroit Lions’ defence, is now in the mix for the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator job.
So, here we are. The Browns have been hunting for Jim Schwartz’s replacement for about ten days now, and they’ve narrowed it down to three names. A decision’s coming soon.
Mary Kay Cabot from Cleveland.com reports the finalists: Cory Undlin, who’s currently the Texans’ passing game coordinator; Mike Rutenberg, who handles the same job for the Falcons; and the last in-house option, linebackers coach Jason Tarver.
The Browns need a new coordinator because Schwartz is out; he was frustrated after the team passed him over for the head coach job when they fired Kevin Stefanski. Schwartz had the defence humming, too. His first year, they finished No. 6 in Pro Football Focus’ rankings, then No. 8, and last year, they jumped to No. 2.
Only one candidate left from inside the building: Tarver. There’s been a lot of talk about keeping Schwartz’s “wide nine” approach, even if someone else takes over. That definitely helps Tarver’s cause since he’s been on staff under Schwartz for three seasons.
Tarver’s been a defensive coordinator before, but it didn’t go great. With the Raiders from 2012 to 2014, his defences ranked 28th, 29th, and 32nd in points allowed. Not exactly a glowing record.
Still, keeping Tarver would probably go over well with the players and coaches, especially those who weren’t thrilled with how the Schwartz situation played out. But there’s also a case for new head coach Todd Monken bringing in someone he knows and trusts. That’s where Undlin comes in; he and Monken go way back to their Jaguars days nearly twenty years ago.
Undlin also spent time with Schwartz on the Eagles’ staff from 2016 to 2019.
Then there’s Rutenberg, who’s kind of the wild card. He doesn’t have any clear ties to Monken or the Browns. He’s only been with the Falcons for a year, and before that, he coached linebackers for the Jets from 2021 to 2024.
Monken told reporters at his first press conference that he hoped Schwartz would stay, but he also said the Browns could run Schwartz’s system without him. He made a point that it’s the players, not the coordinator, who make the defence work.
That’s only part of the story. Under Schwartz, plenty of guys who hadn’t really stood out before started playing at a new level, like Maliek Collins, Alex Wright, and Devin Bush. Even Myles Garrett, one of the league’s best pass rushers, gave Schwartz a tonne of credit.
“I don’t think I get two DPOYs without Jim,” Garrett said last week. “He helped mould my potential as a player and put me in a scheme that fit me. He let me do what I do best: rush the passer and attack up front. See the ball? Go get it.
“So, can we keep that going? It’s about the guys we have in the locker room. We all need to be on the same page, focused on the mission, and attack it with urgency.”
TRISTIN MCCOLLUM SIGNS RAIDERS EXTENSION AFTER PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WAIVED SUPER BOWL WINNER
Tristin McCollum re-signs with the Raiders as Klint Kubiak and John Spytek pivot to a younger, faster 2026 roster.
The Las Vegas Raiders have really pulled back on free agent signings lately, but their roster still has plenty of holes to fill. They didn’t use the franchise tag this year, though they did lock down some restricted free agents.
One guy they definitely wanted to keep was safety Tristin McCollum. He didn’t get much attention in free agency, but the Raiders knew they wanted him back. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that McCollum and the Raiders have finally worked out a deal so he’s staying in Las Vegas.
Last season, McCollum ended up with the Raiders after the Philadelphia Eagles waived him. He played in 16 games for the team in 2025.
McCollum started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans, but he never saw the field there. He spent two years with the Eagles and even earned a Super Bowl ring for the 2024 season.
He’s mostly known for his work on special teams, though he can add some depth at safety. At just 26, McCollum’s got youth and athleticism on his side, and on a defence full of new faces, he’ll have plenty of chances to make some noise.
Klint Kubiak Wants More Depth at Safety
Now McCollum joins Terrell Edmunds, Jeremy Chinn, and Isaiah Pola-Mao in the safety group. Honestly, it’s not the strongest bunch right now. Chinn is solid, but Pola-Mao had a rough time last season.
Edmunds, a first-round pick in the past, just hasn’t been able to stick around on one team. It feels like the Raiders might still need to draft a safety. Head coach Klint Kubiak made it clear they have to strengthen that spot.
“I think we've got to get deeper,” Kubiak said recently. “It’s a good draft for that position. I think we've got three guys that we’re working with right now. We got to continue to build that depth.”
Raiders Make Youth the Priority This Offseason
Last offseason, the Raiders weren’t expected to be contenders and still wound up with an older roster. This time, though, youth was the plan. General manager John Spytek said the team made that choice on purpose.
“We wanted to get younger, we wanted to target the right kind of people, and so I’m just proud of the work that they put in,” Spytek said. “It was great teamwork while we waited to fill out the coaching staff.
“And then we waited until after the Super Bowl for Klint [Kubiak], and things moved faster after that. Our scouts and coaches worked really well together, and I think we did a good job in free agency making the Raiders better.”
If the Raiders want to build a team that lasts, they have to stay committed to bringing in young talent.
ESPN STRAW POLL REVEALS LUKA DONčIć RECEIVED ZERO FIRST-PLACE MVP VOTES
Luka Dončić suffers a "brutal" hamstring injury as the Lakers lose big to OKC and vanish from the MVP top spot.
The last 24 hours have been a rollercoaster for the Los Angeles Lakers.
They started with a complete collapse against the defending champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Things only took a turn for the worse when Luka Doncic, their star point guard, started limping in the third quarter during a matchup with Jalen Williams.
He immediately showed signs of pain, moving slowly toward the baseline before lying down and covering his face with his hands.
The Lakers were already hanging by a thread, and losing Doncic in that moment seemed to drain the life out of the whole team.
The game ended with a brutal 43-point loss, but all anyone wanted to know afterwards was how bad Doncic’s injury was and how long he'd be sidelined.
Before this game, Doncic was riding one of the most remarkable scoring runs in NBA history. He racked up 600 points in March, the third-highest total ever for a single month.
Those scoring outbursts had pushed him up the MVP leaderboard significantly.
Now, however, it looks like Doncic’s case for this year’s Michael Jordan Trophy might not be as strong as it appeared.
Heading into Thursday’s matchup in Oklahoma City, many had pegged Doncic as the clear MVP favourite after he led his team to an impressive 15-2 record last month. The Lakers were arguably the hottest team around, with only the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs close behind.
Doncic was the most explosive scorer by a wide margin, including a 60-point game, the highest since he joined L.A. in that major trade over a year ago.
With the regular season winding down, MVP voting is about to conclude, and that always keeps fans on edge.
This morning, ESPN shared its final straw poll of the season. The people behind this poll hold real voting power, so these results are a strong indication of how the actual voting might go.
Brace yourselves, Lakers fans, here’s the tough part.
Doncic, who had been gaining serious momentum for MVP in recent weeks, ended up with zero first-place votes.
That’s right, none.
If you need to read that again, go ahead.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got the most first-place votes, followed by Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, both of whom earned more first-place votes than Doncic.
That said, Doncic did receive six second-place votes, 24 third-place votes, and 59 fourth-place votes. So, while not a favourite at the top, he wasn’t completely overlooked either.
Now, beyond the MVP race, the Lakers face more significant challenges as the playoffs approach.
This could not come at a worse time for Doncic to get hurt. His chances at postseason awards are also at risk.
At 27, Doncic needs to log at least 20 more minutes in another game to remain eligible for those honors but even that might be a stretch.
If the injury is a hamstring strain, even the mildest kind could keep him out for one to two weeks, knocking him out of eligibility. Should it be worse, a Grade 2 or 3 strain, the Lakers could lose him for part or all of the first-round playoff series. That’s a devastating possibility.
The hope is that it’s just a minor tweak, though his body language after going down suggested it might be more serious.
Luckily, the Lakers have five games left before the playoffs begin, with a roughly one-week break during the play-in tournament. That break could be crucial for getting Doncic back to full health before the first round begins.
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