Saturday Dawg Chow (1/10): A busy start to the offseason

The Cleveland Browns were busy like bees in the first week of the offseason.

It all started the day after the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, as the Browns:

• Fired head coach Kevin Stefanski after six years on the job.
• Kicked off what ownership declared to be “120 days (that) are crucial for the organization.”
• Revealed that they would be putting a “heavy investment” into the offensive side of the ball.
• Acknowledged what everyone saw during the season, which is that the quarterback position is broken.
• Began the search for the next head coach, which will be the sixth full-time head coach since the Haslams purchased the club in 2012.

While the Browns were busy doing that, the NFL turned its focus to the playoffs, which open today with a pair of games. First up will be the Los Angeles Rams against the Carolina Panthers, who owe a debt of gratitude to the Atlanta Falcons for helping them reach the playoffs. The nightcap brings the third meeting of the year between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, where fans at the game can indulge in a nice cup of “Chicago-Style Hot Chocolate” featuring Jeppson’s Malört and Amaretto, topped with toasted salted caramel marshmallows for the low-low price of just $17.99! (Makes you wonder what is in store for Cleveland fans when the domed stadium opens in Brook Park in a few years.)

Wild card weekend continues with three games on Sunday and one on Monday night, and the outcome of a few of these games may open up some unexpected candidates for the Browns to consider in their head coach search.

We are getting ahead of ourselves, so for now, let’s start the weekend with the latest news about the Browns and the NFL in today’s edition of the Saturday Dawg Chow.

Dawgs By Nature:

• NFL head coach vacancies: Browns could get more competition after Wild Card games (Jared Mueller) – The number of NFL head coaching vacancies could grow after the playoffs start, making things interesting for the Browns
• Browns request head coaching interview with talented AFC West DC (Matthew Wilson) – Cleveland has requested to interview Los Angeles Chargers DC Jesse Minter for their vacant head coach position.
• Browns 2026 NFL draft: Huge QB Trinidad Chambliss update (Jared Mueller) – The Cleveland Browns 2026 NFL Draft options at QB may have just increased to include Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss after an NCAA ruling on his college eligibility.
• Browns NFL draft: College playoff game priority watching for Cleveland fans (Barry Shuck) – 2026 NFL Draft could be led by Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, who played against each other in Friday’s College Football Playoffs.
• Browns head coaching search: Is Mike McDaniel Cleveland’s savior? (Matthew Wilson) – Mike McDaniel could immediately repair Cleveland’s biggest problem.
• Browns head coaching search: A Retread, a hot name, and a wild card option (Curtiss Brown) – The Cleveland Browns head coaching...