Tucker seen as front-runner to replace Grantham

One moment, Todd Grantham left the field with a frostbitten grin, savoring a shutout of Buffalo that put the Browns one win from the playoffs.

The next, he was gone.

Less than a month after Grantham seemed to have the Browns defense turned around, he was fired.

Indications are defensive backs coach Mel Tucker - hired the same day as Grantham in February 2005 - will be the new coordinator.

Tucker, 36, worked with Grantham at Michigan State in 1997 and '98. Tucker wound up at LSU in 2000 before going to Ohio State in 2001. He was Jim Tressel's co-defensive coordinator in 2004.

Grantham and Head Coach Romeo Crennel were perceived to be at odds on approaches to fixing a defense that spent most of 2007 ranked last in the league in yards allowed.

Crennel's public goodbye came in a statement without meat: "Todd has worked extremely hard during his three seasons with the Browns. Following our discussions after the season, it was decided that it was in the best interests of the organization to move in a different direction."

The Browns defensive staff basically has been intact since Crennel became head coach in 2005. Mike Haluchak (linebackers), Randy Melvin (line), Bob Trott (utility) and Tucker worked under Grantham all three seasons.

Until Tucker - or someone - is named to replace Grantham, other names will be kicked around.

General Manager Phil Savage and Rex Ryan spent six years together in Baltimore. Ryan's reputation as a Ravens coordinator has cast him as a head coaching prospect.

If the Ravens don't elevate Ryan to head coach, he could leave to be a coordinator elsewhere. Cincinnati is a possible destination.

Savage touched on Ryan during a Thursday radio interview while explaining a contract extension for Offensive Coordinator Rob Chudzinski. The Ravens had planned to interview Chudzinski for their head coaching opening.

"We felt Rob would go in as a dark-horse candidate and might come out as a leading candidate," Savage said. "I felt like he would be impressive to them. I didn't think it would be a good idea for the Browns to look across the sidelines to see Rob Chudzinski and Rex Ryan working together."

Crennel was not well acquainted with Grantham until interviewing him in 2005, then hiring him away from the Houston Texans.

Grantham was a hit in his first Cleveland season. His patchwork unit allowed 316.8 yards a game and held nine opponents under 20 points.

The '06 defense allowed almost 30 yards a game more as opponent scoring jumped from 301 points to 356. In 2007, yards allowed jumped again to 359.6. Opponents scored 382 points.

Coming off the season, Crennel was asked if he got more involved in the defense late in the season, when opponents' yardage totals dropped progressively.

"Not tremendously more," he said.

What did Crennel think needed to be done to improve the defense?

"Definitely add some more depth," he said. "We have some young cornerbacks, some young linebackers. We have to get more youth and depth along the defensive line and try to get another impact pass rusher."

Savage said this week, "We do feel that we have enough players on that side of the ball to win and be competitive."

Grantham's original Browns contract covered the 2005-07 seasons. In June, he signed an extension through 2009.

Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com.

Going backward

A look at Browns defensive numbers in Todd Grantham's three years as coordinator:

Year Rushing avg. Passing avg. Opponents' points

2005 137.6 179.2 301

2006 142.2 202.6 356

2007 129.5 230.1 382