CLEVELAND (AP) — Freddie Kitchens had something on his coaching

resume no other candidate could match. He made Baker Mayfield a better quarterback.Kitchens Genard Avery Color Rush Jersey , who helped Mayfield turn his rookie season into a record-breaking one during an impressive eight-game stint as the Browns offensive coordinator, was named Cleveland's 17th full-time coach on Saturday, capping a remarkable personal rise up the coaching ranks.His next goal: Take the Browns where they've never been — the Super Bowl. "It's an honor to be named the head coach of the Cleveland Browns," Kitchens said in a release. "As I've said before, I think Cleveland and I get along pretty well. My family and I have really enjoyed our time with this organization and in this community over the last year."There are a lot of great people in this front office that I'm excited to continue to work alongside with a singular focus on winning. I've been to one Super Bowl that didn't end the way I wanted it to and that disappointing memory is what really drives me. Our goal is to work extremely hard to earn the right to raise that Lombardi Trophy for our fans and this city."The affable 44-year-old Kitchens is the ninth coach since the Browns' 1999 expansion rebirth and fourth hired since 2012 by owners. As it turns out, general manager John Dorsey didn't have to search far or wide for "a man of character, a guy who can instill leadership into these young men."Kitchens was there the whole time."We had a deliberate and thorough process and one thing became evident — that Freddie is the best person to lead the Cleveland Browns," said Dorsey, who has lifted the Browns from laughable to legitimate in just one year. "We saw firsthand what Freddie is able to do. He showed that he is consistent on a day in and day out basis and that he is a true leader."He helped unify our players in a tough time. He raised the bar for our offense last year, and I have no doubt he is going to raise the bar for our entire team."Kitchens will be formally introduced Monday at a news conference in FirstEnergy Stadium.It's hard to imagine Kitchens was part of Dorsey's long-term vision when he was hired to coach running backs on Hue Jackson's staff after 11 seasons as an Arizona assistant. But when Jackson and coordinator Todd Haley were fired on Oct. 29, Kitchens took the offensive reins and Mayfield and his teammates took off.Under Kitchens' leadership https://www.brownsfanshop.com/Austin-Corbett-Jersey , the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft threw 19 of his NFL rookie record 27 touchdown passes. Mayfield erased any doubts he's the coveted franchise quarterback that has eluded the Browns for decades.Kitchens and Mayfield connected on a personal level, two former college quarterbacks who bonded over a shared passion and senses of humor. They grew tight and the Browns are counting on that relationship to flourish."It was great working with and learning from Freddie last year," Mayfield said after Kitchens' hiring was announced. "He has such a creative mind. He creates mismatches and just put guys in position to take advantage of their opportunities. He puts trusts in us as players. He's the same guy every day."Mayfield was a different player under Kitchens, who figured out creative ways to protect the 23-year-old. The Browns improved across the board statistically — they averaged 6.8 yards per play — and became one of the league's must-watch teams over the last two months as Kitchens unveiled unique formations and trick plays.Kitchens was praised by players for seeking their input on which plays they were most comfortable running. He also got major production from rookie running back Nick Chubb, left tackle Greg Robinson and receiver Breshad Perriman — all under-utilized by Jackson and Haley.But it was Mayfield's growth that mattered most. In six games before the coaching change, Mayfield completed 58 percent of his passes for 1,471 yards with eight touchdowns, six interceptions and 20 sacks. In eight games under Kitchens, he completed 68 percent with 19 TDs, eight interceptions and five sacks.As the team's success grew, Kitchens went from an unknown to Cleveland fan favorite.The barrel-chested Alabamian wore an orange "Dawg Pound" hooded sweat shirt on game day because his daughters liked it and it was his nod to the Browns' famed bleacher section that he admired from afar in the 1980s.Now Nick Chubb Jersey , he's Cleveland's top dog. More of the latest Browns news and notes from around the web in today’s dose of the Saturday Dawg Chow." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteDawgs EDTShareTweetShareShareSaturday Dawg Chow: Browns news (5/4/19)Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY SportsCleveland Browns:Drew Forbes brings nasty side to the Browns (clevelandbrowns.com) - On the football field, Drew Forbes is nasty. Off the field, Forbes is not. His wife, Emily, prefers you think of him as the latter, even if his on-field persona landed him a job in the NFL.Austin Seibert credits Baker Mayfield for planting feisty streak (ohio.com) - Austin Seibert wielded the busiest foot in Dallas last Oct. 6, kicking a field goal, nailing six extra points, averaging close to 50 yards on punts, and kicking off A LOT. It wasn’t enough. Seibert and the Oklahoma Sooners dropped a 48-45 game to Texas. It was quite the bummer, the only regular-season defeat all year. Seibert felt slightly better the next day. His former college teammate Baker Mayfield helped the Browns knock off the Baltimore Ravens. It was Mayfield’s first NFL win as a starter.Freddie Kitchens is not joking about Greedy Williams (cleveland.com) - When Freddie Kitchens jumped on the phone April 26 to welcome Greedy Williams to the Browns Chad Thomas Color Rush Jersey , he finished the call by saying, “You’re going to have to tackle a little bit now, you know that, right?” Williams responded, “it’s never been a problem.” Kitchens seemed to be saying it in jest, but cleared that up on Friday.Greedy Williams embraces fall into the second round (Browns Zone) - Greedy Williams was already in Nashville, Tenn., for the NFL Draft when he asked the key question to linebacker Devin White, an LSU teammate and friend. “I was like, ‘So everybody at the draft gets drafted, right?’” Williams said https://www.brownsfanshop.com/Antonio-Callaway-Jersey , referring to the first round. “He was like, ‘No, a couple people didn’t get drafted last year.’ So I’m like, ‘Oh, my God.’” Williams’ worry was justified.NFL:How the Giants fell head over heels for Daniel Jones (ESPN) - Larry McNulty’s voice drops as he talks of that day his quarterback at North Carolina’s Charlotte Latin School almost snapped in half. His tone indicates a cross between amazement and admiration. These same qualities were evident when Giants coach Pat Shurmur sat down to watch Daniel Jones’ tape at Duke. It’s why he was sold on his future franchise quarterback.Bears kickers still can’t convert from 43 yards (NFL.com) - Finding a kicker has become as difficult for the Chicago Bears as it was for their last one to convert a clutch attempt against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the aftermath of Cody Parkey missing -- it was technically blocked -- a now-infamous 43-yard field goal attempt against the Eagles in the Bears’ 16-15 NFC Wild Card loss, the Bears have been searching for a new kicker. The search has missed its mark thus far.Packers sign six draft picks (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) - The Green Bay Packers entered their rookie orientation camp with only two signings to go Friday after inking six of their eight draft picks and 11 undrafted free agents. First-round picks Rashan Gary (No. 12) and Darnell Savage (No. 21) both finished deals with the club, making them two of the first players in their round to complete contract agreements. Savage is believed to have been the first when he agreed to terms Thursday, and it’s likely Gary’s deal was done at the same time or a short time later.Ranking the top landing spots for Ndamukong Suh (CBS Sports) - Both the initial free agency wave and the NFL draft have come and gone. We’re technically deep into the 2019 NFL offseason now, but there’s an important date coming up: May 7, the day after which players can be signed and no longer count against the league’s compensatory pick formula. That means some veterans who are still languishing out there on the market are about to become much more sought-after.One such player is defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.