How Dom Capers Can Help Inexperienced Cleveland Browns Coaching Staff

The team's new senior defensive assistant could add a wrinkle or two to a unit that has already set enormous expectations for the 2026 campaign.

Oct 19, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers talks with the defense during warmups prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns’ defense was the team’s best unit by far, during a disappointing 2025 season.

However, the Browns’ efforts to retain defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz failed, when he was passed over for the vacant head coach position. Unproven Mike Rutenberg will now be calling the shots on defense in Cleveland.

Now, newly appointed head coach Todd Monken has sought out a little help for Rutenberg, adding 75-year old defensive guru Dom Capers to the staff in a senior defensive assistant role, according to multiple reports.

The Browns are adding longtime NFL coach Dom Capers to the coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant, per sources.

Capers, 75, a two-time head coach, was last with the Carolina Panthers. pic.twitter.com/3mjDpIpV2N

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 24, 2026

While the specific tasks that will be handed over to Capers are not yet clear, having a name of his caliber join the franchise during a year when the Browns will be led by a head coach in Todd Monken, defensive coordinator in Rutenberg, offensive coordinator in Travis Switzer and special teams coordinator in Byron Storer with a combined zero years of experience at their current positions is a win for Cleveland.

Capers has been a coach or consultant in the NFL since 1986, including a couple of stints as a head coach -- Carolina Panthers (1995-1998) and Houston Texans (2002-2005), both expansion franchises at the time.

As a defensive coordinator, he led the defensive units of the Pittsburgh Steelers (1992-1994), Jacksonville Jaguars (1999-2000), Miami Dolphins (2006-2007) and Green Bay Packers (2009-2017), winning Super Bowl XLV with the latter.

As a head coach or defensive coordinator, his units have ranked at least Top-2 a whopping five times, and at least Top-8 nine times.

How Can Dom Capers Help the Cleveland Browns?

First of all, there’s no substitute for experience. Capers has seen it all, done it all, over an NFL coaching career that spans four decades. As a new set of eyes, Capers -- who actually prefers running a blitz-heavy 3-4 front, unlike Schwartz and Rutenberg -- can help with the transition to the new coordinator, assist with terminology, and/or help in creating specific settings for specific individuals, for example, Myles Garrett.

Remember, Capers has worked throughout his career with elite sack artists like Greg Lloyd, Kevin Greene, Bryce Paup, Kevin Carter, Jason Taylor, Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews Jr.

Also, Capers could help Rutenberg get through some of the administrative tasks as defensive coordinator, that he’s never had to face before. Capers could actually end up aiding Monken, too, in this regard.

Finally, there is somewhat of an indirect link from Capers to Rutenberg, which could end up helping the relationship. As the head coach of the Texans, Capers hired an intern to work on the defensive side of the ball, named Robert Saleh. Rutenberg is widely considered a Saleh protege, after working under him for Jacksonville, the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets.

We shouldn’t expect Caper’s role to be huge at this stage of his career, after serving in the same senior defensive assistant capacity for five different teams over the last eight years, but it could prove impactful, if he can add a wrinkle or two to a defensive unit that has already generated enormous expectations for the 2026 campaign.