Why are NFL teams such as the Browns opening up their arms to Art Briles?

The fall from grace of former Baylor head coach Art Briles has been a huge story, and it remains to be seen if or when he might return to a sideline for another coaching job.

But might that job come in the NFL?

Briles has been seen visiting several NFL teams this year, with his most recent trip a return visit to the Cleveland Browns. Head coach Hue Jackson brought back Briles as a guest coach working with the Browns this week after Briles had visited the team in training camp.

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He also spent time at the minicamps and training camps of the Browns, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams. Is he looking for a job in the league? Perhaps. But having never coached in the NFL will be one detriment, and Briles’ reputation will be another.

But he’s also regarded as an offensive guru who has run multiple systems in high school and college and possibly could add some spice to an offense in need of seasoning. We still think Briles returning to college would be the more likely route for him to take, but landing as an NFL assistant in the right situation might be a good buffer and a way for Briles to return to action and help rebuild his image a bit.

It’s worth noting that those teams he has visited — none more than the Browns — feature several former Baylor players that he coached. The Browns have Corey Coleman, Robert Griffin III and Spencer Drango (and, well, Josh Gordon, technically, although he’s suspended by the NFL currently and Briles also once suspended him, which led Gordon to apply for the supplemental draft). Briles also coached the Titans’ Kendall Wright, the Bengals’ Andrew Billings (before his season-ending injury) and Rams linebacker Bryce Hager. Perhaps Briles is just catching up with some old friends with a lot of newfound time on his hands.

But it would be a fascinating move if Briles did consider a job in the NFL. He might be too hot for a college to hand him the keys of a program with the sexual abuse story still lingering in the Baylor fallout. And we know he’s not heading back to high school anytime soon. Clearly, NFL coaches know how talented Briles is, and Jackson bringing him back for a second visit says a lot. Could Jackson and the Browns even bring him on full time?

Jackson hinted following Wednesday’s practice that Briles’ relationship with the Browns — for now, anyway — will be on a temporary basis.

In the NFL, Briles’ reputation might not be viewed as being as tainted than it is in college, so it makes it easier for them to answer for potentially bringing him onto a staff. While Briles visited the Cowboys, for instance, owner Jerry Jones gave Briles a pretty strong recommendation. “I would vouch for him as a person,” Jones said. “He’s a top-quality person. I’d want my grandson, if he had the chance, to play for him.”

Jones was likely talking college football when he said that. But perhaps the NFL is a possibility we need to consider as something that Briles could consider.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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