KITCHENS AND BEILEIN AS CLEVELAND HEAD COACHES?

Who would have thought it?

Indeed, who would have thought it possible that Freddie Kitchens would be the head coach of the Browns, and that John Beilein would be the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Who saw all that coming?

No one, absolutely, positively no one, that’s who.

A year ago at this time, Kitchens – a virtual unknown if there ever was one — was the running backs coach/associate head coach of the Browns on the staff of head coach Hue Jackson. He had never been a head coach before at any level, and there was no reason at all to believe that that was going to change anytime soon, if ever.

And a year ago at this time, Beilein was entrenched as the longtime – and outstanding — head coach of the University of Michigan men’s basketball team. Yes, he had interviewed for the vacant head coaching job of the Detroit Pistons a year ago, but it seemed much more a case of the local pro team reaching out to a top college coach in the area as kind of an exploratory interview to see if there might be a match, rather than taking a serious look. Beilein was a college guy. He wasn’t a pro coach. He would be out of his element.

But the Browns thought otherwise, much to the shock of everyone. And so did the Cavaliers, who on Monday reached an agreement with Beilein, again, much to the shock of everyone.

It just seems so surreal, doesn’t it? Yes, of course it does.

Terry Francona was a known quantity as an outstanding major league manager before he was hired by the Cleveland Indians in 2013. So his presence is hardly a surprise but rather a real blessing for the Indians. He’s the best manager in the game.

But there’s no guarantee that Kitchens can be a head coach, period, or that Beilein can be a pro head coach.

We’ll just have to wait and see. It should be a lot of fun. It is already extremely refreshing. 

GREAT SCOTT! BROWNS MAKE KEY SIGNING

The Browns keep acting as if, deep down inside, they still think there’s a chance that running back Duke Johnson Jr. will not be with them in 2019.

That is, they keep signing running backs. When they cut one, they sign another one to replace him.

They did that again on Monday when they waived Devante Mays and then signed undrafted rookie L.J. Scott, a product of Hubbard High School, near Youngstown, and Michigan State.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a key pick-up. Even if Johnson sticks around – that is, even if the Browns convince him that they still need him, despite the fact they signed Kareem Hunt – I think Scott has a real chance to make the team. And if Johnson does indeed remain disgruntled and they end having to grant his wishes to be traded, then Scott definitely earns a roster spot heading into the regular season.

Scott was MSU’s leading rusher in three straight seasons and is the school’s No. 9 career rusher. He had 236 yards against Ohio State in a loss last year.

More than all those statistics, though, there’s the fact the 6-foot, 227-pounder is a strong between-the-tackles runner. He can get that tough yardage inside but also has the speed – and moves – to cut it to the outside and make some big gains.

He is going to show that ability once the Browns don the pads in training camp and the preseason. Browns General Manager John Dorsey already knows that, or else he would not have added Scott.

I am thrilled to death about this signing. I really am. A team can never have enough running backs. The AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers proved that when Le’Veon Bell held out all last season and young James Conner stepped up and had a Bell-like season.

The Browns don’t expect any holdouts – even Johnson – but they would do well to have Scott waiting in the wings, just in case something else – heaven forbid — happens to Nick Chubb, Johnson and/or Hunt, when he returns after an eight-game suspension.

SO FAR, SO GOOD, BUT A LONG, LONG WAY TO GO FOR HUNT

Browns running back Kareem Hunt said Wednesday in his first press conference with the Cleveland media that he won’t do it again.

He promised that he has learned from his mistakes and that he will keep his nose clean and won’t repeat his actions of abusing women.

He said that we can all trust him.

It sounded good – every last bit of it. He sounded sincere. He really did. He sounded like a changed man.

And that’s a good thing – a very, very good thing indeed — not so much for the Browns, though it is certainly, obviously good for them if he can take the field in a plain orange helmet, because his presence would definitely make them better, but moreso for him as a human being – as a man – going forward.

OK, so what did you expect him to say? That he wasn’t a changed man, that he hadn’t learned his lesson, that we can’t all trust him, that he will continue to break not just laws, but also serious social mores?

Of course, all of this – what Hunt said – was so predictable. You – me, everyone – could have forecast this a long time ago.

So to hear Hunt say it was merely a formality. Ho-hum. It was hardly breaking news – news, mind you, because of who he is and what he did – but easily not “stop-the-presses” stuff.

The real news in all of this will come later. How much later is not clearly defined right now. So let’s just say later and leave it at that.

Later, as in when it can be reasonably assumed that Hunt has indeed put his ugly past where it belongs, behind him.

Yes, indeed, the proof will be in the pudding. The proof will be in seeing him do it.

Until then, we all just look at him, smile and nod politely, all the while believing 50 percent that he will succeed and 50 percent that he won’t. We want him to be successful. He wants to be successful. The Browns want him to be successful.

But it’s way too early to tell. We’ll all just have to wait and see.

Seeing is believing.

TALKING ABOUT THE TALK OF THE TEAM, LEAGUE

It’s kind of funny, really.

Fascinating, interesting, a wee bit worrisome, to be sure.

But also funny, definitely funny, if only in a weird kind of way.

I’m talking about what could be called – should be called — the Beckham issue. That is, “Where is Odell?,” just like, “Where is Waldo?”

I don’t where Waldo is after all these years. And I really don’t know, exactly (probably at home relaxing), where Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham is, either.

I do know, though, that he is not at Browns Headquarters in Berea working with his teammates during the OTAs.

OK, so Beckham is a superstar, and superstars are divas, whether they’re in Cleveland or wherever. Remember a guy named Lebron James?

So, then, if we do indeed recall Lebron – and we do, of course – then we shouldn’t be surprised with Beckham deciding to pretty much staying away from these volunteer practices.

He’ll be there when practices become mandatory, if not before. Of that we can be sure. But in the meantime, what’s fun to watch is what the Browns – from General Manager John Dorsey to head coach Freddie Kitchens to quarterback Baker Mayfield to the last guy on the roster – are saying about Beckham’s absence, which is the easily talk of the team if not the entire NFL right now.

It is an exercise in being wordsmiths of the highest degree as they verbally bob and weave their way through this minefield.

No, the Browns aren’t worried.

Yes, they understand.

No, it won’t hurt the team.

No, it won’t hurt the offense.

No, it won’t hurt Beckham, or his connection with Mayfield.

Yes, Beckham will be ready for the start of training camp and, more importantly, the start of the regular season.

Sure, they would like him to be in camp – they can’t lie – but it’s OK – really, truly OK – that he’s not.

You can take it all to the bank.

Then they smile – sort of anyway. So what does that mean?

Uh, nothing. Perhaps that they’re having a good time?

Yeah, yeah.

It’s a whole lot better than talking about going 0-16.