Norv Turner likely to jump to Minnesota

Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner is close to a deal to take the same job with the Minnesota Vikings.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news earlier on Thursday morning. The connection had been rumored yesterday when Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer took the job in Minnesota, leaving the Browns as the final vacancy in the NFL.

Turner, 61, only spent one season in Cleveland after six years as the head coach in San Diego. The Browns offense finished the season No. 27 in scoring (19.3 per game) but No. 18 in yards per game (338.9). They were the second-most pass-happiest team in the league, throwing on 67.7% of offensive plays.

Overall, I don’t think that Turner had a bad season with the team. For goodness sake, he was working with Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell at quarterback for the bulk of the season. He had a sub-par assortment of runners. New defensive coordinator Ray Horton, who also had interviewed in Minnesota, was perhaps the bigger disappointment.

The long-time NFL veteran Turner was well-respected by players, according to the usual reports. It’s kind of a bummer that he’s leaving so easily. Now, it’ll be fascinating to see where the Browns eventually head not only in terms of a head coach, but also for their future offensive coordinator.

[Related: The Cleveland Browns have changed me]