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Report: Browns on track to hire 49ers' Joe Woods as new DC

Michael Zagaris / Getty Images Sport / Getty

San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach and passing-game coordinator Joe Woods is on track to become the Cleveland Browns' new defensive coordinator, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal will be made official when the 49ers' season ends, provided the sides can agree to contract terms at the appropriate time, Schefter reports.

Steve Wilks coordinated Cleveland's defensive unit in 2019, his first season in that role. New head coach Kevin Stefanski has informed Wilks he won't be retained as a member of the Browns' staff, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

The 6-10 Browns allowed an average of 24.6 points and 361.6 yards per game this season, good for 20th and 22nd in the NFL, respectively.

Woods joined San Francisco in 2019 after four seasons with the Denver Broncos, including two as Denver's defensive coordinator from 2017-18. The 49-year-old also spent eight seasons as the defensive backs coach of the Minnesota Vikings, during which time he worked with Stefanski.

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