I won't pretend to be a Steve Wilks expert, but the short article I read was pretty concerning. It said the team president or GM (can't remember) said that Wilks made many mistakes and that the defense ranked 6th before he got there, then Wilks forced them to change from a 34 to a 43 and the defense stunk this season with him.
1. I hate that he didn't adapt to the players he had and forced his scheme on the team.
2. Getting fired after just 1 season is very concerning no matter how you want to slice it.
3. The defense went way down hill according to the article once he took over.
1 is a major problem. He misused Deone Bucannon horribly, didn't play Budda Baker and somehow managed to make PP ineffective.
2 I'm not sure that's all his fault. While he made the hire, Mike McCoy is one of the worst OC's in the NFL now. Then he had a young passing game coordinator take over and do a lousy job too. His starting QB's were Carson Palmer and rookie Rosen. His offensive line was TERRIBLE, and his best WR is basically a possession WR at this point. Partially his fault, but he was also undermined by his GM.
3 I have absolutely no defense for him here. He failed. He had a lot of talent, Chandler Jones, PP, Deone Bucannon, Budda Baker, and some others on defense. It should not have been that bad. Was it too much time on the field? I don't think so, it looked like just bad coaching.
We shall see, but I definitely prefer Pagano to Wilks.
What I will say to defend Wilks, is that his system fits the Browns almost perfectly. Good secondary, good pass rusher, smart MLB. The Browns would have to bolster that middle of the defensive line, and they would need more pass rushing depth, but it COULD work.
I feel like Pagano is more likely to make it work than Wilks.