It’s homecoming week in Philadelphia for Browns coach Kevin Stefanski
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
PHILADELPHIA
Kevin Stefanski has waited four years for this.
The Browns’ coach is having a fairly stress-free training camp – for the first time -- and now takes his best team yet to his hometown for two days of practice, a team bonding experience, and a practice game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
You could tell back on draft night in April, when Stefanski broke the news of this trip in an off-the-record conversation with Northeast Ohio media, that he was looking forward to this return to his stomping grounds for the first time as Browns coach.
Stefanski was born in Philadelphia, where he was an All-Catholic League quarterback and safety at St. Joseph’s Prep High School. He followed his father Ed’s footsteps to the University of Penn. But unlike his dad, who starred in basketball, was drafted in the NBA, and eventually had a long career as an NBA team executive, Kevin couldn't advance beyond JV basketball. He excelled in football.
Stefanski was a better safety than quarterback and played exclusively on defense at Penn. He was two-time honorable mention all-conference on a Penn team that won the Ivy League three times in his four seasons. He served as a captain his senior year.
Stefanski intends to take his roster of 90 to one of his favorite haunts – the Palestra, the historic "cathedral of college basketball" -- and possibly to other city landmarks on their day off before Thursday night’s game. The coach has not been shy in passing on a list of his favorite restaurants to starving media making this trip. He is the unofficial team Trip Advisor this week.
But beyond a visit to his past, Stefanski considers this the highlight of training camp – two days of controlled, full-speed workouts against the reigning NFC Champion Eagles. 
Kevin Stefanski has looked forward to returning to his hometown Philadelphia as Browns coach. (Cleveland Browns)
Stefanski reiterated on Sunday that first-teamers and some second-teamers will not play in Preseason Game 3 in Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night because they will get the brunt of work in the Monday and Tuesday practices. The teams will work out beginning at 5 p.m. each day, per the schedule set forth by Eagles coach Nick Sirianni. Usually in joint practices, teams work in 1 on 1, 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 periods, with the most spirited competitions coming in red zone periods.
“It’s really the host [who] is in charge of putting the structure together, so to speak, and the practice plan,” Stefanski said. “So, we’re the guests. We show up and do what we’re told. But Nick and that whole organization are great to work with. But I thought we got a ton of really good work done last season when they came here. So, we’re looking forward to doing the same this season when we go there.”
The Eagles are overwhelming favorites to repeat as NFC champions. BetMGM has them at +260 to win the NFC and +800 to win the Super Bowl. The 49ers are second choice among NFC teams at +400 and +1000. The Eagles field arguably the league’s best defensive and offensive lines, and Hurts has emerged as the NFC’s best quarterback in only his fourth season. Hurts recently surpassed Deshaun Watson’s total contract with a $255 million deal (compared to Watson’s $230 million), but Hurt’s fully guaranteed portion of $110 million is less than one-half of Watson’s.
The Eagles ran away with the NFC No. 1 seed with a 14-3 record last year, and then trounced the Giants and 49ers in the playoffs by scores of 38-7 and 31-7. They lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57, 38-35, despite Hurts outplaying Patrick Mahomes.
Watson participated in the joint workouts with the Eagles last summer in somewhat of a haze after agreeing to an NFL settlement of an 11-game suspension, a $5 million fine and mandatory counseling for violations of the NFL personal conduct policy. This year he is reveling in his second Browns training camp, unencumbered by legal or league issues. He said he is looking forward to the practices.
“Just work, just great competition,” Watson said. “You know, the Super Bowl runner-ups who [were] great enough to win it, and they got the whole team back and plus more. So it’s going to be awesome to go out there and compete with them and learn from them and ask knowledge and experience things that they got to experience last year and just kind of continue to grow from there. So last year was good, the practice against them, and this year is going to be great, too.”
This is not only a homecoming for Stefanski.
GM Andrew Berry and one of his assistant GMs, Cat Raiche, worked one year together in 2019 under Howie Roseman, the Eagles’ GM whom they consider a mentor. Also, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz held the same position for the Eagles when they won Super Bowl 52 after the 2017 season.
The Browns tried to reunite Schwartz with a couple key players from that Eagles’ defense. But tackle Jevon Hargrave signed with the 49ers in free agency and tackle Fletcher Cox re-signed with the Eagles. Berry was able to sign Rodney McLeod, who started 14 games at strong safety for Schwartz, via an expired contract with the Colts.
Brownie bits
Linebacker Jacob Phillips (torn pectoral) was placed on season-ending injured reserve and the Browns waived/injured safety Bubba Bolden (hamstring). They used those roster openings to add safety Nate Meadors, who was with the Browns briefly in 2021 and 2022 and three other NFL teams including the Eagles, and running back Jordan Wilkins …
Wilkins was a fifth-round pick of the Colts in 2018. In 54 regular-season games, he has 1,009 yards rushing and four touchdowns, and 35 receptions for 233 yards. He fills the veteran running back need created by the hamstring injury suffered by RB2 Jerome Ford, who is “week to week.” …
Stefanski said receiver Elijah Moore is “day to day” with a rib injury suffered in the Washington game. He might not be able to practice against the Eagles.
