With six new coaches and two new quarterbacks, Kevin Stefanski has pretty much initiated a complete overhaul of the offense to maximize the return of Deshaun Watson after shoulder surgery. (TheLandOnDemand)
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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
Takeaways from Kevin Stefanski interview session at NFL owners meetings …
Since Ken Dorsey was hired as offensive coordinator, Kevin Stefanski repeatedly has said Dorsey’s charge is “to put this offense together again.”
But after finishing 10th in scoring and winning 11 games with Deshaun Watson playing, essentially, in five of them, wouldn’t it be more accurate to say Dorsey was hired “to put Watson together again”?
“It really is a construction that you’re doing year to year,” Stefanski said Monday at a table with assembled media. “Ken’s been at the forefront of it. And so much of it is making sure we’re doing everything that fits our guys, so obviously the quarterback fits into that. But I think Ken and the entire staff have been working hard, and we’re still not there.”
Despite a decent offensive run with Watson sidelined after shoulder surgery, Stefanski changed six offensive coaching positions, ostensibly to reconstruct the system around Watson’s preferences. Stefanski and Dorsey spent a full day with Watson last month in Los Angeles, where he’s in the early stages of throwing in his next step of rehab from shoulder surgery.
“He’s right where he needs to be,” Stefanski reported. “He has started throwing. Joe Sheehan, our trainer, went out and supervised his throwing. We’ll see him in April and we’ll just continue that rehab. I’ll stay out of it and the doctors and trainers will tell me when he’s ready. I know he’s doing a great job. He’s right where he needs to be.”
Pressed on exactly which time period Watson is expected to be throwing freely and without limitations, Stefanski said, “He's right where he is supposed to be, so I'd anticipate that he's throwing this spring with us.”
Run game changing
Stefanski confirmed he has hired Nick Charlton, who was Jim Mora Jr.’s offensive coordinator at the University of Connecticut. Charlton was given the title “run game specialist.”
Stefanski said it doesn’t mean that Charlton, and others, will totally reconstruct the running system that was implemented by former assistants Bill Callahan and Stump Mitchell.
But there’s no doubt that the running game will be different with Watson working predominantly out of shotgun and pistol formations, rather than under center.
“I think year to year you reconstruct everything,” Stefanski said. “Honestly, I wouldn't look into [Charlton’s] hire as we're doing something differently. That was just adding a good young coach to the roster to help us. But, yeah, when you get through an off-season and you're looking at everything, run game pass, game protections, you name it.
“The run game it's such a collaborative process. So when you lose Coach Callahan, there's certain things that maybe [a new] coach as he puts a game plan together, leans into. Maybe we lean into certain things in a different way. I don't know that the differences will be as significant as maybe you think.”
Chubb update
Chubb is working every day at the club facility with the goal of returning to the field as soon as September after having two surgeries to repair severe ligament injuries to his left knee suffered in Game 2 in Pittsburgh.
“I'm excited for Nick,” Stefanski said. “He's doing a great job with his rehab as everybody can imagine. We'll just make sure that we continue to make decisions based on him and the medical staff.”
In the meantime, the Browns added running backs D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines in free agency to join Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong.
Could it be that the Browns medics don’t expect Chubb back as soon as the running back hopes?
“No, I think they're in lockstep between Nick and the medical staff. He's in there every single day. I see him every single day and catch up with him. So, he's doing everything that he's supposed to do,” Stefanski said.
Winston/Huntley v. Flacco
Despite professing they wanted Joe Flacco to return, the Browns signed veteran backup QB Jameis Winston and watched Flacco sign with Indianapolis. Then the Browns added Tyler Huntley as further quarterback insurance.
Stefanski is the first Browns official available to express the reasoning behind re-shaping the quarterbook room.
“I don’t know that ‘re-shape’ the room was the goal,” he said. “I think just every year you’re looking at what’s the best way to put that room together.
“I would just say with Joe, No. 1, last year was great, getting to know him, getting him implemented into the team, what he meant, the impact he had, was special. I think every year you have to look at your roster, look at your team, and make decisions that you think are right for the football team. We’re really excited about Jameis. He’s a talented, talented football player. I’m excited about his fit with what we’re doing. But that was really the crux of it.”
Vrabel role to evolve
Stefanski said “it was a big deal” for him to see Akron native and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel put on a Browns sweatshirt in the team facility upon joining them as a coach and personnel consultant.
“I feel real strongly about the person and the coach,” Stefanski said. “I’ve developed a relationship with Vrabes over the years, Andrew as well. So when he didn’t have a head coaching job this last cycle I made sure that he knew that we would like to get him up there in some capacity. So that was really the beginning of that conversation. We had him up there last week. He’s a resource. He’s a resource for me, he’s a resource for Andrew [Berry, GM], and I’m very, very excited to have him.”
Stefanski declined to say what role Vrabel would fill on the practice field or on game days.
“We’re kind of going week by week here, honestly, so we’ll see how it plays out. Certainly just letting that job grow as it makes sense for Vrabes,” he said.
What about Cade York?
The young kicker who lost his job last preseason to veteran Dustin Hopkins was signed to a futures contract. Hopkins missed the last three games (including the wild-card game in Houston) after suffering a hamstring injury in Game 15.
York was drafted by the Browns in the fourth round in 2022. He won Game 1 against Baker Mayfield’s Carolina team with a 58-yard field goal and set a Browns scoring record for a rookie, but was released after suffering four field-goal misses in eight attempts in the 2023 preseason.
Hopkins, 33, proceeded to set Browns records with 31 field goals and went 8 of 8 on kicks of 50+ yards.
“It didn’t work out [with York last year] but you never know how this business works. So the ability to bring back Cade into the fold I think is great for him, for us. So I’m excited about it,” Stefanski said.