The Here We Go Yet Again "New and Improved" Browns Coaching Search Thread

So the Browns are going to hire the guy that I thought should have been their first hire, before any coaches, at general manager.

I’m glad they hired Berry. I believe he is the right person for the job.

But my concerns on the power structure remain.

I’m always left feeling like they are leaning in the right direction but getting in their own damn way in the process.

 

Just saw this. Here's an article from Cleveland.com....

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...cutive-vice-president-league-source-says.html

 

Too bad they can't fire Haslam instead of everybody else.......He really needs to let his FO run things.....and give them more than a year or two to see what they can do.

 

Nerds = 2
Football Guys = 0

Give them three years to operate*. I don't know if I can take any more of these resets at Jimmy's whim.

*DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, I have to add this... if Stefanski shows Hue Jackson levels of incompetence, of course you can't keep him for three full seasons. I don't expect Stefanski to be that bad, just as I didn't expect Kitchens to be that bad. No one goes into this thinking "boy... this guy is a completely dud". So yeah, if Berry and Stefanski suck up the room, you have to cut bait but at that point, we also are going to have to finally petition the NFL to just take the damn team away.

 

Detour back to Andrew Berry for a moment...

How are we feeling Browns fans?

 

Not gonna lie. Just feeling rather "meh" at this point. Been burned too many times since the 1999 return with new coaches and staff and owners........and for each and everyone there has been that feeling for most of us that this is "our guy" to lead us out of the desert to the Promised Land like Moses. Whether it has been a head coach or GM or front office czar, we have been burned time and time again. With over 2 decades of futility and (what I consider) a fluke winning season thrown in, I can readily say that I think I'm losing interest in this team. Throw in another "reset" after this one and I may just take my rooting interests elsewhere or may just stop watching altogether, as sad as that may sound. But until that day happens, I'll be hoping this new group of coaches and front office guys succeeds, but I'm not holding my breath nor am I expecting anything better than what got dumped in my lap last season (It was like feeding the pigs laxatives and letting them loose in the house.).

(Slight rant now complete)

 

I feel you there... it's exhausting hitting reset.

It will 100 percent depend on Jimmy Haslam and his level of patience with the new regime. On paper, Stefanksi and Berry (I think) are very good hires. Stefanski is a Shannahan-disciple and should utilize the running game effectively. As I've said countless times, I'm done assuming after the Kitchens ordeal, but Coach Kev showed the ability to adapt the gameplan to his players in Minnesota, used the zone-running game to setup play action and took shots where appropriate. It's a blueprint for success that we can literally drop our existing offensive roster into and be a dominant squad.

Defensively, we still need to wait for the Super Bowl to be over and see if we get Joe Woods (going to be a real let-down if we don't). The defense was a mess in 2019 and was easily one of the worst units in the sport after Myles' suspension. I would expect massive changes on that side of the ball to get to even a competent level of success -- I would not be opposed to drafting almost exclusively defensive players in 2020.

The Draft will, of course, be interesting. We're not in a tear-down effort as we were the last time the front office had an analytics bend to it. We have, at least on offense, the talent to be a Top 3 unit. You'd like to think the new approach will utilize the assets, versus stockpiling them, and spend wisely in free agency.

Graphic.

 

Why this isn't a big deal: the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs had always had a lagging defense. In 2018, they were 24th in scoring and 31st in yards. In 2017, it was 15th in points and 28th in yards. In 2016, 7th in points but 24th in yards. They essentially re-tooled their defense in the offseason prior to this year and finished 7th in points for and 17th in yards - both their best marks in the past four seasons. It wasn't huge names -- the big moves were signing Tyrann Mathieu in free agency and trading for Frank Clark (while at the same time replacing Eric Berry and Dee Ford in the same spots). The results were a huge turn-around for a new defensive coordinator.

The same can be done here between scheme change and some talent influx. John Dorsey did a phenomenal job adding talent on offensive skill positions - drafting Baker and Nick Chubb, trading for Jarvis and Odell. He destroyed the defense, however, with flop trades for the likes of Eric Murray and Olivier Vernon. Couple that with an atrocious defensive coach (Wilks) and it failed spectacularly. BUT... that side of the ball is not without talent, either.

Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Denzel Ward, Joe Schobert (if re-signed), Mack Wilson, and even Greed Williams form a strong base to work with. Sheldon Richardson was a good signing, I thought, by Dorsey last year, too. We're lacking at safety big-time and need to address it at #10 (either Delpit, LSU or Simmons, Clemson) as the safety crop in free agency is cat poop. Adding another player on the edge (good free agency group there) and at linebacker will go a long way.

Cleveland finished 20th in points allowed and 22nd in yards. Bottom third, for sure, but not nearly as bad as the 2018 Chiefs before their turn-around.

 

Alex Van Pelt???

THAT is who they come up with for coordinator?

Is he a puppet for the new HC? Or could they not draw a better prospect?

I'm willing to listen, someone convince me this is gonna be a good hire.

 

The old "addition by subtraction" theory. Took him from the Bengals because look at how well he did as QB coach for Dalton.....

(Sarcasm font off)



Although he did spend a few years with Aaron Rodgers.......still "meh"




Edit: From an article over on Cle.com

Looks like he knows what the new HC wants.

 

In other news:

Browns part ways with asst GM Eliot Wolf, and top personnel execs Alonzo Highsmith and Steve Malin

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...e-malin-eliot-wolfs-role-to-be-determined.htm

 

Also hired former Viking Jeff Howard as DB coach and passing game coordinator.

 

I don't know that much about him to say he's a good hire. Likewise, I can't say he was a shitty hire. Yet.

 

In fairness, Dalton enjoyed his second-best QBR season and third-best QB rating season with Van Pelt in 2018 when he first arrived in Cincinnati.

Aaron Rodgers was also, reportedly, very upset when they let Van Pelt leave.

Keeping in mind that Stefanski is likely going to be calling the plays, having a guy who's been a QB coach for Aaron Rodgers and helped get a mediocre QB (Dalton) to play well, bodes well for general game-planning and spending additional time with Mayfield.

A year ago, things were looking up with Todd Monken and his "aggressive passing game" plan coming into town. That failed spectacularly being of a lack of alignment, so much so that Monken was giving away the teams' gameplan to opponents during pre-game warm ups.

 

Eric Bieniemy???

THAT is who they come up with for coordinator?

Is he a puppet for Andy Reid? Or could they not draw a better prospect?

- some Chiefs fans in 2018, probably, before Mahomes lit the NFL on fire

Let's give it a season before excoriating the guy. Who'd Matt LaFleur hire as his OC last season in Green Bay? (It's Nathaniel Hackett -- I had to Google it). I don't know who all the candidates are/were, it was rumored several of the 49ers assistants were in the running -- it's possible they wanted to get folks the in building sooner than later.

I'm giving the regime a chance to prove us wrong on the "alignment" quote. You're absolutely right... Van Pelt is an underwhelming name. The guy looks like what happens if you had to draw Freddie Kitchens from memory...



But if he's working in lock-step with Stefanski to come up with a Shannahan-style gameplan, I'm in.

 

LOL

 

Honestly, not super interested in the coordinators and assistants right now... who's gonna be the new strength and conditioning coach, because, umm... guys?

 

Well, he did get married......and they say that putting a ring on is like yanking the rip cord on a life raft..........

 

So this is pretty cool.

I wonder how the rest of Twitter is reacting. Let me check it out...

 

Color me "unimpressed". Let work God, please.