Jan. 20—Firing assistant coaches can be like moving into a new home. One doesn’t voluntarily leave one shelter unless he or she knows where they will be eating dinners and sleeping in the future.
Kevin Stefanski knew when he fired Joe Woods after the 2022 season that Jim Schwartz would be his next defensive coordinator. Likewise, it is safe to assume Stefanski already had a short list of offensive coordinator candidates in mind when he and Alex Van Pelt parted ways on Jan 17 — three days after the Browns season ended abruptly with a 45-14 wild-card loss to the Houston Texans.
Stefanski is looking for an O.C. who can work closely with Deshaun Watson to get the most out of the 28-year-old quarterback. Watson has played 12 games with the Browns in two seasons after being acquired from the Texans in a blockbuster trade in March 2022. Watson was suspended the first 11 games of 2022 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy because more than two dozen massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct when he played for the Texans. He missed 11 games in 2023 with shoulder injuries.
Watson was 3-3 in 2022 and 5-1 in 2023. He threw seven touchdown passes each season and totaled nine interceptions.
The Browns interviewed Seahawks offensive line coach Andy Dickerson for the vacancy soon after Van Pelt’s tenure ended. Dickerson, the Browns’ assistant offensive line coach in 2010 when Eric Mangini was head coach, has been with the offensive line with various teams for the past 14 seasons.
Bill Callahan has been the Browns’ offensive line coach the last four years. His son, Brian, the Bengals’ offensive coordinator, is a candidate to become the next head coach of the Titans. It is possible the Browns interviewed Dickerson in case the younger Callahan does get the Tennessee job and wants his father to coach the Titans’ offensive line. Bill Callahan might have to be given the title of assistant head coach/offensive line so it wouldn’t be a lateral move.
—Titans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly could be on Stefanski’s short list of offensive coordinator candidates. Kelly, 37, was the Titans’ pass game coordinator in 2022 and their O.C. in 2023. But here’s the important thing: He coached the Texans’ tight ends in 2018 when Watson was a rookie in Houston and he was the offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020 when Watson flourished.
Watson was 10-5 as a starter in 2019. He completed 333 of 495 passes (67.3 percent) for 3,852 yards with 26 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. His personal numbers were even better in 2020: 382 for 544 (70.2) for 4,823 yards with 33 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions. The Texans, though, were 4-12 in 2020. Bill O’Brien was fired after an 0-4 start. Romeo Crennel replaced O’Brien and finished 4-8.
The elephant in the room is the matter of who will call plays next season? Stefanski has called plays all four seasons he has been head coach. Would Kelly or whomever is hired be willing to be the offensive coordinator and not call plays, particularly if they have a track record of success?
—Zac Robinson, 37, is the quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams. Robinson, a quarterback at Oklahoma State, was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. He also spent time with the Seahawks, Lions and Bengals but never appeared in a regular season game.
Robinson interviewed for the Bears’ vacant offensive coordinator job and is expected to interview with the Saints.
—Klint Kubiak is the pass game coordinator for the 49ers. Stefanski is close to Klint’s father, Gary Kubiak. The elder Kubiak was head coach in Denver when the Broncos won the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.
Stefanski is familiar with Klint Kubiak. Kubiak was the Vikings’ quality control coach in 2013-14. Stefanski was the Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach in 2013 and the tight ends coach in 2014. Kubiak coached the University of Kansas wide receivers in 2015 and then returned to the NFL as a Broncos offensive assistant for the next three seasons.
Stefanski was promoted to Vikings offensive coordinator in 2019. He hired Klint Kubiak as quarterbacks coach. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was 10-5 that year with 26 touchdown passes and six interceptions.
Hiring Schwartz had a huge impact on the Browns’ success in 2023. The decision Stefanski makes on his offensive coordinator could be even more important, because if Van Pelt’s replacement doesn’t work out, it could mean the problem is Watson and not the coach designing game plans for him.
—Stump Mitchell took the high road after being fired as the Browns running backs coach on Jan. 17. Here, in part, is the “Thank you” letter he wrote:
“Since my arrival at the franchise bearing the esteemed name of Paul Brown, by way of Coach Freddie Kitchens, my time in Cleveland has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Mitchell’s statement reads. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to team owner Jimmy and Dee Haslam, GM Andrew Berry, Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta, and Coach Stefanski for an enriching five seasons as the Running Back Coach/Run Game Coordinator.
“I want to express my sincere thanks to the players and running backs who donned the Browns helmet, giving their all to achieve success on Game Day. I devoted my efforts to maximize your hard work and talent, and it has been a rewarding journey.”
Mitchell was well-liked and respected by all the running backs he coached. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt never missed an opportunity to praise him.
—Odell Beckham Jr. is still grumbling about the Giants trading him to the Browns in 2019. Beckham now plays for the Baltimore Ravens, who hosted the Texans on Jan. 20 in an AFC divisional game.
Former Browns general manager John Dorsey traded safety Jabrill Peppers and offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler plus first- and third-round picks in the 2019 NFL draft to the Giants for Beckham and defensive lineman Olivier Vernon.
Beckham did not like the trade when it was made. He renewed his grievance on the “Punch Line Podcast” with Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey recently.
“There’s a semi bit of me that feels like the Giants sent me off, I’ve said it before, sent me off to Cleveland to die,” Beckham said. “You can’t tell me this was the best trade package we could have got for you. … No, your desire was to kind of (mess) me over a little bit.”
Beckham played for the Browns in 2019 and 2020 and then forced them to release him six games into the 2021 season. He played in 29 games with 28 starts and caught 114 passes for 1,586 yards and seven touchdowns.
Beckham played eight games for the Rams in 2021 and then sat out 2022 recovering from knee surgery. He caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns with the Ravens in 2023.
I didn’t know that… until I read my Snapple bottle cap.
The tongue is the fastest healing part of the human body. The reason is saliva moisturizes the wound and improves immune response. … Jellyfish don’t have brains. … A person blinks more than four million times a year. … The Statue of Liberty wears a size 879 sandal. … Flamingos turn pink from eating shrimp. … More than 7,500 varieties of apples are grown world wide.
