INDIANAPOLIS — Deshaun Watson doesn’t have to wait until the offseason programs begins April 15 to thank his new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey for telling the world he plans to make Watson elite again.
Kevin Stefanski revealed at the NFL combine on Wednesday that he and Dorsey will fly to Los Angeles next week — where Watson is rehabbing from his shoulder surgery — to visit their QB1 and get the season started off right.
It’s reminiscent of the 2020 season, when Stefanski took over as head coach of the Browns and flew to Austin, Texas, to meet with Baker Mayfield and get to know him and his family. The Browns made the playoffs that season after finishing 11-5.
“(Watson’s) coming along,” Stefanski said Wednesday at the combine. “I know he’s going to start throwing here shortly. He’s hitting all of his milestones. Ken and I are going to go out and see him next week and spend some time, not talk football, just catch up. Won’t see him throw, but just want to check in on him. But I text him almost every day, so he’s in a good place.”
The trip will be the first opportunity for Watson — who will begin throwing in the next couple of weeks at UCLA — to meet and get to know Dorsey, who said during his introductory press conference earlier this month that his goal is to make Watson elite again. The statement wasn’t lost on Watson, who’s looking to regain his Pro Bowl luster after two mostly lost seasons with the Browns, during which he started only six games in each one.
On his Lockerverse podcast, Watson noted how excited he was to get started with Dorsey, who helped coach Watson’s close friend Cam Newton to a Super Bowl MVP season, and Josh Allen to a runner-up campaign.
The Browns hired Dorsey in large part for his experience working with such dual-threat quarterbacks, and for his expertise in the spread, RPO, and drop-back worlds. The two coaches are currently putting their heads together to build an offense that will maximize Watson’s immense talent and that of the rest of their crew.
“We’re working through all of that,” Stefanski said. “That’ll be really more evident over time. I would tell you just from my experience in the offensive staff room over the last few weeks, again, to have different ideas, not just from Ken, but from all of our new coaches and our current coaches.
“I think these are the really fun times for us as we put things back together and as silly as it may sound, just changing maybe terminology or changing aiming points or changing a technique. Those are all things that we’re looking at and trying to figure out what’s the best way to move forward. Less so of here’s how we’ve always done it, what’s the best way to move forward?”
Will they solicit input from Watson on how to reshape the scheme?
“For sure,” Stefanski said. “Can’t talk football, but we’ll talk big picture.”
It’s also an opportunity for Watson to be upfront with his coaches about the need for more weapons, or some different personnel if he feels that’s the case. Watson has already made a strong pitch for Bengals premier receiver Tee Higgins, who was franchised by the Bengals but could still possibly be acquired in a trade.
“Any quarterback I’ve ever been around would always take more guys, of course,” Stefanski said. “But I think Deshaun trusts (GM Andrew Berry). I trust Andrew. We’ll go through this process and do what’s right for the team, but certainly you’re always trying to add as many weapons as you can.”
It’s also time for Watson to speak up about certain issues such as not liking scripted plays, which he recently revealed on his podcast. Watson managed only one first-drive touchdown pass in his six starts for 16%, and threw interceptions on two of those opening drives. Joe Flacco, meanwhile, threw first-drive touchdowns in four of his five starts with the Browns, so it is something that needs to be addressed.
Fortunately for Watson, Dorsey sees it that way too.
“Obviously, if it’s something that he has a conviction about, then we will talk about it and make sure we’re doing the right thing for us as an offense moving forward,” Dorsey said earlier this month. “And obviously a key part of the offense is the quarterback playing at a high level.”
Also good for Watson is the fact that Stefanski and Dorsey are speaking the same language. They’re determined to craft a scheme that brings out the best in Watson, and stays ahead of the curve in the NFL.
“I think Ken sees it exactly how I see it,” Stefanski said. “You want to play through the strengths of your players. I don’t think either of us or anyone on our offensive staff believes that you have to do one thing to win in the NFL because that’s not the reality of life in the NFL. You have to be multifaceted. You have to be able to pivot in a game. You have to be versatile in what you’re doing. So we’ll do what we feel is best for our players in any specific given game because that changes from game to game as well.”
Stefanski has also brought in more elements of the college game, such as the spread, to help Watson and the team in general. It’s one of the reasons they hired former Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees as tight ends coach and passing game specialist.
“You’re always trying to stay ahead of all the evolutions of this game that’s taking place,” Stefanski said. “One thing that keeps me up at night is where’s the game going? Where’s the offensive game going? I tell people all the time you can put on tape from 20 … 15 years ago, I’m on the sideline at those games but that game doesn’t resemble our current game. Just think of shotgun. How simple that is, right? Shotgun has shot up a ton in the last 15 years. So where are those evolutions coming (from) and oftentimes those plays from high school and college make their way to the NFL.”
By the same token, Stefanski hopes that the overhauled offensive staff will help the Browns blaze a trail — and they believe they have the quarterback to do it.
“You look at every trend throughout the league and what are people doing a lot of and then, what can we zig while everybody else zags,” he said. “The game will always be evolving based on the players, the players coming in, the rules that are changing year to year. You’re just trying to stay ahead of the evolution.”
One thing that should help Watson and Dorsey connect immediately is the fact that Dorsey spent three seasons under former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who came up in the Patriot Way. It’s the same system run by Watson’s former Texans coach Bill O’Brien, who coached him to those three Pro Bowl seasons, including 2020 when he led the NFL with 4,823 yards and finished second only to Aaron Rodgers with a 112.4 passer rating.
Dorsey also spent time learning from former Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner in Carolina, same as Stefanski in Minnesota.
“I think all of that is important,” Stefanski said. “Ken’s been in a bunch of different systems. I know most recently you mentioned Dabes and what they’re doing in Buffalo, but Ken has been in versions of Norv’s system, which I was also in when he was in Carolina. So we see the game very similarly, but all of his experiences I think are important in what he brings with us.”
The three parties will also have to determine how to strike the delicate balance between letting Watson run and keeping him healthy, especially coming off the shoulder surgery. Before that, he suffered a strained rotator cuff that cost him all of most of four games.
“Deshaun has always been very mobile,” Stefanski said. “He will always continue to be very mobile. We’ll always teach him and coach him up on being smart, because he’s a great player for us. We don’t want him to get injured, as we know, as important as that position is. That’s always going to be part of his game. So Ken and I will constantly coach all of our quarterbacks to make sure that they’re taking care of themselves.”
They have a lot of ground to cover over the next few months, and getting a jump on it next week in L.A. is a smart move by Stefanski and Dorsey.
