Who will Be the Browns’ New Offensive Coordinator?

After being eliminated from the playoffs by the Texans, the Browns kicked off their offseason with a few adjustments to their offensive coaching staff. This includes a change at the offensive coordinator position, as Alex Van Pelt was released by the team. During Stefanski’s tenure in Cleveland, he primarily handled play-calling duties, with Alex Van Pelt playing more of a background role. However, this dynamic could now change as the Browns are searching for a new offensive coordinator and potentially a new play-caller as well.

Stefanski’s Tenure in Cleveland

To assess Kevin Stefanski’s impact on the Browns since he became head coach in 2020, I put together a statistical overview of his tenure in Cleveland. This overview includes the team’s record, postseason achievements, offensive production, and DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). For those unfamiliar with DVOA, it’s a metric that evaluates team performance considering the context of each play and opponent. The percentages represent how a team’s performance deviates from the league average. High offensive DVOA percentages indicate an efficient offense, whereas negative defensive DVOA percentages reflect a strong defense. If you’d like to find out more about DVOA, click here.

So, what can be said about Kevin Stefanski from a purely statistical perspective?

2020

  • Record: 11-5 (3rd in AFC North)
  • Offensive Production:
    • Passing: 221.2 YDS/G (24th)
    • Rushing: 148.4 YDS/G (3rd)
  • Offensive DVOA (Rank):
    • 6.1% (8th)
  • Defensive DVOA (Rank):
    • 1.2% (17th)
  • Playoffs: 1-1
  • Comments:
    • Kevin Stefanski wins AP coach of the year
    • Notable players with at least 5 missed games (including postseason):
      • S Grant Delpit (18 games missed)
      • WR Odell Beckham Jr. (11)
      • S Ronnie Harrison (5)
      • CB Denzel Ward (5)
    • Offensive stat leaders:
      • Passing: Baker Mayfield; 3,563 yards, 26 TD, 8 INT
      • Rushing: Nick Chubb; 1,067 yards, 12 TD
      • Receiving: Jarvis Landry; 840 yards, 3 TD

2021

2022

2023

  • Record: 11-6 (2nd in AFC North)
  • Offensive Production:
    • Passing: 217.2 YDS/G (19th)
    • Rushing: 118.6 YDS/G (12th)
  • Offensive DVOA in regular season (Rank):
    • -12.3% (28th)
  • Defensive DVOA in regular season (Rank):
    • -20.7% (2nd)
  • Playoffs: 0-1
  • Comments:
    • Stefanski is currently a favorite for the AP coach of the year award
    • 5 different starting quarterbacks throughout the season
    • Notable players with at least 5 games missed (including postseason):
      • RT Jack Conklin (17 games missed)
      • RB Nick Chubb (16)
      • QB Deshaun Watson (12)
      • LT Jedrick Wills (10)
      • S Rodney McLeod (8)
      • RT Dawand Jones (7)
      • LB Anthony Walker (6)
      • S Grant Delpit (5)
      • DT Maurice Hurst (5)
      • S Juan Thornhill (5)
    • Offensive stat leaders:
      • Passing: Joe Flacco; 1,616 yards, 13 TD, 8 INT
      • Rushing: Jerome Ford; 813 yards, 4 TD
      • Receiving: Amari Cooper; 1,250 yards, 5 TD

Apart from the 2020 season, Kevin Stefanski’s tenure with the Browns has been heavily impacted by injuries and off-field issues. During this period, the Browns have seen 10 different quarterbacks start at least one game, with five of them starting in the most recent season alone. Despite these challenges, Stefanski’s offense has been able to rely on the run game and Nick Chubb, with the Browns consistently ranking as a top 6 rushing unit when he led the backfield. However, this season saw a decline in the rushing production, largely due to Chubb’s season-ending injury in week 2 and significant injuries to the top three offensive tackles. These setbacks, coupled with additional injuries at the quarterback position, prompted a shift in the Browns’ offensive strategy. Cleveland’s offense adapted and centered its attack around Joe Flacco, who started throwing for over 300 yards in every game.

Offensive Changes

Many, myself included, expected a shift in the offensive philosophy when the Browns acquired Deshaun Watson. However, Stefanski, who comes from a wide-zone and play-action heavy offense in Minnesota, continued this approach in Cleveland. Following two seasons of transition on offense, the Browns made notable changes to their coaching staff. Letting running back coach and run game coordinator Stump Mitchell go, really surprised me. He seemed to be a beloved character in the organisation and had the production to back him up. It’s hard to determine the extent of influence Stefanski and other offensive coaches had on the run game from an external perspective. However, as the run game coordinator, Stump Mitchell undoubtedly deserves significant credit for its success. Additionally, the team parted ways with tight ends coach T.C. McCartney and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.

The most notable change will come at the offensive coordinator position, with reports suggesting Stefanski is open to give up his play-calling duties to the new Browns’ offensive coordinator. Among some position coaches, the Browns have so far interviewed just one candidate for their OC vacancy. Andy Dickerson, who served as the offensive line coach for the Seahawks in the past two seasons and previously as a defensive quality control coach (2009) and assistant offensive line coach (2010) in Cleveland, is currently the sole interviewee. Yet, I anticipate more interview requests coming in the near future.

Who Could Become the Browns’ New Offensive Coordinator?

In the final part of this article, I want to spotlight several candidates who could potentially replace Alex Van Pelt as the Browns’ offensive coordinator and Stefanski as the play-caller. Predicting such hires is challenging from an external perspective, as quantifying a positional coach’s role in a unit is always tough. Nonetheless, based on their recent achievements, here are a few names that, in my opinion, deserve consideration for the job.

Kellen Moore

Moore, who went undrafted as a quarterback in 2012, was quickly signed by Detroit as a free agent. After a two-year stint with the Lions, he joined the Cowboys’ roster, eventually becoming their quarterbacks coach in 2018. He ascended to the role of offensive coordinator in 2019, leading the Cowboys to be the league’s most productive offense in two of his four seasons (also the only ones with a healthy Dak Prescott). In 2023, Moore became the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. However, with Brandon Staley’s firing, his future with the franchise is somewhat uncertain. Having already interviewed for the Chargers’ head coaching position, Moore might stay in LA, even if they opt for an external hire. Nonetheless, should he become available, the Browns would be wise to pursue him aggressively. Moore’s reputation as one of the NFL’s most innovative offensive minds makes him an invaluable asset for any team’s offense.

Shane Waldron

Waldron has been coaching in the NFL for a decade now, with tenures in New England, Washington, Los Angeles (Rams), and most recently, Seattle. During his time as the Rams’ passing game coordinator (2018-2020), he produced a top-5 passing offense twice, including a Super Bowl appearance in 2019. Since 2021, Waldron has served as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, playing a significant role in Geno Smith’s career resurgence. With imminent changes at Seattle’s head coaching position, Waldron might be on the move if the new coach does not want to retain him. He has also interviewed for the Bears’ offensive coordinator position, indicating his likely availability. His impressive work during a time of transition in Seattle makes him a qualified candidate for the Browns’ offensive coordinator vacancy.

Klint Kubiak

Kubiak and Kevin Stefanski have already worked together when Kubiak served as the Vikings’ quarterbacks coach in 2019 during Stefanski’s tenure as their offensive coordinator. Kubiak then replaced Stefanski as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator when Stefanski departed for the Browns, but was released following the Vikings’ hiring of Kevin O’Connell in 2022. Most recently, Kubiak held roles as the Broncos’ passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Hackett in 2022 and as passing game coordinator for San Francisco in 2023. Although Kubiak may not have the track record of the first two candidates on this list, I believe he could deserve another opportunity, especially after a year of coaching under Kyle Shanahan’s guidance.

Wes Phillips

Wes Phillips was a first-time offensive coordinator in 2023, working under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota. Before that, he spent time with O’Connell at the Rams, serving as their tight end coach (2019-2021) and passing game coordinator (2021). Phillips has accumulated eight years of experience as a tight ends coach, spotlighting players like Higbee and Hockenson in his offenses. Considering the standout year David Njoku just experienced, bringing in an offensive coordinator who prioritizes the tight end position could be a strategic move. While it might seem unlikely for Phillips to leave Minnesota for a similar job, it isn’t out of the question. If Stefanski is open to handing over his play-calling duties, that could be a compelling enough reason for Phillips to at least consider the position. We’ve seen comparable moves in the past with coaches like Eric Bieniemy.

Jason Vrable

Vrable started his NFL coaching journey as an offensive quality control coach with the Buffalo Bills in 2013 and has since served as an assistant coach in New York and Green Bay. He has been the Packers’ wide receivers coach since 2020, taking on the additional role of passing game coordinator in 2022. Notably, the Packers’ historically young receiving corps has performed exceptionally well over the last two seasons. Furthermore, Jordan Love has been playing as well as any quarterback in the league in 2023. Given that the Browns’ receivers, aside from Amari Cooper, haven’t quite played up to expectations, Vrable’s guidance could provide the necessary boost. Although Jason Vrable may be the least experienced coach on this list, offering him an opportunity could prove to be a highly beneficial move for Cleveland.

Conclusion

While the extent of Cleveland’s offensive changes remains uncertain, one thing is sure – change is coming! Stefanski, in his role as the Browns’ play-caller, has had his share of imperfections but also moments of brilliance. Therefore, even with a new offensive coordinator potentially taking over the headset for the Browns, Stefanski is likely to remain significantly involved in the play-calling process. I hope this article has sparked your interest in the coaches I’ve discussed and managed to excite you for what’s ahead!

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