The Cleveland Browns are 3-13 and have a chance to pick first in the NFL Draft. Despite their Cinderella run to the playoffs last season, they took a significant step back this year. Part of the reason was the offense, which looked better with Joe Flacco last year than this year. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Daniel Oyefusi say people inside the Browns organization were surprised when Kevin Stefanski fired Alex Van Pelt for Ken Dorsey last offseason.

“That was head-scratching to me,” an ex-Stefanski aide told Fowler and Oyefusi. “They had a system that worked regardless of the quarterback and had won more than Cleveland had in a long time. For things to suddenly change, that doesn’t strike me as something he would want.”

But there is a reason that Stefanski made the move, his franchise quarterback. ‘But the same sources who were puzzled by the move from Van Pelt to Dorsey also knew why Stefanski made it: To maximize Watson, who could run Stefanski’s system but didn’t excel at it. Watson’s best years came in Houston with a spread-it-out attack that consisted of shotgun formations and run-pass option plays — calling cards of a Dorsey offense.”

The Browns are in a tough spot this offseason because of Deshaun Watson. With Ken Dorsey no longer calling plays, they need Watson to dominate whatever scheme greets him next season.

The Browns need Deshaun Watson to improve in 2025

There is no more important quarterback to watch in 2025 than Deshaun Watson. He was guaranteed a historic amount of money despite serious legal accusations to be the quarterback of the Browns. He has been terrible when on the field and injured often, costing the team multiple times.

The Browns were 1-6 with Watson as their quarterback this season. He tore his Achilles in Week 7 and the team did not respond like they did last year with Flacco. Dorsey’s offense did not translate to the backups like Van Pelt’s did and Stefanski ended up taking over play-calling.

Now Alex Van Pelt is the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. While they are also in contention for the first-overall pick, their offense has been solid with Drake Maye at quarterback. They have a massive talent issue on the offensive line and at wide receiver. With improvements there, Van Pelt can make the Browns pay for letting him go.

Deshaun Watson will be back on the field for the Browns in 2025 and they need him to shine with whoever is calling plays. Meanwhile, Alex Van Pelt will always be there as a “what could have been” question in Cleveland.