{"id":15707,"date":"2025-02-28T11:41:48","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T11:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=15707"},"modified":"2025-02-28T11:41:48","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T11:41:48","slug":"breaking-browns-quarterback-search-puts-kevin-stefanski-at-a-reputational-crossroad-jimmy-watkins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=15707","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING : Browns quarterback search puts Kevin Stefanski at a reputational crossroad \u2014 Jimmy Watkins"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

<\/p>\n

INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 Baker Mayfield was too limited. Deshaun Watson was too much. But if Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is the guru Cleveland thinks he is, <\/b>his next quarterback will be juuuuust right.<\/p>\n

Rest easy, Browns fans. General manager Andrew Berry counts Stefanski as a partner in his crawl through the QB desert. <\/b>Stefanski has traveled with Berry to every stop of Cleveland\u2019s search for quarterback talent, including this week\u2019s NFL Scouting Combine. And he brings with him a portable plan for success under center.<\/p>\n

Over the last six seasons, three different quarterbacks have posted career-best QBRs (2020 Baker Mayfield, 2022 Jacoby Brissett) and\/or passer ratings (2019 Kirk Cousins) with Stefanski calling plays. One more (2023 Joe Flacco) revived his career after signing with Cleveland off the street. And if we\u2019re selling the Browns to first round and\/or free agent quarterbacks, the Stefanski System belongs near the top of our listing.<\/p>\n

That is, assuming you believe in such a concept.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a Cleveland Browns offense,\u201d Stefanski told reporters Wednesday. \u201cIt\u2019s never been about me. I think it\u2019s really important that we put a system together that fits our players and that\u2019s what (new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees) and the offensive staff are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

True enough: Rees and the rest of this coaching staff, not to mention starting quarterback X, claim a sizeable stake in Cleveland\u2019s 2025 offense. But Stefanski is the majority owner. He\u2019s the one calling plays. He\u2019s the one helping scout the quarterbacks. So he\u2019s the face of an offense in desperate need of a makeover.<\/p>\n

Last season, the Browns ranked last or second-to-last in points per game, expected points added (EPA) per play, yards per play (to name a few categories), passing yards per attempt, success rate and giveaways per game. They switched play-callers, quarterbacks and, after season\u2019s end, offensive coordinators and offensive line coaches. Nothing worked.<\/p>\n

Of course, you can\u2019t overcome a bad quarterback. Deshaun Watson ranked 42nd out of 42 quarterbacks in EPA per play and success rate. He missed open receivers and managed pockets poorly. In three seasons with Cleveland, he never felt like a fit for Stefanski\u2019s offense(s).<\/p>\n

Although, as Stefanski alluded to this week, fit can be a fickle concept.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you want to take a lesser player for a reason of fit,\u201d Stefanski said. \u201cThat\u2019s a complicated word as well. There\u2019s players on our roster that played really well, and you wouldn\u2019t say they\u2019re quote unquote a perfect fit for what we do. But I think you get into a really tough spot if you\u2019re just taking the fit because there\u2019s different ways to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Couldn\u2019t agree more. Talent trumps fit if your coaching staff can conform, which is why it feels strange to acknowledge a pair of conflicting truths.<\/p>\n

First, Stefanski has raised the ceiling on virtually every quarterback with whom he\u2019s worked. From Cousins to Mayfield to Brissett to Flacco, his structure served players well.<\/p>\n

But five years, two playoff appearances and at least three quarterback successes (Mayfield, Brissett, Flacco) into his Browns tenure, Stefanski still can\u2019t find a stable pass-game partner.<\/p>\n

Cleveland needed Mayfield to grow up. It needed Brissett and Flacco needed to clear out for Watson. Watson and the Browns needed a time machine capable of returning him to Pro Bowl form.<\/p>\n

Viewed separately, each breakup holds merit. Taken together, though, Stefanski\u2019s resume counts several short-lived successes and one massive, overshadowing failure.<\/p>\n

Coming off his worst season ever, the talented coach is once again searching for a quarterback. This rookie class is too shallow, and the free agent market is too dry. But if Stefanski is still the play caller we have praised before, then he\u2019ll pair well with any talented passer.<\/p>\n

Right?<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s our job as coaches to fit talent into our schemes,\u201d Stefanski said Wednesday. \u201cI\u2019m talking offense, defense, special teams. You\u2019re always looking for talented football players. You don\u2019t want to just look only for scheme fit because then that\u2019ll take you away from taking maybe a more talented player.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The two-time coach of the year has earned his reputation as a quarterback whisperer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cleveland-browns"],"yoast_head":"\nBREAKING : Browns quarterback search puts Kevin Stefanski at a reputational crossroad \u2014 Jimmy Watkins - Breaking News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=15707\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING : Browns quarterback search puts Kevin Stefanski at a reputational crossroad \u2014 Jimmy Watkins - 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