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Kevin Stefanski wants Browns system to fit the quarterback, not the other way around
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- Kevin Stefanski wants Browns system to fit the quarterback, not the other way around
INDIANAPOLIS — The Browns are putting together a new offense for the upcoming season. They elevated Tommy Rees to be their new offensive coordinator.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski , however, will return to calling the plays. That's not necessarily a significant signal to him that it's suddenly going back to being the " Kevin Stefanski offense."
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"There's a Cleveland Browns offense," Stefanski said Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine . "It's never been about me. I think it's really important that we put a system together that fits our players, and that's what Tommy and the offensive staff are doing right now."
That new offense has again taken on a certain life of its own as the Browns try to answer the biggest question they have this offseason: Who will play quarterback?
The offensive scheme that has been most successful under Stefanski has featured a quarterback who excels at the play-action bootleg game. It hasn't necessarily fit a specific model, as Kirk Cousins , Baker Mayfield , Jacoby Brissett and Joe Flacco are all different quarterbacks in the own right.
Stefanski, though, doesn't believe it's a certain specific type he needs to be successful. He doesn't believe the current NFL and the variety of quarterbacks who have success allows for such rigidity.
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"Yeah, I think that's not the NFL," Stefanski said. "I think if you look across the NFL, you have to be ready to pivot in a season, in the first quarter of the third game, you have to be ready to go if something changes. So I think you've seen different schemes, different coaches, different people have varying styles as part of their scheme. That's just part of the evolution of football."
The dilemma for the Browns is there's no real starting quarterback currently on the roster. It's been the daily talking point since their 3-14 disaster of a 2024 season ended.
Part of that is the need between Stefanski and Rees to put together a new scheme. However, the scheme is lacking in the knowledge of the most important piece, which is the quarterback.
That's where Stefanski disagrees about the view of it being a hurdle to formulating a scheme. The fact you can go from extremes in terms of quarterback style in a given season means a certain schematic flexibility is required.
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski speaks during the 2025 NFL scouting combine on Feb. 26, 2025, in Indianapolis.
"I think there's things that you believe in that you want to create a foundation of what you believe in in your identity," Stefanski said. "But then you have to be ready to change depending on who your players are and players plural, not just the quarterback position. You have to understand what your guys do best. So you're trying to put in a foundation of an offense and then obviously pivot based on the players."
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The Browns are in Indianapolis this week trying to find some more of those players. They're specifically trying to find a quarterback who can come in and help them succeed.
Those quarterbacks, though, range from pocket passers like Shedeur Sanders to dual-threats like Jalen Milroe . Stefanski said what he feels is most important in choosing the right players in circumstances like this is not being married to one model.
"You want to make sure that you're putting the best football team together that you can, and I don't think you want to take a lesser player for a reason of fit," Stefanski said. "And fit can be so … that's a complicated word as well. There's players on our roster that have played really well. And you wouldn't say they're, quote, unquote, a perfect fit for what we do. But I think you get into a really tough spot if you're just taking the fit because there's different ways to do it."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kevin Stefanski wants Browns system to fit QB, not fit QB to a system
