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Browns embarrassment tests alignment of GM Andrew Berry, coach Kevin Stefanski | Ulrich
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- Browns embarrassment tests alignment of GM Andrew Berry, coach Kevin Stefanski | Ulrich
BEREA — With Browns ownership opting to keep general manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski in power rather than fire one or both of them coming off an embarrassing 3-14 season, alignment between the two men is at the forefront again.
Berry's draft and free-agency track records have not been good enough. Stefanski's failure to adequately mesh with previously anointed starting quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Deshaun Watson from personality and/or schematic standpoints is a valid criticism, too.
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Both Berry and Stefanski share culpability for the 2024 record and at least to some degree for the disastrous 2022 Watson trade, even though the move has owner Jimmy Haslam's fingerprints all over it.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, left, shakes hands with new general manager Andrew Berry during his introductory news conference at the team's training facility Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Berea.
The top argument for preserving the Berry-Stefanski partnership is they have co-existed well since they were hired in 2020.
However, it's easier to maintain a positive working relationship when times are good. It's more challenging when expectations don't come close to being met and job security becomes flimsy.
For the Browns to extinguish what has devolved into a dumpster fire , they need Berry and Stefanski to be on the same page, especially as it pertains to forthcoming quarterback decisions and an ongoing offensive coordinator search .
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Neither Berry nor Stefanski downplayed the notion during season wrap-up news conferences at team headquarters.
"It's huge, but the good thing is I always say that we work side by side and we fight back to back," Berry said Monday. "I have a ton of respect for Kevin on a personal level, on a professional level. He's a great coach. I'm really not worried about that part of it because I have a fantastic partner."
"We feel very responsible [to remain aligned]," Stefanski said Sunday. "We are tied at the hip, and we will do everything in our power together. Andrew works really, really hard at this. We're frustrated, and we will get it fixed."
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Clip and save those quotes because you can bet Jimmy and Dee Haslam will be holding Berry and Stefanski to their words on this topic. The Browns owners have been through several rumbles between heads of football operations and coaches determined to get each other ousted amid power struggles.
It would be surprising if Berry and Stefanski were to remain employed by the Haslams in 2026 if their relationship were to deteriorate or they were to fall short of getting the franchise turned around next season. They certainly aren't required to agree on everything, but they need to find compromises and stick together.
The Browns need to acquire at least two new quarterbacks this offseason. This has been painfully obvious for months, yet Berry further underscored it Monday by announcing Watson had suffered a setback in his recovery from ruptured Achilles tendon surgery.
Cleveland should sign or trade for a veteran bridge quarterback to pair with a drafted QB. The rookie could be selected in April as early as second overall, the spot in which the Browns sit in the first round after their internal expectations to contend in 2024 became laughable.
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The Browns ought to prioritize the fit between Stefanski and their quarterback options.
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Stefanski and Mayfield clashed coming off a 2020 postseason appearance while Mayfield played through shoulder issues in 2021. Now Mayfield has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
What Stefanski and Watson have done best on offense throughout their NFL careers, with the coach running a wide-zone, play-action scheme and Watson operating a shotgun, spread, run-pass option system, has never successfully merged into anything close to consistently successful.
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"Look, it hasn't yielded the impact that we had hoped," Berry said. "It would be easy to distill it into any one thing, but I do think that there's perhaps a little bit too much made out of that."
Maybe. But there's definitely a lesson to be learned, too.
Berry should pay close attention to Browns standout offensive linemen Joel Bitonio and Jack Conklin publicly lobbying to restore Stefanski's old offense , the one Cleveland had run from 2020-23.
"Creating our own identity is what this team needs," Conklin said Sunday as Browns players cleared out their lockers. "I think creating around an individual makes things tough for everybody else. So I think you got to stick with what this team's been built around. And if we can do that, I think we can have a lot of success."
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The "individual" Conklin spoke about is Watson because Conklin was answering a direct question about Watson.
Browns news: Deshaun Watson suffers setback in recovery from Achilles injury
The Browns qualified for the playoffs in 2020 and 2023 with Stefanski's bread-and-butter system . Then the organization went in another direction on offense, catering to Watson's preferred style of play by hiring offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey in late January 2024.
Cleveland fired Dorsey on Sunday, and the next offensive coordinator should be one who's well-suited to help Stefanski maximize the potential of his old schemes.
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In other words, the Browns must have alignment between their head coach and new quarterbacks and their head coach and incoming offensive coordinator.
It all starts, though, with Berry and Stefanski being in lockstep throughout a crucial offseason.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski alignment faces test with Browns 3-14
