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Alex Van Pelt, Stump Mitchell, T.C. McCartney involved in Browns offensive staff shake-up
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- Alex Van Pelt, Stump Mitchell, T.C. McCartney involved in Browns offensive staff shake-up
BEREA — The Browns are going through an offensive coaching staff shake-up.
A league source confirmed to the Beacon Journal that running backs coach Stump Mitchell has been fired and that tight ends coach T.C. McCartney was not retained. CBS Sports' Josina Anderson was the first to report.
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Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will also be leaving. Anderson initially reported that, while Van Pelt told ESPN's Jake Trotter, "On to the next one. Proud of my time there."
Receiver Michael Woods II also posted on X: "I appreciate you AVP good luck coach (heart emoji)"
Coach Kevin Stefanski hinted at the possibility of staff changes during his end-of-the-year press conference on Sunday, a day after the Browns lost to the Houston Texans in the AFC wild card game. All three of the coaches involved have been with the Browns at least since Stefanski was hired in 2020, while Mitchell was originally hired by Freddie Kitchens in 2019.
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"Yeah, I think we're evaluating everything right now," Stefanski said. "The other thing as you know is some guys will get opportunities over the next couple of weeks, so we'll see how it all shakes out."
Defensive staff changes also coming? Browns set interview with Titans' Ryan Crow
There could also been adjustments coming to the defensive staff. Defensive line coach Ben Bloom's responsibilities may be changed, a source confirmed to the Beacon Journal.
The Browns have receive permission from the Tennessee Titans to interview their outside linebackers coach, Ryan Crow, a source confirmed to the Beacon Journal. Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky was the first to report their interest in Crow.
Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Arden Key, left, runs through pass rush drills with outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow, right, during practice at the NFL football team's training facility Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Crow, a Bowling Green State University product, would be coming home in a way if he were hired by the Browns. The Findlay native spent 2014-16 at Baldwin Wallace University, the first season as its offensive line coach and the last two as the offensive coordinator.
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After spending 2017 as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, Crow was hired by the Titans in 2018 as a defensive assistant. He was in that role for two seasons, then spent the 2020 season as an assistant special teams coach before moving on to be the outside linebackers coach the last three seasons.
The connection between Crow and the Browns is with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who spent the previous two seasons as a senior defensive assistant with the Titans.
Former Panthers running backs coach Duce Staley in for interview
The Beacon Journal has also confirmed the report by Anderson that Carolina Panthers assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley was in Berea speaking with the Browns. Staley spent 10 seasons as a player in the league, mostly for the Philadelphia Eagles , but also three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers .
Panthers assistant head coach and running back coach Duce Staley reacts to a play during the second half of the Lions' 42-24 win on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, at Ford Field.
Staley has been a coach in the NFL since 2011, when he started as a special teams quality control coach with the Eagles. He was the running backs coach for Philadelphia from 2012-20, where he spent five seasons with current Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, while he was also assistant head coach for Philadelphia from 2018-20.
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After Philadelphia, Staley spent two season as the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Detroit Lions in 2021-22. He was assistant head coach and running backs coach this season in Carolina under Frank Reich, who was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles during part of Staley's tenure there.
Second year Browns have made significant changes on staff
It's the second consecutive offseason Stefanski has shaken up his coaching staff. Last year, he cleaned house on the defensive side, including coordinator Joe Woods, as well as firing special teams coordinator Mike Priefer.
Those moves led to the hiring of Schwartz and assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone . Both of those hires paid immediate dividends, with Schwartz turning the Browns into the No. 1-ranked defense in the regular season and Ventrone noticeably improving the overall performance of the special teams.
Browns running backs coach Stump Mitchell works with his players before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 in Cleveland.
Mitchell, 64, was the last holdover from Kitchens' staff who remained with the Browns. His position group, though, also suffered as significant an injury as any when Nick Chubb was lost for the season with a knee injury in Week 2 at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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With Chubb, the Browns ranked No. 1 in the league in rushing at 202 yards per game. However, utilizing a committee of backs in Jerome Ford , Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr. the remainder of the way, they finished the season 12th at 118.6 yards per game.
McCartney, 34, originally started his NFL career in 2014 as an offensive assistant for Mike Pettine in Cleveland , and returned in a similar role when Stefanski was hired in 2020. He was elevated to tight ends coach in 2022, when Drew Petzing was moved to quarterbacks coach.
The last two seasons, McCartney oversaw the most consistent growth from tight end David Njoku in the former first-round draft pick's seven-year career. Njoku finished with career highs in catches (81), receiving yards (882) and receiving touchdowns (six), while posting three of his top four career games in terms of receiving yards.
Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, left, and quarterback Deshaun Watson watch practice on Aug. 7, 2023.
Van Pelt and Stefanski have been tied together since they arrived in Cleveland in 2020. The 53-year-old Pittsburgh native and former NFL quarterback was the de facto quarterbacks coach — outside of the 2022 season — even though he never officially held that title.
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Van Pelt was the play-caller for the Browns' AFC wild card win at the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2021, with Stefanski out with COVID. It's the only time he's handled the play-calling duties during his time in Cleveland.
Injuries to key players the story for Browns offense in 2023
The Browns ranked 16th in total yards (335.9), 12th in rushing, 19th in passing (217.2) and tied for 10th in points (23.3).
The Browns offense was ravaged by injuries this season, beyond just Chubb. Quarterback Deshaun Watson missed virtually all of October with a rotator cuff strain, then was lost for the season with a broken glenoid in his throwing shoulder in mid-November.
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They lost right tackle Jack Conklin to a knee injury in the opener, and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr . was lost in Week 9 to a knee injury. Conklin's backup, Dawand Jones , was also lost to a knee injury suffered in practice leading into a Week 14 win over Jacksonville .
The Browns ended up starting five quarterbacks — Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker , Joe Flacco and Jeff Driskel — while starting seven different offensive line combinations. The fifth starting QB, Driskel, and the seventh line combination were due to Stefanski resting most of the Browns' regulars in the regular-season finale at Cincinnati .
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns shake up offensive coaching staff, including Alex Van Pelt
