Cleveland Browns got the Guy They Wanted in Kevin Stefanski
Many fans wondered why the Cleveland Browns were the last team to hire a coach but they clearly had a candidate in mind and just had to wait for his season to officially be over.
The Cleveland Browns let it be known early on that Paul DePodesta would be in charge of their coaching search so it is no surprise that they hired Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, who Depodesta wanted to hire last year before the team ultimately went with Freddie Kitchens.
Some fans may not have heard of Stefanski which is understandable. This was his first full season as a playcaller but he has been with Minnesota since 2006. He has been retained by two two coaches, Leslie Frazier and Mike Zimmer, which means that head coaches thought enough of him to keep him around.
Stefanski is an offensive coach having worked with tight ends, running backs and quaterbacks so he is perfect to come in and help the Browns who have all the offensive talent in the world but didn’t match it in production this year.
This hire should mean a change in philosophy based on what Stefanski did with the Vikings. They ran the ball to set the tone and to create play action passes which led to Kirk Cousins having the best year of his career and turning Dalvin Cook into a superstar.
Nick Chubb is already a superstar and Kareem Hunt is no slouch backing him up so going to the run will help this offense. Under Kitchens there seemed to be a focus on throwing the ball but an effective running game is a quaterbacks best friend.
His offense also opens up the field for tight ends, Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. combined for almost 700 yards and eight touchdowns. This should be good for David Njoku who had a disappointing second season.
Running the ball more also helps the defense because they have to play less snaps, the Vikings ranked fifth in points allowed this year.
All of the details of Stefanski’s contract are not confirmed yet but they will give him time to build a culture of discpline in the locker room. This is a slam dunk hire for the Browns if he can do the same things he’s done in Minnesota.
Next. Browns hire Stefanski. dark
If the organization gives him time to build he could be the coach of the Browns for a long time.