Cleveland Browns biggest questions for 2020 season ahead of the Combine

Will Stefanski have the player’s respect?

It’s all about respect. At least that’s what Jarvis Landry had to say when asked about his new head coach, Kevin Stefanski. In what was later deemed by some to be a shot fired at Freddie Kitchens, Landry said that the Browns need someone who can get the respect of his players, while also showing them some as well.

"“Someone who demands respect, someone who respects his players and someone who respects opponents.” — Landry said when asked by Aditi Kinkhabwala what trait is important in his coach"

It was clear that Kitchens didn’t have that respect from his players. There were times where Landry was seen arguing with him on the sidelines. There were also several heated discussions with Odell Beckham, Jr. It was a stark contrast from 2018 when it seemed the entire team loved Freddie.

Of course, that’s what happens when things start to go bad. Everyone on an NFL team puts in unreal hours of work and preparation for every game. When that fails to pay off week after week, tempers begin to flare up. And with reports that Kitchens deviated from the weekly gameplan running rampant, it was easy to see why the players grew irritated as the losses piled up.

That’s something Stefanski can learn from. He too comes in with limited play-calling experience — much like Kitchens — and also wants to call his own plays. There’s no problem with that as long as he can stick to the gameplan and listen to the input of hos assistant coaches — something Kitchens refused to do.

But most importantly, he has to earn the respect of his players. Should he be able to do that, there will be plenty of reason for optimism in 2020. If not, it could be another long season.