Tommy Rees is the new offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, having been promoted by head coach Kevin Stefanski and the team just days after the year turned from an abysmal 2024 to a slightly more hopeful 2025.
Rees, who was previously the tight ends coach for the Browns, also had a few collegiate stops of note along the way to Cleveland. He was the quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame from 2017-2019, and then their offensive coordinator from 2020-2022. After that, he served as the offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2023 before landing with the Browns in 2024.
While at Alabama, he helped form an offense around quarterback Jalen Milroe, then a sophomore, was one of the best quarterbacks in college football with Rees as the Crimson Tide's OC. With this promotion of Rees, Cleveland might be showing their hand a bit as it pertains to who they're aiming for in the NFL Draft.
Jalen Milroe seems like a realistic target for Browns with Rees promotion
With Rees now at OC and with Stefanski seemingly back behind the wheel with playcalling, it feels like Milroe is suddenly an actual target worth monitoring for Browns fans. Milroe wasn't a bad quarterback in his time with Alabama. In 2023 with Rees at OC, Milroe threw for 2,834 yards, 23 touchdowns, and had a passer rating of 172.2.
But, in 2024, his impact slipped a bit as his QBR sank from 83.6 to 78.3, and as his turnovers increased from just six in 2023 to 11 in 2024. He also just appears to be a quarterback like almost all other quarterbacks in this year's class - a project, but not a day one starter.
Cleveland could really use the latter, which is what would make this selection confusing beyond them just needing different faces in their quarterback room.
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Milroe's athleticism and raw talent can definitely be honed, though, and having a familiar face in Rees working directly with him and the rest of the quarterbacks on the team could help with his development greatly. Assuming Cleveland also starts a veteran in 2025, Milroe could be in a great position to learn behind someone and absorb the playbook from his former OC.
Milroe is likely to go in the third round, where Cleveland has two picks thanks to their trade of Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills earlier in the season in 2024. Taking Milroe, while potentially frustrating, shouldn't signal incompetence to Browns fans as it pertains to the front office's evaluations and Rees. Milroe can be a solid backup for Cleveland.
And, again, there are almost no day one starting signal callers available in 2025.