4 things to watch during the Cleveland Browns 2023 OTAs

3. How will the new coordinators start off?

This offseason, the Browns parted ways with special teams coach Mike Priefer, who was actually here with Freddie Kitchens, and defensive coordinator Joe Woods. With them out, Bubba Ventrone takes over special teams and Jim Schwartz is the new shot-caller on defense.

Both have ties to Cleveland with Ventrone playing for the Browns from 2009 through 2012 where he was a special teams ace. Schwartz, who won a Super Bowl as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive coordinator in 2017, began his NFL career in Cleveland as a personnel scout back in 1993 under Bill Belichick.

There's quite the contrast as well, with Schwartz having coaching experience dating back to the early 1990s whereas Ventrone started his coaching career in 2015 with the New England Patriots (which is another commonality these two share as Ventrone also started his coaching career under Belichick).

He spent the past five seasons as the special teams coordinator in Indianapolis and is a well-respected coach who many believe can ascend to the top job one day.

We won't learn all we need to know about their philosophies during OTAs but it will be interesting to see how players respond to them — as well as how Kevin Stefanski responds to having new coordinators for the first time during his career in Cleveland.