Baker Mayfield one of 4 former Browns who could follow Alex Van Pelt to New England

There were several coaching decisions announced on Thursday and while Dan Quinn joining the Washington Commanders as head coach took centerstage, the Cleveland Browns had some news of their own. Not only did they lose Bill Callahan, who is joining his son with the Tennessee Titans, but their old offensive coordinator found a new home as well.

Alex Van Pelt, who spent four seasons with the Browns, signed with the New England Patriots where he will join Jerod Mayo's staff. In New England, they'll be trying not only to replace Bill Belichick but there's also going to be a lot of work needed to fix the offense.

As Van Pelt looks to install a new system, he will possibly reach out to some familiar faces. Here, we identify four former Browns who are set for free agency and could join AVP.

4. Harrison Bryant, TE

When Ken Dorsey was hired to replace Van Pelt, it meant Harrison Bryant could be one of the players on the chopping block. Set for free agency, Bryant might have been able to stick around if the Browns moved on from Jordan Akins but with Dorsey's background, Akins and his ability to stretch the field better than Bryant could help him stay.

As for Bryant, he could find a home with the Patriots who have three pending free agents at tight end. Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, and Pharaoh Brown are all scheduled to hit the open market and both Gesicki and Henry can command more than Bryant.

A four-year veteran, Bryant has put together some impressive moments, including a 47-yard catch and run in the playoffs against Houston. He also had 10 touchdowns in his career, proving to be a red zone threat.

He's not going to be a game-changer but he's a solid depth piece who understands the offense and took on more responsibility this year despite lower pass targets. That could make him an ideal fit for Van Pelt as he installs his new system.

3. Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR

A former sixth-round pick out of Michigan, Donovan Peoples-Jones became a fan favorite in Cleveland in no time. As a rookie, he showed off a knack for getting deep and finished the year with 304 yards on just 14 receptions. That was good for an average of 21.7 yards per catch.

DPJ also scored two touchdowns that year, one of which was a 75-yarder against the Tennessee Titans in Week 13. That one wasn't as impressive as his first, however, which came in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. With Odell Beckham, Jr. lost to an ACL tear during the win, Peoples-Jones stepped up and hauled in 56 yards on three receptions. He even caught a 24-yarder for the game-winning score.

He continued to grow from there with 597 yards on 34 receptions in his second season. By year three, he was flirting with 1,000 yards and finsihed with 61 receptions for 839 yards and three touchdowns. But then in 2023, he became a forgotten man.

With Elijah Moore in town, DPJ hardly saw the ball come his way. He played in seven games for Cleveland and had just eight receptions for 97 yards. He was sent to the Detroit Lions at the trade deadline but had just five receptions for them in eight games played.

Now free to sign elsewhere, he could look to join the receiver-needy Patriots. As it stands now, they have some big names with JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker but they haven't had the production. Perhaps Van Pelt would prefer to go with someone he knows — and possibly trusts — more to help the passing game get on track.

2. Kareem Hunt, RB

When Stump Mitchell was let go, he did something running back coaches rarely do — he went on a bit of a media tour. While he was highly complimentary of the Cleveland organization as a whole, he did make some interesting comments about Kareem Hunt. Mitchell stated that Hunt was someone he could never get the most out of, essentially saying he was often the last guy to arrive at meetings and practices.

Hunt, who was with the Browns for five seasons, nearly didn't come back in 2023. When the new year kicked off, Cleveland was set with Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, and Pierre Strong, Jr. But in Week 2, it all changed when Chubb suffered a knee injury in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With him out, the Browns brought Hunt back who appeared in their final 15 games.

Ford continued to serve as the primary back but Hunt was used in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He averaged a career-low 3.0 yards per attempt but still proved to be able to find the end zone with ease as he scored nine touchdowns. For good measure, he put up two more in the playoffs.

Even with his ability to get into the end zone, it feels as though Hunt isn't coming back for sure this time. Perhaps the Browns go out and find another veteran or maybe they use a draft pick on someone who can challenge Ford for his spot. Either way, it doesn't feel as though Hunt is returning to his hometown team.

That doesn't mean there isn't a spot for him and perhaps that's in New England. Van Pelt knows how hard Hunt goes on the field and with Ezekiel Elliott hitting free agency, the Pats could decide to replace him with someone their new OC knows better.

1. Baker Mayfield, QB

One of the teams Alex Van Pelt met with before signing with the Patriots was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There was a belief that adding him to replace Dave Canales — who signed with the Carolina Panthers as their head coach — could help them retain Baker Mayfield.

Cleveland's No. 1 overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft spent two seasons working with Van Pelt and the two seemed to always get along fine. They even had a lot of success together in 2020 when the Browns made the postseason and upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round.

Of course we all know things fell apart between Mayfield and the Browns but he was able to rebound nicely in 2023. Following a frustrating campaign that saw him split time between the Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield signed with the Bucs this offseason. He took over for Tom Brady, who retired following 2022, and had his best year as a pro.

Mayfield finished with 4,044 yards and had a 28-to-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio. More importantly, he led Tampa Bay to a 9-8 record and they won the NFC South. They then went on to knock off the Philadelpia Eagles on the heels of a three-touchdown game from Mayfield. He three three more touchdowns against the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round but the Bucs still fell 31-23.

In New England, it feels as though there's no chance whatsoever they turn the reins back over to Mac Jones. He struggled mightily and will need a fresh start to get back on track. As for Mayfield, he has some leverage right now and if the Bucs are unable to keep him in town, AVP could make a play to bring in a quarterback who knows his system.

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