Browns Make Final Call on GM Andrew Berry, HC Kevin Stefanski: Report
Browns Make Final Call on GM Andrew Berry, HC Kevin Stefanski: Report
Kevin Stefanski, the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, was under intense pressure going into the 2023 season following a 7-10 performance the year before and two straight losing campaigns. There were concerns about general manager Andrew Berry risking the franchise’s future to sign quarterback Deshaun Watson, who only appeared in six games in 2022, the most of them ineffectively, and then blowing a lot of money on the defense.
Stefanski was named the NFL’s Coach of the Year, and according to reports from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler in Las Vegas the day before the Super Bowl, he and Berry are expected to get contract extensions.
On Saturday, February 10, Fowler said, “Expect contract extensions to occur for Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry sometime this offseason.” “The five-year contracts for both players are scheduled to end following the 2024 season. They put on a strong playoff drive last year, and it appears they will stay in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.
Browns QB Joe Flacco Earned Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry Their Coming Extensions
As the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award winner the same night Stefanski did, quarterback Joe Flacco was perhaps the main factor in Cleveland’s success in the late season and postseason.
According to Pro Football Reference, Flacco finished the regular season as a starter with a 4-1 record, 1,616 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Following disastrous starting experiences for backup quarterbacks PJ Walker and youngster Dorian Thompson-Robinson, such output came on a $2.5 million salary.
While Stefanski gets some credit for how he used the quarterback and capitalized on his skills for play-action passing and moving the ball downfield, Berry deserves some credit for signing Flacco to a solid contract. Nevertheless, if they hadn’t struck it lucky and surfed the Flacco wave to the conference’s top Wildcard berth, neither man’s future would probably be as safe.
Deshaun Watson Black Eye on Browns’ Decision Making Over Past 2 Years
In 2024 and the next two seasons, Watson’s $230 million fully-guaranteed deal will be the Browns’ biggest concern. Next season, the salary cap hit on that deal will increase to $64 million annually, where it will stay for the duration of the contract.
About $33 million of that money can be postponed by Cleveland, which will eventually cause a significant dead money penalty to the Browns’ salary limit. The two largest criticisms of Berry’s time in Cleveland are without a doubt the trade he made to acquire Watson, which included three first-round picks (2022, 2023, and 2024), and the agreement he made with Watson.
Despite how well Flacco connected with both the fans and his teammates, as well as how well he performed in the last stretch of the season, Watson is set to start for the Browns at the start of the following season due to his contract. Although the enormous investment the team as a whole made in Watson two years ago undoubtedly influences all of the head coach’s judgments regarding the quarterback, it is presumably Stefanski’s call.
For Watson, as well as the organization’s overall trajectory, the 2024 campaign will either make or break everything. He needs to play well and stay on the field. The Browns need to make a run at the AFC North Division title and make a postseason comeback.
Berry and Stefanski have an obligation to the fan base to acknowledge their error and move on if those things don’t occur. And whatever of the kinds of extensions Berry and Stefanski sign in the upcoming months, they could not be around for Cleveland long if they don’t make those admissions and the reforms that follow, should they become necessary.
Browns QB Joe Flacco Gets Bad News on Future
Joe Flacco might not have a good summer due to the free agent market, which could be advantageous for the Cleveland Browns.
This offseason, Flacco, 39, will explore his options as a free agent in an attempt to secure a starting position anywhere. But according to an unnamed general manager Terry Pluto of cleveland.com spoke with, Flacco won’t have teams clamoring for him.
Pluto claims that Flacco’s turnovers are the main problem.
“He believed that Flacco’s market would be small,” Pluto stated on February 6th on his podcast, “Terry’s Talkin.” Turnovers are the red flag on you in modern football, despite the astounding stats. Guys who turn the ball over are not liked by them. That surprised me because I had thought we wouldn’t have a chance against Flacco. He believes they will.
During the regular season, Flacco ignited the Browns’ offense, finishing 4-1 in his starts and throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, turnovers were a problem. In his five appearances during the regular season, he threw eight interceptions. During a 45-14 wild-card rout of the Houston Texans, he threw two more passes. Each one was brought back for a touchdown.
It wouldn’t be shocking if Flacco didn’t spark any interest. Ultimately, he sat on his sofa until the Browns phoned him in the middle of November to conclude 2023. Even while it might not be enough to secure a starting gig, he did demonstrate that he still has something to provide.
Browns Made ‘Mistake’ Banking on Deshaun Watson
Under general manager Andrew Berry, the Browns had never been afraid to spend money on a backup quarterback. Two veterans who earned good wages in Cleveland as dependable backup quarterbacks were Case Keenum and Jacoby Brissett.
That was altered the previous season when rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson was named the backup by the Browns after Joshua Dobbs was traded before the season began. Unfortunately, Watson’s two shoulder injuries limited his playing time to only six games, putting the Browns in a worse-case scenario at quarterback.
In the end, the Browns used five different quarterbacks. As the starter, Watson, Thompson-Robinson, PJ Walker, Flacco, and Jeff Driskel all saw action.
Pluto remarked, “Hanging over the Browns is 12 games in three years,” implying that Watson was involved. The major error they committed the previous year was supposing Deshaun would be resilient simply because he had been in the past. They didn’t even keep Dobbs because of this. They simply went with DTR, who they loved, and acquired PJ Walker from what amounted to a football garage sale.
Joe Flacco Open to Return to Browns
Flacco has made it known that he wants to take advantage of a free agency starting position. In the event that the former MVP of the Super Bowl doesn’t experience that, Cleveland remains a possibility.
On January 18, Flacco stated, “I’m open to being back in Cleveland, but I don’t want to rush into any decisions.” “There are so many positive things to say about the current state of this organization,”
Flacco is aware that backing up Watson, who is anticipated to be primed for action come training camp, would be his responsibility if he were to rejoin the Browns. The Browns don’t think there would be any problems in the locker room if Flacco returned.
Berry referred to the possible “polarity” surrounding a decision to reinstate Flacco as having “zero considerations.” The way both people are, it’s not at all an internal matter.
Berry said that the team values having a backup quarterback position. It is a “top 30 position on the roster,” according to him.
