10:18am: Van Pelt is indeed out. The four-year Browns OC confirmed to ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter he is no longer in place as Stefanski’s top lieutenant on offense. With Stefanski not going anywhere, the Browns will soon begin a search to fill their non-play-calling OC post. The Browns and Van Pelt explored a reassignment of duties, Trotter adds, but ultimately decided to separate.
8:22am: Kevin Stefanski may well collect his second Coach of the Year award in four seasons, but the Browns are coming off a one-sided wild-card loss. Days after the Texans’ Round 1 rout, the Browns are making changes on their offensive staff.
Cleveland is firing running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports. More significantly, Alex Van Pelt may well be on his way out as well. The four-year Cleveland OC has informed some with the team he has also been fired, according to Anderson.
While Mitchell and McCartney are out, both cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicate Van Pelt is being evaluated. The Browns are seeking fresh ideas on offense, per Cabot, who notes a Van Pelt dismissal is on the table. Van Pelt’s contract includes the 2024 season, Rapoport adds.
Operating as a non-play-calling OC throughout the Stefanski era in Cleveland, Van Pelt has been an NFL staffer since 2006. Aaron Rodgers‘ former QBs coach in Green Bay, Van Pelt is in his second go-round as a coordinator. While Van Pelt served as the Bills’ OC in 2009, it took him 11 years to land another coordinator opportunity. The 53-year-old assistant being moved off the Browns’ staff would certainly be notable, given the form the team’s offense showed amid injuries to its centerpiece players.
The Browns lost Nick Chubb and Jack Conklin for the season in September and were without Deshaun Watson and Jedrick Wills around midseason. Fill-in tackle starter Dawand Jones also sustained a season-ending malady. The Browns nevertheless made a surprising voyage to the AFC playoffs, finishing 11-6 behind a stunning Joe Flacco effort. Flacco could not carry his momentum into the playoffs, throwing back-to-back pick-sixes in a 45-14 loss to the Texans. But the Browns were able to withstand significant injuries to qualify for their second playoff berth under Stefanski, who may well still beat out DeMeco Ryans for Coach of the Year honors as a result.
Mitchell and McCartney have been with the Browns since 2020 as well. A former NFL running back, Mitchell — save for a three-year stint as a college HC — has coached RBs in the league since 1999. The 64-year-old assistant did not have any history with Stefanski prior to his 2020 arrival. Chubb has continued his ascent under Mitchell, becoming one of the best backs in franchise history. The team made do without its Pro Bowl back this season, using Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt to intermittent success.
McCartney, 34, has been Cleveland’s tight ends coach since 2022, moving up from the offensive assistant level. The former Broncos QBs coach helped foster David Njoku‘s long-awaited breakout year. The former first-round pick smashed his career-high numbers in receptions (82) and receiving yards (881) this season, which also included a career-best six touchdowns. Regardless of the outcome with Van Pelt, the Browns will have some vacancies to fill on their offensive staff.
Stump Mitchell?!?!?
AVP!?!?!?
McCartney!?!???
Please explain this one?
All of these choices are head-scratchers. Mitchell’s backs have routinely performed well, not just Nick Chubb. For some reason, Stefanski has refused even to consider two-back formations. As the article noted, Njoku had a breakthrough season. Van Pelt has never called plays during his entire employment with the Browns. Whatever shortcomings the Browns had this year were not because of the efforts of these coaches.
Worst part is with the defeat Texans are picking low 20s while their pick continues to rise. Which sucks for Arizona.
Last year Texans got stroud at 2 and Anderson at 3 and Arizona may wind up with a late 1st rounder.
Everyone scolded the Texans for making that trade. Well played Houston, well played! ‘It’s going to be a top 3 pick! What a terrible trade by the Texans!’. Was said by every talking head. And they still have Cleveland’s 1st.
So which is the worse NFL trade? Herschel, D Watson, or Russ? That would be a fun poll and comments!
The Browns never should have given up o Baker Mayfield
Carolina never should have. They won 2 games
Add that one to the list!
Baker could be ranked 26th next year. That’s already happened. He went from 10th to 26th the following year
All are bad trades, but the worst still has to be the Hershel Walker trade. Not only did it reboot Dallas, it sent them on their way to 3 championships. The Watson trade would have to be second, considering what the Browns gave up for a guy who has only played 12 games, and has played poorly when he has played. Nobody in Denver should be proud to say “we’re only number 3!!!!” Russell Wilson has been mediocre, at best, a great fall for a guy who was once an annual MVP candidate.
Watson has not played “poorly”. He was 5-1 as a starter and the team averaged 26.6 points a game. He beat Burrow and the Bengals 24-3. He beat the Titans 27-3. He beat Arizona 27-0. He basically stopped throwing late in the 3rd quarter so putting up great numbers probably wasn’t going to happen. He scored 33 points against Baltimore and won and even the game he lost, the offense put up 22 points. Everyone said that his great numbers in Houston didn’t matter because he was only 4 games over .500. Now that he’s 5-1, it’s his numbers they point to. Lamar Jackson didn’t have great yardage numbers either but Baltimore had a great defense and he wasn’t required to throw late in the game
Stop using w/l to judge an individual player. He had the best defense in football.
Then the people that complained about his W/L record in Houston should stop that too because in 2020, his defense gave up 463 points in 16 games. The rest of the Browns quarterbacks went 6-5 with the same defense. You can dislike the guy, but you can’t make up your own narrative
Not making up a narrative. W/L record is by far the worst way to judge a player in a team sport, especially one where he only plays half the game. It’s lazy to use it.
So then you agree that Watson is a top 3 quarterback? That’s what his numbers say. He is the 3rd highest rated active quarterback in the league. He trails Mahomes and Rodgers. His won/loss record isn’t as good but that doesn’t matter
“Everyone scolded the Texans for making that trade.”
Funny, I remember it as the opposite with everyone scolding the Browns for giving up that many picks plus a ridiculous fully guaranteed contract for a serial abuser of women.
Believe he was referring to people scolding Texans for trading their 2024 pick to Arizona to trade up for Will Anderson in 2023 with the theory being their pick would be top 5 or even 1st overall in 2024. As it turned out, Texans pick will wind up mid to late 20s for 2024.
Correct & thanks. Texans moving up for Will A. and pushing that pick back to the now 20’s range.
lol, sorry Arty.
@arty! The Saints gave up their entire 1999 draft to move up from 12 to 5 to get Ricky Williams
lmao, sorry. Got my lines crossed there!
Nothing the Browns do managerialy makes any sense
And yet they will have coach of the year for the 2nd time in 4 years
DeMeco Ryans coaches in Houston, not Cleveland.
It will be close. Playoffs aren’t taken into account
Stump Mitchell is one of the most respected position coaches in the league, at any position. And the Browns have been running the ball very well, with any running back, ever since they got together a good offensive line.
Alex Van Pelt has a track record of success, wasn’t calling the plays, and had to create offenses for 5 different starting QBs in an 11 win season.
So it’s their fault… how exactly?
Browns could run the ball before Mitchell got there. Basically Chubb could. Running the ball is basically having a hole to run through and using your instincts. Not sure how much an RB coach can coach instincts. As for AVP, maybe they want to get a coordinator with more experience with a mobile and designed running quarterback. Maybe Stefanski wants one that will come with play calling experience.
DeMeco Ryans needs to be coach of the year no doubt. No one had expectations for Houston this season.
Agree. I’m not a Texans fan, but Ryans built a formidable team on both sides of the ball while Cleveland would have gone nowhere without their defense and getting a spark from Flacco.
And Texans would have gone nowhere without Stroud. I don’t have a problem with Ryans winning it but you can’t give one guy credit because he had a good offense and then say the other guy doesn’t deserve it because he had a good defense and a good backup quarterback. Browns were consistent all year no matter how many guys they lost. Between Watson and Flacco, they were 9-2
Welcome to the Jets, Alex.
AVP won’t be unemployed long. Had five different starting QBs this year but still managed 10th in ppg.
Stump 4 President !
Weird that these guys are getting fired
But if the offense was 24th, it would be Stefanski getting the blame
If van pelt isn’t an OC somewhere next year gotta imagine he ends up with the jets in some capacity. He was Rodger’s guy
How many guys does Rodgers have?