Browns To Hire Alex Van Pelt As OC
Kevin Stefanski‘s staff is starting to take shape. The Browns will hire Alex Van Pelt as their offensive coordinator, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter). The Athletic’s Zac Jackson was first with the news (on Twitter).
Van Pelt had an 11-year career as a quarterback before joining the coaching ranks in 2005. He spent four seasons with the Bills, working his way from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. He spent two seasons coaching quarterbacks in Tampa Bay before making his way to Green Bay in 2012. After serving as the Packers running backs coach for two seasons, Van Pelt took on the role of quarterbacks coach in 2014. He’d spend three seasons coaching Aaron Rodgers, but he wasn’t retained following the 2017 campaign.
He took on the quarterbacks-coach post with Cincy in 2018, and he’s spent the past two years toying with the likes of Andy Dalton, Jeff Driskel, and Ryan Finley. Despite the uncertainty at the position, Van Pelt earned praise during his time in Cincinnati. ESPN’s Ben Baby tweets that Bengals head coach Zac Taylor constantly lauded his quarterbacks coach this past season.
There’s a chance that Stefanski could end up retaining play-calling duties in Cleveland, but he previously expressed willingness in handing over the duty to his offensive coordinator. Van Pelt will likely be joined on the staff by 49ers defensive backs coach Joe Woods, who’s expected to be named defensive coordinator.
This will also open up a spot on the Cincy staff, but Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic expects Dan Pitcher to get promoted to quarterbacks coach (Twitter link). Pitcher has been the assistant quarterbacks coach for some time, but he took on more responsibilities this past season.
Latest On Browns’ Myles Garrett
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says he’ll meet with Browns defensive end Myles Garrett in the next 60 days (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Garrett is under indefinite suspension from the NFL for his actions in an ugly November brawl with the Steelers and quarterback Mason Rudolph. 
One league source told Cabot that he expects Garrett to be reinstated after meeting with Goodell, though the commish declined to speculate on how the meeting might go. Already, Garrett has been withheld from six games, costing him $1.14MM in lost pay, not including his $45K fine.
Garrett struck Rudolph with his helmet and later alleged that the QB used a racial slur against him. Rudolph and his attorney have vehemently denied the accusation.
Recently, Garrett was permitted to return to the Browns’ practice facility, which may be an indication that the league is ready to welcome him back. Meanwhile, teammates tell Cabot that Garrett has been in good spirits.
If Garrett is re-instated after meeting with Goodell, he’ll be eligible to partake in the Browns’ voluntary offseason program, which gets underway on April 6.
Browns Sign FB Johnny Stanton
On Wednesday morning, new Browns GM Andrew Berry shook up his front office. He also made a roster move that is less splashy on the surface, but notable in its own right.
[RELATED: Browns Part Ways With Eliot Wolf, Alonzo Highsmith]
The Browns announced the signing of fullback Johnny Stanton, a UNLV product who converted from the quarterback position. Last year, Stanton went to camp with the Vikings as a UDFA and spent some time on their practice squad.
The Browns did not use a fullback in their offense last year, but Kevin Stefanski had C.J. Ham on the field for a good number of snaps in 2019. Ham blocked for Dalvin Cook, who drove the Vikings to the playoffs with a career-high 1,654 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns. Stanton, or another fullback, could feature heavily in the Browns’ offense as they look to get the most out of their backfield talent.
Speaking of the Browns’ backfield, Kareem Hunt recently found himself in some off-the-field trouble following a traffic stop. The Browns can retain Hunt via the restricted free agent tender, but the incident could impact his standing with the club in light of his previous issues.
Browns, Alonzo Highsmith Part Ways
The Browns and VP of player personnel Alonzo Highsmith have mutually agreed to part ways, per a club announcement. Highsmith previously worked alongside new GM Andrew Berry, but he won’t have a role in Berry’s own front office. Ditto for assistant GM Eliot Wolf, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Browns Hire Andrew Berry As GM]
Highsmith’s contract was set to run through the 2021 NFL Draft. Instead, he leaves just before the heat of the 2020 offseason. Wolf, meanwhile, was contracted through the 2022 draft.
Highsmith and Wolf joined the Browns in January of 2018. Over the last two years, they’ve been connected to a few other notable front office jobs around the league, so they probably won’t be out of work for long. Before that, Highsmith and Wolf served under John Dorsey in Green Bay, which is what led them to Cleveland in the first place.
Berry won the Browns’ GM job after fellow top candidate George Paton withdrew his name from consideration. Reportedly, Paton had serious reservations about the power structure in Cleveland, where the GM and new head coach Kevin Stefanski would be reporting directly to owner Jimmy Haslam. Berry, apparently, is comfortable with the structure, and he’s been given the OK to shape his own team as he sees fit.
Paton Had Issues With Browns' Structure
Once thought to be the Browns‘ top choice for their latest GM vacancy, George Paton backed out of the race. However, a deal may not have been imminent. The Browns had yet to make Paton an offer, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Paton’s reasons for backing out of the Cleveland search are not totally clear, but Breer confirms an issue with Jimmy Haslam‘s organizational hierarchy was one of them. Most of the Browns’ GM candidates had an issue with Haslam’s setup — in which the GM, Kevin Stefanski and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta report directly to the owner — and Paton was not an exception, Breer adds. With the Browns since bringing Andrew Berry back to Cleveland as the NFL’s youngest GM (at 32), Haslam has now worked with six GMs or front office heads since buying the team in 2012. While Breer notes Paton was seriously considering taking the job after the first interview went well, the frequently hesitant Vikings exec will stay in his assistant GM post in Minnesota.
- Although the Browns are set up on an analytics front, their scouting experience in the front office is less certain. John Dorsey hired both assistant GM Eliot Wolf and VP of player personnel Alonzo Highsmith, but each longtime exec worked with Berry when he was still with the team in 2018. Highsmith’s contract runs through the 2021 draft, and Wolf’s goes through the ’22 draft, Breer adds.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/28/20
AFC North Notes: Berry, Ravens, Mixon
Let’s take a quick swing around the AFC North:
- The Browns hired former Eagles’ VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry to be their GM and EVP of Football Operations today, and he will report directly to owner Jimmy Haslam, just like new head coach Kevin Stefanski and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks it’s fair to wonder whether Berry will really have final say over roster decisions, as his contract says he will. Of course, in order to pry Berry away from Philadelphia, Cleveland needed to give him such power contractually, but whether Berry will be permitted to fully use that power is another story. Stefanski and DePodesta may not be keen on consistently yielding to Berry, who was probably the team’s No. 2 choice behind Vikings exec George Paton.
- In 2019, the Ravens made a number of in-season signings to bolster their defense that ended up paying major dividends. Baltimore has already inked one such acquisition, L.J. Fort, to a two-year extension, and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic believes the club could also look to re-sign OLB/DE Jihad Ward and DT Justin Ellis.
- Many have noted the Ravens‘ need to add pass rushing talent, and much of that discussion has focused on edge rushers. But in the same piece, Zrebiec says Baltimore will think long and hard about selecting a quality pass-rushing interior defensive lineman if one is available near the end of the first round. The Ravens haven’t really had such a player since the heyday of Haloti Ngata.
- Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic lays out a number of moves he believes the Bengals should make this offseason. The entire piece is worth a read for Cincy fans, but one move that Dehner thinks is especially likely to come to fruition is an extension for running back Joe Mixon. We recently heard that director of player personnel Duke Tobin would explore a new contract for his RB1, and such a deal won’t be cheap.
Latest On Browns RB Kareem Hunt
Browns running back Kareem Hunt found himself in a spot of bother with police late last week, as he was pulled over for speeding but was found to have marijuana in his vehicle. TMZ has since posted a video of the traffic stop, which revealed a few more critical details. For instance, in addition to the marijuana, Hunt had an open bottle of vodka in the vehicle and admitted to the officer who pulled him over that he would have failed a drug test in that moment.
Not too long ago, Hunt looked like one of the league’s brightest stars as a member of the Chiefs. But after a video showed the former rushing champion shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel in 2018, Kansas City parted ways with him.
The Browns took a chance on him last February, knowing that he would likely be hit with a lengthy suspension. Hunt was banned for the first eight games of the 2019 campaign, but he played reasonably well when he returned. As a complementary back to starter Nick Chubb, Hunt averaged nearly 60 yards from scrimmage per game and posted a 4.2 YPC mark.
Cleveland can retain Hunt via a restricted free agent tender, which seems much more likely than a long-term pact at this point. Although the Browns now have a new power structure, it stands to reason that the club would want Hunt back. He will be just 25 when the regular season opens, and with unrestricted free agency looming in 2021, he could be especially motivated to put his ugly off-field incidents further behind him and prove to the rest of the league that he can still be a top-flight starter.
But the traffic stop could give the Browns — and all 31 other clubs — some pause. Though he has not (yet) been cited for anything other than speeding, the fact that he used drugs not long before getting behind the wheel is troubling, and he was very emotional throughout his interaction with the officer.
“Man, I’ve been through a lot,” Hunt said. “I lost everything already, sir. I’m just trying to be in my hometown and chill.”
He certainly lost a slam dunk chance at a massive contract, and he has also missed a chance to win a title with the Chiefs this year, which clearly still upsets him.
“It hurts my soul,” he stated. “You don’t even understand. I’ve been fighting a lot of s*** lately. It still hurts me to this day.”
In order to give himself the best shot at regaining his former status, Hunt needs to stay squeaky clean, and this incident isn’t helping matters. It will be interesting to see how new GM Andrew Berry handles the Hunt situation in the coming weeks.
Browns Hire Andrew Berry As GM
It’s a done deal. On Monday, the Browns officially hired Eagles’ VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry to be their GM and EVP of Football Operations. The Browns will announce the news this afternoon with a full-blown press conference to come next week.
[RELATED: George Paton Out Of Browns’ GM Search]
Berry was ID’d as a top candidate for the job soon after the Browns parted ways with John Dorsey. Berry spent years as a part of the Browns’ braintrust before moving on to Philly and his relationship with owner Jimmy Haslam ultimately led to a deal.
Still, the Browns considered other candidates along the way. Vikings exec George Paton might have been the favorite for the job after the interview process. But, last week, he removed his name from consideration.
Paton was reportedly unsure about how the Browns would divvy up power. Berry, apparently, doesn’t share the same level of concern. He’ll report directly to owner Jimmy Haslam, along with new head coach Kevin Stefanski and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta. The Browns operated that way during the Sashi Brown–Hue Jackson years, so Berry is at least familiar with that arrangement.
Berry studied and played football at Harvard before moving on to scouting and front office positions with the Colts, Browns, and Eagles. Now, at the age of 32, he’ll get to run his own show.
Berry will inherit a talented roster, plus a projected $50MM in cap room for the upcoming offseason. He’ll also have the No. 10 overall pick to work with, thanks to the Browns’ disappointing 6-10 finish in 2019.
Browns Notes: Paton, McAdoo
When previous frontrunner George Paton removed himself from consideration for the Browns’ general manager vacancy, there were reports that he had concerns about Cleveland’s power structure. That might’ve been a bit overblown, as sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that Paton was “not at all scared off by Browns’ structure” (Twitter link). Further, Fowler writes that Paton was “impressed with people in the building and thinks highly of” new head coach Kevin Stefanski, while it came down to the fact that he “felt he had a good thing still going in Minnesota.” Paton is currently an assistant GM with the Vikings. That’s good news for Browns fans, but the earlier reports are still concerning. Stefanski, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, and whoever the new GM is will all be reporting directly to owner Jimmy Haslam, which understandably turns off some prospective candidates.
- Speaking of former Giants coaches, New York’s former head coach Ben McAdoo left his visit with the Browns without a deal, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). Garafolo notes that it is still unclear exactly what role McAdoo was interviewing for in Cleveland. Garafolo also writes he was “in play” to be Carolina’s new quarterbacks coach.