3 Critical Decisions for Kevin Stefanski to Make

When the season finishes, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski will have significant choices to make in the offseason as to how the team will move into a pivotal 2023 season.

Even though the Cleveland Browns have two games remaining, critical decisions head coach Kevin Stefanski will have to make in the coming offseason are already apparent. There's undoubtedly pressure on Stefanski, the organization as a whole to deliver on the promise the team should have heading into 2023, but it also represents an opportunity for Stefanski to best position the team for success.

The Browns want to finish the regular season strong. Not only do they want to see continued growth from Deshaun Watson and getting the most out of the remaining reps for players who are going to be a part of this team going forward, but they want to build some momentum both for themselves and potential free agents.

This offseason, Stefanski needs to keep growing as a coach, trying to learn from both successes and failures from these three season. It's easy to forget he's still young, only 40 and should only get better with experience.

Now with three years under his belt and the quarterback he chose to be part of this team in Watson, the Browns must win in 2023. Short of extraordinary circumstances, anything short of the postseason next year would be a failure. That would lead to some difficult questions from ownership and the real possibility of going in a new direction.

Likewise, those three seasons should also provide Stefanski with enough experience to know exactly how he wants this team to function. That should put him in position to make productive choices for this team heading into 2023. And while he can seek counsel and will get input from people within the organization, they must be his choices to make.

1. How to Maximize the Offense with Deshaun Watson

I went into detail on this in another article, so I'll take a different approach here. In the offseason, coaches talk, pick each other's brains to try to get better and keep up with trends and how to deal with new challenges.

While NFL coaches do have some group function that are largely kept quiet, a lot of it ends up being one coach or a few of them going to visit another, be it on vacation or during offseason work. For high school and lower level college coaches, a lot of that information comes in the form of clinics.

When coaches speak at clinics, they are all too happy to make presentations about developing a winning culture, leadership and drills. Coaches love to hand out drills. They'll talk about that stuff forever.

Here's what they don't like handing out. Plays. Schemes. Answers. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and new Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell aren't showing their offense and defense. Those are trade secrets. In fact, there are some folks at these clinics trying to sell offensive schemes. 

So for people who want to criticize the idea that Stefanski might go out and pick the brains of college coaches who have found different ways to maximize a mobile quarterback like Watson in lieu of leadership or culture building, that's the answer.

Mike McDaniel may simply be a great person who exudes leadership and culture building ability. But the reason he's the head coach of the Miami Dolphins is because he knows how to scheme up an offense. It's similar with Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He took plenty of heat before becoming a coordinator at various stops along the way for what has been described as a lack of people skills. No one ever denied his ability to put together a productive offense.

Stefanski has shown he can do that. More information, more knowledge will only make him better. Getting the most out of Watson is his top priority and he will either succeed or fail primarily based on that premise. Certainly, the hope is he continues to grow in every aspect of the job, but X's and O's, finding ways to win, getting players to perform, that's the gig.

In addition to what Stefanski learns, it also seems likely the Browns will have a vacancy on the offensive coaching staff. That will likely be filled with a coach who can offer an informed perspective on implementing the offensive changes Stefanski wants to make

2. Defensive Coordinator

Something else I've written about previously, Stefanski either believes in Joe Woods or he doesn't. He has make that call this offseason.

There are plenty who believe that Stefanski somehow lacks the intestinal fortitude to replace Woods because he hasn't done it in-season. That ignores the lack of qualified people on the staff to operate in an interim capacity as well as further poisoning the job to future prospects. Given the unceremonious manner in which Stefanski moved on from quarterback Baker Mayfield and the heat he was willing to take in acquiring Watson, Stefanski seems more than capable.

It's also interesting that so many people have found ways to somehow criticize Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta for duties that aren't his job. Then, when presented with that reality, some want him fired because he doesn't contribute enough.

For those people, this is the instance where DePodesta is likely their ally. Never mind the fact he suggested the team should hire Sean McDermott instead of Hue Jackson, argued against hiring Freddie Kitchens and Josh McDaniels while also being a proponent to keep looking for a franchise quarterback above all else,

DePodesta's job boils down to keeping the Browns focused on their goals. Here, the goal is to find the best path forward to winning the Super Bowl. Sentimentality is not a part of that equation. Neither is friendship. He's likely going to be a voice saying not to settle for Woods. DePodesta's going to rely on evidence rather hope or aspirations to make a recommendation.

One Browns failure also provides them a level of freedom. The organization has failed miserably at drafting their way to a good defensive tackle group. Rookie Perrion Winfrey is at least interesting, but former third rounder Jordan Elliott and fourth rounder Tommy Togiai can't be guaranteed anything. As both are under contract cheaply for 2023, there's plenty of incentive to keep them around for training camp next year and see if they can surprise. Otherwise, they are bodies who likely won't be on the team in September.

As a result, the Browns aren't married to a particular defensive front. No, this is not merely the difference between an even and odd front. There are plenty of variations of each. And even though sub packages typically dictate everything, base defenses still matter. So if the defensive coordinator decides they need a true 0, a 4i or a more impactful 3-tech, it's not like they would need to get rid of productive personnel to do it. They would still have to acquire those players, but that was already going to be the case. This gives the Browns the freedom not to be concerned with misappropriating players in roles they can't perform.

3. Special Teams Coordinator

Like the decision with Woods, Stefanski will have to make a determination on Mike Priefer, currently in charge of special teams. Priefer's unit has been on a tear the last several weeks, contributing to three wins, including against the Baltimore Ravens, who traditionally have one of the best units in the league.

That's good. The problem is that's the best the special teams have looked in three years. The past two seasons, the Browns have finished bottom five in the league. And there's still the matter of kicker Cade York who has had a challenging rookie season to say the least. They need York to be consistent next year. He was supposed to be a weapon, providing a major tactical advantage to the Browns not only with his range on field goals, but also in how he could help the Browns kickoff unit. Part of the decision rests on his ability to remedy that issue.

That is part of Priefer's problem. He has requested and gotten several players during his tenure. He wanted Demetric Felton, praised him for all the things he could offer. Felton is a contributor on special teams, but not quite to the level that Priefer might have hoped.

He was also given free agent signee Jakeem Grant to return punts and kicks. The offense wanted to use Grant as a weapon as well, taking advantage of his speed. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn Achilles' before the season started.

Priefer was a major advocate for York, taken in the fourth round. If York figures it out, it's a great investment. He's a rookie and plenty of kickers have struggled in Cleveland. In fact, basically all of them. That is a critical element in Priefer's evaluation.

There are some successes Priefer can point to including Donovan Peoples-Jones becoming an effective punt returner. Jerome Ford has provided a boost on kick return as well. 

Special teams can also be fickle with how much they have to rely on players constantly being shuffled as the roster changes over the course of the season, but clearly if teams like the Ravens can be among the best in the league, the Browns should be able to avoid finishing among the worst.