Cleveland Browns: 5 players that could benefit from the Kevin Stefanski hire
By Chad Porto
The new Browns head coach has 14 years of cultivating an offense and watching strong defenses do their magic, so there’s reason to expect the best.
Kevin Stefanski has a lot of work to do with righting the ship. A culture change is in order and a strong head coach that doesn’t bend to the whims of divas is what the Browns need. Is that what they got? We’ll find out. The Vikings were a well-coached team for years. Stefanski got to work with Brett Favre, Kirk Cousins, Teddy Bridgewater, and Case Keenum, showing he has the ability to work with any sort of quarterback.
Part of the challenge is dispelling a false narrative, that he’s somehow lacking experience. That couldn’t be further from the case, as Stefanski was the assistant head coach under Brad Childress during his first few years with the Vikings. Stefanski is also used to dealing with controversies, having overseen the Teddy Bridgewater injuries, Case Keenum’s insertion and the heavy (and unfair) criticism of Kirk Cousins’ play for the team. He’s used to dealing with all sorts of players and the issues that come up. This will give him a good insight into dealing with Baker Mayfield.
He also saw what a good defense can be, having coached opposite of some strong, top-10 defensive squads. Watching the defense carry some games is going to allow someone like Stefanski to not neglect the other side of the ball. He has an idea of what going on, and there’s every possibility the Browns got the right guy. There’s every possibility that they didn’t too, after all, the Browns are still owned by Jimmy Haslem.
Despite the rumors of what Stefanski will have to deal with and the rumor that an analytic guy will be on the coaching staff, Stefanski offers a lot of positives for the players still on the roster. The team is back to zero, regardless. A new coach, a new squad, a new direction. There are going to be players who benefit from this hire, and some who don’t. Let’s take a look at the five players that will benefit from the hiring of Stefanski.