3 Browns Alex Van Pelt May Steal For the Patriots

After being fired by the Browns last month, Alex Van Pelt is officially the New England Patriots' new offensive coordinator. As a result, he may try to steal these three players from New England this offseason.

RB Kareem Hunt is one of three Browns former OC Alex Van Pelt may steal for the Patriots. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

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2. Joe Flacco, QB

Chances are the Browns wouldn't have made the playoffs if Joe Flacco didn't join the team in December. The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback led Cleveland to a 4-1 record as he averaged 323.2 passing yards while throwing 13 touchdowns to eight interceptions in five starts.

Flacco has talked about being open to returning to Cleveland, but that might not be possible if he asks for too much money. Spotrac lists the Browns as being about $20.6 million over the salary cap, which complicates things if he isn't willing to take a team-friendly deal.

On the flip side, the Patriots have nearly $70 million to spend. New England could also be looking for a potential mentor if they draft a new franchise quarterback in April, and who would be a better mentor than Flacco? The 39-year-old signal-caller has made over 200 starts between the regular season and playoffs and has already won football's biggest prize.

The Mac Jones-Bailey Zappe tandem was a disaster for the Patriots, so I could see Van Pelt wanting an insurance policy that he knows works. It's all up to whether Flacco prefers to chase a ring in Cleveland or to shape the next generation of QBs in New England.

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