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Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff Writer
BEREA, Ohio — Twenty-five years ago, upon a return to the NFL, the Cleveland Browns hired Dwight Clark as general manager and Chris Palmer as head coach. Within two years, the Browns had a new regime. And ever since, the franchise has been searching for the right pairing to lead the way.
Finally, after cycling through a dozen head coaches over the years, and almost as many general managers, the Browns have found the duo they’ve longed for in Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry.
During NFL owners meetings in Florida this week, Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam confirmed they were on the verge of signing both Stefanski and Berry to extensions.
“They never bat an eye,” Jimmy Haslam told reporters of the two, who propelled the Browns to the playoffs last season despite a series of key injuries. “And they don’t panic. We appreciate that. But more importantly, the players see it and they go, ‘OK, they have a plan. They’re going to put us in position to win.’
“Whether it’s Kevin coming up with a different scheme or Andrew going out and getting certain players to help us, they have to work in tandem — and they do that very well.”
When Haslam introduced Stefanski and, weeks later, Berry early in 2020, he repeatedly used the word “alignment” in what he hoped he’d unearthed in the two. For far too long, the Browns under Haslam, and well before he bought the team in 2012, had been defined by misalignment across the organization. Infighting among the leadership had robbed the franchise of continuity and a coherent plan. That all changed with the arrival of Stefanski and Berry, who have calmed the waters in Cleveland while attacking obstacles together as they arise.
“The NFL is a highly pressured situation,” Haslam said. “And I can’t imagine two people in that situation that work together better than the two of them do.”
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the new regime from consistently gathering in person during the offseason and even during the actual season, as the Browns’ practice facility was constantly shut down due to infections and outbreaks. Still, despite often meeting remotely, the Browns overcame all of it and advanced to the postseason for the first time in 18 years. Cleveland then surprisingly won its first playoff game in 26 years with a resounding victory at Pittsburgh, even with Stefanski watching from his basement after contracting Covid days before. For that, Stefanski was named NFL Coach of the Year in his first season.
Last year, Stefanski, Berry and the Browns’ front office and coaching staff weathered another kind of storm.
Cleveland lost a handful of key players to season-ending injury, including Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb (knee), franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder), offensive tackles Dawand Jones (knee), Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee), Jack Conklin (knee), safety Grant Delpit (groin) and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II (pectoral), among others.
But even while starting five different quarterbacks, the Browns rolled to 11 wins and a spot in the AFC playoffs. The Browns proved especially clutch, winning a franchise-record five games with a score in the final two minutes of regulation.
After Watson’s injury during one of those wins at Baltimore, Berry and his staff targeted former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, who was waiting for a call from anyone after going unsigned through the offseason and half the regular season. Stefanski retailored the offense on the fly around Flacco’s skill set and big arm. And over five regular-season games as the starter, Flacco went on to lead the NFL with 323 passing yards per game to earn the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. Again, Stefanski was named NFL Coach of the Year.
Dee Haslam noted this week that Stefanski and Berry have set a tone “reflected in our entire organization. … You can see it among the coaching staff — nobody ever really overreacts. It’s calm. Everybody works through the problem together.”
Of course, the two still have problems ahead to work through. Above all, how to keep Watson healthy while helping him regain the form he showed in 2020 when he led the NFL in passing with the Houston Texans. The Browns under Berry and Stefanski surrendered three first-round picks to get Watson, which has handcuffed their ability to add young talent through the draft. On top of that, Watson’s record $230 million fully guaranteed contract has limited what the Browns have been able to accomplish in free agency, despite the Haslams spending more money on player contracts than any other franchise in the league.
Ultimately, this regime will largely be judged on the outcome of the Watson trade, which, to this point, has failed to pay off the way the Browns envisioned. Watson has played in only 11 games due to last year’s shoulder injuries and the 2022 suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions. Watson has also posted just a 41.9 QBR with the Browns, which ranks among the worst QBRs in the league over the last two seasons. Despite that, Cleveland’s ceiling, at least in 2024, hinges on how Watson bounces back. Stefanski replaced offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt with Ken Dorsey, who has experience working with mobile quarterbacks, to help Watson get there.
Otherwise, Haslam rightly believes his organization in his good hands. Under Berry and Stefanski, the Browns have pulled off a bevy of smart moves.
They snagged Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper in 2021 for just a fifth-round pick. They bet big with a $57 million extension on tight end David Njoku, who has since become a Pro Bowl player. They’ve hit home runs on the second day of the draft, grabbing Delpit, cornerback Martin Emerson Jr., and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who all have flashed Pro Bowl potential themselves and developed well in Cleveland. They hired coordinator Jim Schwartz last offseason to implement a more aggressive defensive scheme that fit a roster that featured dynamic pass-rusher Myles Garrett and lockdown cornerbacks Emerson and Denzel Ward. In turn, Cleveland ranked No. 1 in defensive efficiency during the regular season.
Over the last four years under Berry and Stefanski, the Browns, once perennial losers, have 37 total wins, tied for 11th most in the league. Finishing up the extensions for both are now mere formality. Finally, the Browns boast a coach and GM who are here to stay.