Culture can be bought
Kevin Stefanski is a quiet dude. He rarely gets fired up, rarely yells - The times that he has shown emotion are as memorable as any moments from last year.1 The Browns offense follows suit - Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper are the three best skill position players on the roster. None of them really exemplify the “follow me to freedom” leadership style that sometimes comes with those roles. Whenever Nick Chubb is mic’d up in a game, it is usually just a series of grunts. Amari leads by example, but you don’t see him giving any speeches about that shit being contagious like Jarvis Landry did, and Deshaun Watson is too busy trying to rehab his shoulder (and his public image) to lead from the front like a franchise quarterback should.
Historically, Myles Garrett was the same way. Reserved, maybe even shy - but the addition of Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator changed that. He encouraged players to get out of their shells - to show their personality and make themselves known on the field. He stated at the beginning of the 2023 season that he wanted the defense to “lead the league in swagger,” and they did just that. Myles Garrett thrived underneath this new personality-positive paradigm and came alive before our eyes.2 The defense was top in the league, and Myles had the best year of his career. I believe Andrew Berry saw how the change in attitude affected the defense’s play on the field and made targeted acquisitions in the offseason to change the culture of the offense. The additions of Duce Staley, Mike Vrabel, and Jameis Winston are sure to add a shot of adrenaline to the locker room this year.
Jameis Winston has a unique style of leadership, but it is effective. Everywhere he goes, his teammates rave about him. He evokes golden retriever energy with the level of positivity he brings - at first it seems fake, performative, like he can’t keep it up all the time. I imagine he wears down his skeptics over time by always showing up, ready to work with a smile on his face. Hell, when he came to Cleveland to sign his contract in March, he took one look at the practice field covered in sleet and snow and said “Thank you Lord.” If a guy can find gratitude looking at snowy mix in March, he must have something figured out. Since becoming a Cleveland Brown, Jameis has won over the locker room and is making his mark on the offensive side of the ball. By the time camp is over, expect him to be a key leader on the roster, and a fan-favorite player.
Usually, when an organization signs a hometown kid that other teams didn’t want, it's an act of fan service that won’t have much of an impact on the year. But then again, usually those hometown kids aren’t three time superbowl champions that have six years of head coaching experience under their belt, which is the case for Walsh Jesuit’s own Mike Vrabel. Vrabel joined the Browns in March as a coaching and personnel consultant, and for a team looking to make a run deep into the postseason, he is the perfect addition. Bringing sustained playing and coaching experience, Vrabel will be able to leverage the credibility that being an former All-Pro player brings to the locker room - credibility that he used to bring the Titans to an AFC Championship and win Coach of the Year.
He is a noted hardass, and will expect perfection out of everyone on the roster. He was remarkably consistent in his ability to get the most out of his rosters in Nashville, and will add some fire to this Browns coaching staff. Him being on the field with the team as early as minicamp is a sign of great things to come.3
Another change Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski made in the offseason was to replace Stump Mitchell, long-time running backs coach with another Super Bowl-winning player and coach, Duce Staley. Aside from sounding like Mickey Mouse when he lost his voice, Staley was a memorable part of the Lions’ Season of Hard Knocks, chirping with the defensive coaches, and riding D’Andre Swift hard for not finishing a run inbounds. That performance on Hard Knocks showed what Duce Staley is as a coach - Intense.
When the man speaks, people listen. The interview he gave on Cleveland Browns Daily earlier this year will make you want to run through a brick wall, and gives a good glimpse of how he will approach his room of ball carriers.4 He will demand total buy-in from his players - if they lack commitment, he will show them the door. He will bring energy and passion as a position coach and expect his room to bring the same. The only thing scarier than a healthy, fully recovered Nick Chubb, is a healthy, fully recovered Nick Chubb that is equipped and motivated to lead this Browns roster from the front. Give me Batman giving pregame speeches, please.
Mike Vrabel and Duce Staley are both coaches that will add a new dimension of toughness to this roster, and Jameis Winston will reinforce the vocal leadership in the quarterback room. It's like adding a little bit of hot sauce to that chicken soup your Mom made. It’s great without it and no one will complain about the taste - but adding a little bit of spice might just make it perfect. The Browns aren’t abandoning the identity that Kevin Stefanski has brought to Cleveland, they’re just adding a little bit of spice.
1 - Kevin Stefanski Showing Emotion as a feels like it is a headline from the Onion, but it was a story nonetheless. Kevin Stefanski Showing Emotion, Strong Connection With Deshaun Watson - Sports4CLE, 9/25/23
2 - Myles Garrett’s crossovers were a sign of things to come for the new defensive identity https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Jr97CBgHN3M
3 - Nothing is more intimidating that a guy twenty years your senior bearing down on you through the B gap https://www.tiktok.com/@patmcafeeshowofficial/video/7375559554861501738
4 - Just give this interview a listen and try not to run through a wall. https://www.youtube.com/live/VAJy0AtdFH8?si=eNeSL-EIryW2a2gZ&t=5260