Why Browns’ Kevin Stefanski might be willing to give up play-calling, and 3 names to watch at offensive coordinator
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kevin Stefanski will likely be willing to give up play-calling duties depending on whom he hires to replace Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator.
Stefanski, who called plays for only one full season in Minnesota 2019 before taking over as Browns head coach in 2020, has clung to the role his first four seasons here because he’s always felt he was the best person on the staff to do it.
Patriots Can Make Bargain Trade for a Favorite WR of Alex Van Pelt
Acquiring a legitimate 1,000-yard wide receiver is still near the top of the to-do list for the New England Patriots this season. It’s a problem the Pats can solve with a bargain trade for Amari Cooper, who was a favorite of new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt with the Cleveland Browns.
The trade scenario is outlined by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. He believes “New England could use the No. 3 pick on a wideout like Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and still use a veteran like Cooper opposite him.”
What’s most appealing about this idea is how “trading for Cooper shouldn’t be overly expensive. The Browns acquired him in 2022 for just a fifth-round pick and a swap of sixth-round selections. If Cleveland is willing to deal him now, it’ll be more interested in the cap savings than acquiring premium draft compensation.”
Van Pelt would surely be a key voice in convincing Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo to make a deal for Cooper. The latter enjoyed two of his most productive seasons with Van Pelt calling the plays in Cleveland.
Amari Cooper Would Be the Vertical Playmaker the Patriots Need
Cooper was targeted 260 times in two years on Van Pelt’s watch. The wideout earned his fifth Pro Bowl berth after making 72 catches for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns during the 2023 season.
What was most impressive about Cooper’s campaign was how adept he became at attacking defenses vertically. He averaged a career-high 17.4 yards per reception, per Pro Football Reference. As a team, the Patriots averaged 9.7 yards per catch.
Cooper also made eight catches of 40-plus yards, second only to Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins. The Pats, meanwhile, tallied just four catches of 40 or more yards.
Cooper’s season-high was a 75-yard touchdown catch against the Houston Texans in Week 16. The 29-year-old also “gained 150 yards on vertical routes off of play action today, the most in a game over the last 5 seasons,” per Next Gen Stats.
Van Pelt made targeting Cooper deep a core part of his playbook. The wideout averaged 13.6 yards before catch per reception.
Stretching the field vertically will be a priority for a new-look Patriots passing game.
Alex Van Pelt Must Expand Patriots’ Offense
Van Pelt has an unenviable task trying to expand an offense that ranked 31st in points and 30th in yards. Attacking the deep third of the field through the air more often would help.
It won’t be easy, especially if the Patriots replace quarterback Mac Jones with a rookie. Perhaps trading Jones for a nine-time Pro Bowler is the better move.
No matter who throws the passes in 2024, the Pats need bolder aerial concepts to unleash a more versatile stable of receivers. Pairing a proficient deep threat like Cooper with slot specialist DeMario Douglas would add variety to Van Pelt’s offense.
Douglas was ultra-productive on shorter routes, but he thrived gaining yards after the catch, per PFF NE Patriots.
His rookie campaign ended with an average of 6.9 yards after catch per reception. Douglas also turned 26 of his 49 grabs into first downs.
A Cooper and Douglas double act would give Van Pelt and the next Patriots QB1 multiple ways to dissect coverage.
