Browns virtual offseason activities extended to the end of May

The Cleveland Browns will only be able to conduct virtual training and workouts until at least May 29th

The Cleveland Browns were poised to be able to gather in person as a team in the next phase of the offseason activities as soon as the end of this week, but it will have to wait. The NFL extended the virtual workout period must extend to May 29th, an extension of two weeks beyond the former scheduled end of this Friday.

As a result, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski will not be able to work with the team in person just yet. Stefanski and the players will continue to meet via teleconferencing apps, with the players scattered all over the country.

Normally the Browns would be entering Phase 2 of the offseason plan. Those activities include positional drills and work with coaches. Phase 3, which includes full team drills and supervised contact and the mandatory minicamp, is also delayed until at least June.

In a memo to all 32 NFL clubs, the league stipulated that “all offseason workout programs must conclude by June 26.” The Browns are in the fourth week of their virtual offseason program, which included a rookie minicamp conducted remotely.

 

Kevin Stefanski has given his players a virtual library to learn from remotely

New coach Kevin Stefanski created a virtual video library for Browns players to learn his offense remotely during this odd offseason

Learning a new offensive system is tough enough for NFL players in a normal offseason. This offseason is anything but normal, but the Browns players are still expected to pick up on new head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system.

It will be the third offense in as many years for the Browns players, and Stefanski has never been a head coach before. He is molding an offense based on his time as Minnesota’s coordinator and QB coach in recent years, but also on some of his other influences and mentors.

To help explain it all to his players while he’s unable to be in the room with them, Stefanski has arranged a virtual library for all the Browns players to study and learn from remotely.

“Our offensive guys can watch tape from the Vikings, they can watch tape from the Cincinnati Bengals, Packers stuff that we’ve cut up,” Stefanski said during the team’s draft special last week. “We have stuff cut up from the Vikings back in 2009. I’ve got stuff from Kub (longtime NFL coach Gary Kubiak) when he was down with Houston.”

Stefanski stressed that his offense will be a blend of all the influences, and that’s why its critical to have so many different sources.

“We want a really big library of plays because I think so many of our players learn from film, and that’s our job to put a bunch of film in front of them.”

Coach Stefanski then talked about the process of aggregating it all and distributing it out on video access for all the players.

“Our coaches are doing an outstanding job and using video and using certain apps that can test these guys. We’re trying to be as creative as we can because we want to hit the ground running. So when training camp starts up, this is a nice part for us where we can teach these systems to our players and then get together and really take off,” Stefanski said during the draft special.

It’s hopeful

Way-too-early 53-man roster projection for the Browns: Offense

Way-too-early 53-man roster projection for the Browns: Who makes it on offense

The 2020 NFL Draft class creates some movement on the roster projection front. With at least five of the Browns’ draftees absolute locks to make the 53-man roster, there are some ripple effects up and down the depth chart.

Here is our early stab at the final 53-man roster when the Browns kick off the 2020 NFL season. To keep it more manageable, the offense and defense will be divided up in different posts.

Note: undrafted free agents are only included if they’re officially signed their Browns contracts as of press time.

QB – 2

Starter: Baker Mayfield

Backup: Case Keenum

Bubble: Garrett Gilbert, Kevin Davidson

Gilbert must hope that the new regime values keeping three QBs instead of just two. In his time in Minnesota, new Browns coach Kevin Stefanski only kept two, a status more than half the NFL has adopted lately.

RB – 4

Starters: Nick Chubb, Andy Janovich (FB)

Backup: Kareem Hunt, D’Ernest Johnson

Bubble: Dontrell Hilliard, Johnny Stanton

It might be optimistic to lock in Johnson as the No. 3 RB, but he offers more to the offense than Hilliard or Stanton. Special teams roles will decide the bottom here.

TE – 4

Starters: Austin Hooper, David Njoku

Backup: Harrison Bryant, Stephen Carlson

Bubble: Pharaoh Brown

Expect to see a lot more of two TEs on the field under Stefanski, and packages where three TEs line up. Carlson and Brown will be in a camp battle for the last spot, and don’t be surprised if the team brings in another TE/FB to compete as well.

WR – 6

Starters: Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry

Backups: Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Jojo Natson

Bubble: Damion Ratley, D.J. Montgomery, Taywan Taylor, J’Mon Moore, Tony Brown

The starters both topped 1,000 receiving yards a year ago and should continue to flourish under Kevin Stefanski. Higgins gets a shot at redemption as the third wideout after a miserable 2019. Rookie Peoples-Jones should have a clear path to being the No. 4 receiver and could also win the return specialist gig.

Hodge stood out on special teams in his first year in Cleveland and that keeps him safe. Natson will need to win the return job, as he is the least-skilled receiver of the entire bunch. Ratley stands the best chance of the bubble guys.

OL – 9

Starters (L-R): Jedrick Wills, Joel Bitonio, JC Tretter, Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin

Backups: Chris Hubbard, Kendall Lamm, Nick Harris, Drew Forbes

Bubble: Willie Wright, Evan Brown, Colby Gossett, Malcolm Pridgeon

There is little drama with the starting unit, with the possible exception of Teller at right guard. If the Browns were to make a move to upgrade that spot it wouldn’t be a shock.

Hubbard took a pay cut to stick around as the top reserve, and his ability to play either OT spot but also RG makes him valuable. Forbes will stick if he’s healthy as the developmental prospect in his second season. Harris is the only true center (outside of Brown) who can backup Tretter. Lamm could get bumped as the fourth tackle by Wright or a player not currently on the roster.

Total – 25

Roster locks of that group: 22. Don’t expect a lot of shakeup from anyone who will see significant reps during the regular season. The deep backup spots along the line and at wide receiver, tight end and running back are the only real competitions entering the OTA period.

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Start of Browns offseason program delayed indefinitely

Browns were to begin their offseason program on April 5th

One of the advantages teams like the Cleveland Browns get for hiring a new caching staff is a jump on the competition. Kevin Stefanski and his crew get an extra few days of offseason activities and get to start it before teams with returning staffs get to kick off their programs.

Alas, the coronavirus pandemic has changed the plan.

The NFL and NFL Players Association announced this week that the start of all teams’ offseason conditioning programs will be delayed indefinitely. The Browns were scheduled to begin their program on April 5th, but that will not happen.

With travel restrictions in place, it could be some time before Coach Stefanski gets to work with his 2020 Cleveland Browns.

Browns set dates for youth football camps this summer

Browns set dates for youth football camps this summer

Got a child ages 7-12 who likes football and/or the Cleveland Browns? The team has an official youth camp that is worth checking out.

The team puts great effort into making it a fun camp for players of all backgrounds and skill levels. Local high school coaches are joined by some of the Browns rookies to instruct and interact with the kids through football.

There will be three camps in 2020, including one in Columbus.

• June 1 -3: Columbus
• June 10 – 12:  FirstEnergy Stadium
• June 15 – 17: Browns Training Facility, Berea

For more information on the camps or to sign up, visit the youth football section of the Browns’ official website.

7 pending free agents with connections to Browns DC Joe Woods

7 pending free agents with connections to new Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods

With a few days to go before the start of free agency, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry are preparing to make their first additions to the roster of their tenure. One of the main focuses will be regarding the defense.

With help needed on all three levels of the defense, new defensive coordinator Joe Woods will definitely have input on who the team adds starting March 18th.

In his 16 seasons coaching in the NFL, Woods has made a few stops along the way. He started as a defensive quality control coach in Tampa Bay for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Following his start, he went onto the Minnesota Vikings where he was the defensive backs coach from 2006 until 2013. This is also the same time that he and Stefanski started with the Vikings.

Woods went on to be the defensive backs coach in Oakland for the 2014 season before leaving for the same position in Denver in 2015. He was promoted to the role of defensive coordinator in 2017 and was not retained by Broncos head coach Vic Fangio following the 2018 season.

He landed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, returning to his role of defensive backs coach while also being named the passing game coordinator.

With all that being said, here are seven free agents with ties to Woods the Browns could target…