Alex Van Pelt hired - Browns Daily Dose

ALEX VAN PELT HIRED – SAME OLD, SAME OLD WITH THE OFFENSIVE COACHING?

By STEVE KING

The Browns are trying to distance themselves from the disaster that was 2019.

But in some ways at least, they are duplicating some of the same problematic things from last season.

It comes with the fact that new head coach Kevin Stefanski, who got the job in large part based on his offensive aptitude, wanted Alex Van Pelt hired as offensive coordinator.

Last season, when one-and-done head coach Freddie Kitchens got the job in large part based on his offensive aptitude, he hired an offensive coordinator in Todd Monken. The offense was dysfunctional all season and underachieved greatly, especially when it came to quarterback Baker Mayfield.

As I pointed out any number of times, and which was more and more obvious as the season wore on, Monken never truly understood, or felt comfortable in, his role. Was he running the offense? That’s what an offensive coordinator is supposed to do, right? Or was it Kitchens?

Of course it was Kitchens. He knew his job security would be determined by the performance of the offense, and when the offense went south, he was doomed, taking Monken down with him.

But what did Monken do? Why was he hired? Those questions were never really answered, and with both men long gone, along with the general manager at the time, John Dorsey, I guess we’ll never know.

Will it be different this time with Stefanski and Van Pelt? The Browns sure hope so, and it appears it will be so if only because Stefanski seems to be a lot more organized than Kitchens was, and also that Van Pelt, who had his introductory press conference on Wednesday, looks to be a lot more invested and comfortable than Monken ever was.

Regardless, the proof will be in the pudding, as they say. If the offense runs well and the Browns win, then the set-up between Stefanski and Van Pelt will have worked. And if not, then it didn’t and Stefanski, especially, and also Van Pelt will come under a lot of scrutiny.

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