Browns coach Stefanski shakes up offensive staff coordinator Alex Van Pelt 2 other assistants gon
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CLEVELAND (AP) For the second straight year, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has made a major offseason change to his staff.Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has parted ways with the team, leaving just days after Cleveland was blown out in the https://www.avalanchewin.com/collections/alexandar-georgiev-jersey wild-card round by Houston and following a season in which the Browns were ravaged by injuries.A team spokesman confirmed Wednesday that Van Pelt is no longer with the Browns. Also, Stefanski fired running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney was not retained after his contract expired.The shakeup might not be over as the Browns continue to hold staff evaluations.ADVERTISEMENT They've quickly moved on from Mitchell and are interviewing Duce Staley to be his replacement. The 48-year-old Staley was most recently an a sistant head coach and running backs coach with Carolina before being fired.Following a 7-10 season in 2022, Stefanski fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer. Those moves led to the hiring of Jim Schwartz, who turned Cleveland's defense into one of the NFL's best this season, and Bubba Ventrone, who dramatically improved special teams.Van Pelt's departure is a surprise. It was immediately known if he was fired or resigned.He and Stefanski appeared to have a strong relationship, and just last week Van Pelt praised his bo s for the job he did during a challenging season.Hes awesome," Van Pelt said of Stefanski, who has led the Browns to the playoffs twice in four seasons. "Ive enjoyed every second with him. Hes coached a lot of football, different schemes. His ability to change on a dime based on who this player, his starter is at quarterback I thought has been really remarkable."But the me sage, the culture hes built here over the last four years, Im really proud to be on his staff.However, while Van Pelt helped in putting game plans together, Stefanski handled all play-calling duties on game day. Van Pelt may have wanted an increased role and wasn't going to get it with the Browns.It's also po sible Stefanski is looking for someone to help him better suit Cleveland's offense to quarterback Deshaun Watson, who made just six starts before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury and undergoing surgery.All three a sistants had been with Stefanski since he was hired in 2020.The Browns went 11-6 and made the playoffs this season despite a wave of injuries and having to start five quarterbacks. However, they were abruptly bounced from the playoffs on Saturday, losing .Stefanski said Sunday that some of his a sistants would be leaving for other opportunities in the coming weeks.Mitchell, a former NFL running back, just completed his fourth season with the Browns. He spent much of the season trying to help the team cope with the lo s of star Nick Chubb, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2.Mitchell has coached in the league for more than two decades.McCartney helped develop David Njoku into one of the league's best tight ends. Njoku finished with career highs in catches (81), yards (882) and touchdowns (6) this season.Cleveland's offense was in constant flux from the opener.The Browns lost Watson to a shoulder injury in November, and the team who went 4-1 as a starter and surpa sed expectations before he threw two pick-6s against the Texans. Cleveland also played much of the season with backups at both starting tackle spots.___AP NFL: https://www.avalanchewin.com/collections/miles-wood-jersey