BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – New Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt inherits a lot of offensive talent and firepower to work with.
Getting it all working in harmony, well, that’s the challenge.
“I don’t really foresee challenges, I see opportunities,” Van Pelt said Wednesday afternoon.
Despite Nick Chubb finishing second in the NFL with 1,494 yards rushing and Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry giving Cleveland their first 1,000-yard receiving duo in a single season in franchise history, the Browns offense underwhelmed mightily in 2019, which is a big reason head coach Kevin Stefanski and Van Pelt are now here.
With the playbook and offensive language nearly complete for the new offense, Van Pelt is ready to get to work on the most important element – quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield is one of the reason’s Van Pelt left the Bengals, where he was quarterbacks coach, to join head coach Kevin Stefanski’s staff in Cleveland as offensive coordinator.
“I loved him coming out of college,” Van Pelt said. “Most of the great quarterbacks I’ve had a chance to be around were extremely competitive to a point where they’d try to beat you at darts or pool, it did not matter, and I see that in his game.”
The Browns haven't named a quarterbacks coach and that's because Van Pelt plans to spend plenty of time in the quarterbacks room.
“My plan is to be the voice in the room,” Van Pelt said. “One of my strengths as a coach is coaching the quarterback, so I definitely want to make that part of my job responsibilities.”
When watching tape, Van Pelt was most impressed with Mayfield’s accuracy on the move outside the pocket.
“I love the fire and passion in his game and it’s our job as an offensive staff to help him and make him successful,” Van Pelt said. “Everything starts around the quarterback.”
Van Pelt believes he’s identified one of the primary reasons Mayfield struggled during his sophomore season, and it’s one that Mayfield himself acknowledged needs work this offseason – his feet.
“There will be a change in the footwork,” Van Pelt said. “I have a belief and a philosophy of footwork, and it’s extremely important to me, and Kevin as well – it starts with the feet; the feet never lie.
“I want the feet to be like Mozart, not like Metallica. With the footwork, it’s a fluid motion. You’re back there dancing through the pocket as you go through your progressions.”
Under Stefanski and Van Pelt, the Browns will employ a lot of play action, quick reads and a wide zone blocking scheme up front, last used in Cleveland back in 2014 under former offensive coordinator and current 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
With the changes, Chubb should feast.
“He’s a great wide zone runner,” Van Pelt said. “He’s got great patience. He does a great job of stepping on the linemen’s heels before he makes the cut. He knows the right distance to stretch and he has a great feel for it already.
“He’s a strong runner. He has the speed to get through the hole, but he also has the ability to break those arm tackles, those guys hanging from his legs.”
Having Beckham and Landry as Mayfield’s top two targets excites Van Pelt, and getting them the ball sufficiently should not be a problem.
“That’s our job as an offensive staff, to scheme up ways to make them top priority in the progressions,” Van Pelt said.
The question remains who will call plays during games and Van Pelt did not shed any light on the matter.
“Right now, it’s nothing I’m getting hung up on,” Van Pelt said.
