CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Kevin Stefanski shared the disappointment many fans felt over the release of defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson last week.
Unfortunately, the business of football won out.
“I want to keep everybody, and there are some salary cap constraints that I think everybody understands and they are hard decisions,” Stefanski said Tuesday. “Sheldon in particular played really productive football for us. He played through injuries, and he took great pride in getting to the playoffs for the first time in his career. He was a big part of that.”
Cutting Richardson saved the Browns $12 million in cap space, but also weakened the middle of the defensive line.
Stefanski left open the possibility when asked that Richardson could return should he not sign elsewhere.
“I hope there is a scenario like you mentioned, but those are the hard decisions that are made,” Stefanski said. “I really want to point out that Sheldon was such a big part of what we did last year.”
This offseason Browns executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry rebuilt the defense by signing six new players – safety John Johnson III, cornerback Troy Hill, linebacker Anthony Walker, defensive tackle Malik Jackson, defensive end Takkarist McKinley and last week, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
“We are trying to make ourselves a better football team,” Stefanski said. “I think Andrew saw some opportunities to add players to this roster. We feel like we have gotten better on the defensive side of the ball, and we are creating competition. We are going to have a draft where we are going to create even more competition and hopefully bring in good players.
Excited for bringing in guys at all three levels of the defense and what that can mean to us moving forward.”
Stefanski feels Clowney’s versatility will give defensive coordinator Joe Woods opportunity to move him around on the defensive line.
“I do think he is versatile enough to play inside and outside,” Stefanski said. “He has shown that over the course of his career. He is a disruptive football player in the run and the pass game. He is somebody that over the many years and certainly in the last few has seen a lot of attention. Teams have slid to him and put a tight end in there to chip or their running back. We feel like he will have opportunities here playing opposite of Myles. That should help him in the pass game. He is a disruptive player. Excited to add him to the front.”
The next step – Coming off their best season in 26 years and their first playoff victory since then as well, the bar has been raised for the Browns entering 2021.
“The first thing, I will tell you is that we lost our last game like 31 other teams or at least the teams in the playoffs,” Stefanski said. “We look back at last year and try to put that into perspective. We and I need to understand that we have to get way better.
“As it pertains to last year and how we did last year, I do not think it is just apples to apples. I think this is going to be a different offseason – we have different players, and we have some players in and some players out. The 2021 season is definitely going to stand on its own there.”
The work began Monday with the start of Phase 1 of the offseason program, which is virtual, where Stefanski and his staff began reteaching their systems.
“It is something that we recognize as we get going that you do not pick up where you left off,” Stefanski said. “We really need to focus on the work and focus on reinforcing the foundation that we built last year.”
The goal is to win the Super Bowl. The Browns, who proved themselves to be contenders last season, have to get there first regardless of media predictions or players discussing their new way of thinking in Cleveland.
“It is very, very easy to talk about that,” Stefanski said. “It is very easy for me to say that we want to do this and we want to be this, but we are going to focus on the work. That is what we did last year, and I promise you, that is what we will do this year. We are not going to focus on anything out there that people are talking about because ultimately, we are going to be about the work.”
Making progress – Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. continues to progress in his rehab from surgery to repair a torn left ACL
“He is progressing very well,” Stefanski said. “He is trending in the right direction.”
Stefanski also conveyed positive thoughts concerning Grant Delpit’s and Greedy Williams’ recoveries as well with special recognition of Williams’ work to get back.
“I think they are all on track,” Stefanski said. “I do not know the exact date that is for all of those guys, but really like how they are progressing. In particular, Greedy continues to get good news, and I am just so happy for the kid. He just battled his butt off in the rehab room for months and had a great attitude throughout. I am just really, really happy for him as he keeps getting better and better. He has a ways to go, but he is trending in the right direction.”
Draft plans – Stefanski, Berry and the rest of the staff will return to the team facility this year for the draft, but they won’t be in the war room together.
“We are going to be in the building here, but we are going to each be in our own office so it will be virtual in that regard,” Stefanski said.