BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Paul DePodesta was named chief strategy officer in 2016 to help the franchise create sustained success.
Seven years later, the Browns netted one playoff season and are back to sustained losing instead.
At 3-7, the Browns find themselves all but mathematically eliminated before Thanksgiving. So what is it that DePodesta does to help head coach Kevin Stefanski outsmart the competition on game days?
“Paul and really a bunch of areas in our building give me and our coaches, and our scouts, give us a ton of great information,” Stefanski said Monday. “Paul is very helpful to me throughout the week in a bunch of conversations in all areas of football, not specific to one area.”
Unfortunately, the advantage of the data provided by DePodesta to Stefanski isn’t leading to wins.
Browns players – namely on the defensive side of the ball – lamented in recent weeks that opponents always seem to be a step or two ahead of them.
“You are always trying to give your guys a plan that they can go play fast,” Stefanski said. “When you get to Sundays, you don’t want to be thinking; you want to be reacting. We look at all of those things. We look at walkthroughs, how we conduct walkthroughs and how often we do a walkthrough.
All of those things are important in your preparation because it does come down to your preparation.”
DePodesta helped to craft the rebuilding plan that led to 1-31 during the 2016-2017 seasons but also saw the Browns make six first round draft picks over three years, including two first overall selections.
The Browns signed DePodesta to a five-year contract extension in January 2020 to coincide with the five-year deals given to EVP/GM Andrew Berry and Stefanski.
Pocic sidelined – Center Ethan Pocic’s knee injury will keep him off the field for a bit.
“That will be in the weeks but not entirely sure how many weeks that is,” Stefanski said.
Hjalte Froholdt, who stepped in for Pocic in the first quarter and also has served as the backup at right guard for Wyatt Teller, will continue to start in his place.
Froholdt and quarterback Jacoby Brissett has a bad exchange that led to a fumble.
Center Nick Harris was placed on injured reserve and lost for the season after suffering a knee injury in the preseason opener at Jacksonville.
Honest assessment – While Stefanski spent most of his Monday Zoon video conference dancing around questions related to his team’s failure, tight end David Njoku took them head on and offered refreshing candor.
“It’s a frustrating position to be in, especially with the potential we have as a team,” Njoku said. “So obviously, things just tend to not go our way and it is what it is. I feel no sympathy for myself or anybody here. We have to do our job and we have to execute at a higher level. And it's that simple.”
Njoku didn’t place blame or point fingers. He just accepted responsibility on behalf of his teammates.
“It's up to us to figure it out,” Njoku said. “No one got us here in this position besides ourselves and we're a team. With that being said, it falls on all of us, not just one person or as you guys say, like a leader.
We're all a team and we all got to do this together. So I got no sympathy for us. It is what it is it. We got to just work, work our way out of this hole.”
Denied, again – Stefanski blamed rookie kicker Cade York for another blocked field goal Sunday in Detroit.
“I don’t think it was protection,” Stefanski said. “Obviously, can’t measure exactly the trajectory and those type of things. That is an emphasis. All kickers are trying to make sure that they get great trajectory on those kicks.”
It was the third time this season York has had a kick blocked.
Injury report – C Ethan Pocic (knee), RT Jack Conklin (foot).
Up next – Off day Tuesday, practice Wednesday.