To me, the reason it won’t happen is because it took nearly a decade for Jimmy Haslam and his family to find the right structure and mix of people to run their football operation. The combination of Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry delivered playoff berths in Year 1 and Year 4, and the bumps since can be connected back to the organizational decision to trade for Deshaun Watson. As such, one bad year needs to be considered with context.
The flip side is that the structure will change a bit with Paul DePodesta (seen by many as the man behind the curtain, with ownership’s ear, for the Browns) off to run the Colorado Rockies. My understanding is that the Browns won’t replace him with a new chief strategy officer, but it raises questions about whether his absence will lead to a more thorough review of how they build.
Alright, I’ll give you a verdict. Stefanski and Berry get another year and a chance to build off a really good 2025 draft class, with two first-round picks to work with in April, and a big quarterback question to answer.