DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Kevin Stefanski

Are you going to say that in every thread? Don’t you get tired of writing the same sentence?

Watson isn’t washed up, cooked or anything like that. He has a banged up shoulder, it hasn’t been a smooth first six games but to throw him on the scrap heap is very premature.

Yeah I don't understand the absolute declarations either. Still time to determine how this will play out.

That’s all I’m saying.

PLEASE PUT ME ON THE PM LIST FOR WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE, I’d like to be first in line to watch him leave Cleveland. Until then, I’ll just hope he somehow gets better, doesn’t quit in games, doesn’t get his glass ass completely shattered, and he learns to take well earned criticism. So far I’ve seen him flash starting QB qualities in one game. ONE. I never paid attention to him in Houston, and if there were no highlights on YouTube, I would swear y’all made that ish up.

I have a couple thoughts on today. First and foremost, the Browns FO and Stefanski are lying their azzes off about Watson's injury. He clearly has something wrong with the shoulder and can't throw an NFL level pass. The guy should have already been on IR and healing. Instead, they are dicking around with this guy and he's either going to get more seriously hurt or be playing at a level that will be detrimental to the team. Second, I find Stefanski's comments about protecting the franchise QB just plain laughable. If that were true, he would have already been on IR. Even more laughable is Stefanski trying to say he wanted to protect his franchise QB. It's all to fresh in my mind how Stefanski threw Mayfield to the dogs when he was injured and didn't give a sh_t whether the player got hurt more. I'm not buying his smoke and mirrors - I suspect that Watson told him he couldn't go anymore which presents an entirely different problem.

Hey Cleveland, put the guy on IR so he can heal. Better to have him out the next 4 games than a shell of himself going into the final weeks of the season like your dumb azz did with Mayfield in 2021 and cost you a playoff spot. Christ, when are the Browns going to get a decent HC!

I don't think a 4 week IR stint is going to allow him to heal honestly. The way Kosar described it on a podcast last week, it's an injury that will continue to deteriorate until it's either repaired or you get a LOT of rest.

The QB we saw today was basically unplayable. Even if he's slightly better than that, it's still not good at all.

If I were making the decision, I'd shut him down and try to get Brissett or Cousins if Minnesota takes on 80% of his money to ditch it

Minnesota would want more than we have to give.

Plus cousins has said he won't wave his no trade... maybe he'd change his mind, but we don't have much in terms of trade capital...

We have like three more years, because we're paying insane money no matter what and the hit of a cut or trade makes it effectively impossible to do either.
So, he's here, for better or worse which means we have plenty of time to watch and wait.

That said, there isn't much evidence to suggest that he isn't getting close to washed up. You are what you put on film, and so far, that is absolutely sub-par to the extent that if we hadn't paid so much for him, it's a near guarantee that he'd be gone/benched already. Money spent, and the dream that he can live up to it (which may be a pipe dream), is all that is keeping him as our number one.

Let us not forget - it's so much more than money. 2022 first-round pick (13th overall), 2023 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, and a 2024 fourth-round pick.
Three 1st round picks. a 3rd and two 4ths.

Watson's ability to play after missing an extended period - and his ability to play in the cold - and his metnal toughness and ability to play after being villified for his actions by the National media should all have been part of the risk assesment process. I'd say the decisions to go so hard after Watson as Baker's replacement have all been monumental fails.

We can all hope that the performance against the Titans is the 'Norm' - but as you just said, based on the collective, it's the outlier at the moment.

good points about Watson ... I'm not one to say whether he IS washed up, but it certainly looks like it based on what he's produced

there IS the chance that it is just all bad circumstances (missed time due to injury, bad luck, lack of reps, etc) ... but, if you were an opposing NFL team and watched the film of our offense with him at the helm, you certainly wouldn't be as concerned as you would be with the top 10 QBs in the league

As mgh mentioned (and others have said), it appears like this is a big mental issue now too. He has zero confidence and isn't used to being the villain ... couple that with us needing to win NOW and him already being paid so much (and so hated by some), it magnifies and perpetuates it all

I am not sure how the team could have assessed his mental fortitude?

I do agree he seems to have a somewhat frail personality. When he is "the guy", he can be very good. When chopped down a bit as has happened to him...well, we are seeing the results.

Now we wait to see if he can get his "mojo" back.

Attack my opinion all you want. I know what I saw on the field and that was 1-5 with an interception (should have been 2) that fluttered right into the opponent's hands. This is the same crap that was spewed when Mayfield was hurt. Cleared medically to play, can't do any further damage, controversial reports as to type and seriousness of the injury, he's practicing but can't make all the throws in the actual game. Theories without merit - it's actually deja vu.

To be fair - it's an opinion that's echoed in many places. Not sure if it's a free area of the athletic but this is a cut and paste from Jason Lloyd:

Stefanski can spin this however he wants, but he benched his $230 million quarterback with good reason. Watson was awful and completely ineffective: 1-of-5 for 5 yards and an interception. He should’ve thrown a second pick but had the call overturned on replay because the ball hit the turf.

After missing a month with a bruised rotator cuff, Watson clearly wasn’t fit to play an NFL game. He made terrible decisions with the ball and had no accuracy or velocity.

I think I wrote in my post game comments - either DW wasn't healthy at all and it was a serious error to try to start him - OR - DW is what we saw in his short time in the game Sunday v Colts and that was really bad (again). . . . Neither option is pleasant, and you (royal 'you') can argue it was a really short sample size but on th back of so many lack luster performances for the Browns with only one stand out complete game vs the Titans it's not really a stretch to think it might simply have been more of the same.

My sinle biggest frustration in all of this is the choices that Berry/front office made to go into the season with DTR as your back up and PJ Walker as your 3rd option who quickly got called up because DTR is clearly even worse and light years from ready. That is bordering on criminal incompetence based on a roster intended to win now. jmo.

I agree that the FO could/should have done a better job at the back-up QB position. I am not saying it had to be Dobbs, but I think many were blinded by the light of DTR in the preseason, including many fans. I just expect the GM to be more in tune to reality than the fans.

As far as the situation with Watson, I think he probably looked ok, and Watson felt so-so to good enough, but felt pressure to start playing. I am not blaming Jimmy Haslam, but I think back to some photo that was up last week with Watson at practice and Jimmy standing 35 feet away watching.

When you have everybody in the building asking how you feel and watching your every move and you have the press and fans asking questions 25 times a day, a player has to feel pressure to get out there even if maybe they aren't all that close to being good enough.

Lets be honest here. The expectation is that with Watson we can be a Superbowl contender. At minimum in the discussion. If we lose X amount of games while Watson is on the shelf and don't even get to the playoffs, you know darn good and well that Watson is the one who is going to be blamed.

Kind of the opposite with Baker. He got blamed for playing when maybe he shouldn't have. The thing in common with Baker and Watson is that both came to Cleveland with a large segment of the fan base against them.

Where the hell was that thinking when Baker was here. Geez

In a way I agree, but I think there is a difference.

With Baker, he made a point in the media that he wasn't going to come out. With Watson, I think he was feeling pressure to get back in. I am not blaming anybody, or saying I disagree with your take. I just don't think it is a apples to apples comparison.

With baker we probably should have benched him for a few games. With Watson, we probably shouldn't have started him.

Lolz.

For whatever it's worth: us cutting bait would not include us releasing him, because we cannot afford to. The accelerated cap hit literally cannot be absorbed, so, no matter how bad he gets, no matter how much we might decide to move onto another QB, Watson will remain on the roster through at least 2025 which means that us cutting bait on him involves him still being on the roster and on the sidelines.




The potential out is UNLESS we can find someone to trade for him and that salary. It's a little murky, but I *think* we can escape the contract by finding someone to trade for him. All remaining paid, but unaccounted for, signing bonus monies would accelerate, and I believe that we're completely on the hook for any salary in the current year, but I believe the team trading for him would assume the remainder of the salaries.

I like the idea of Brissett/Gibson for a draft pick ... maybe we throw them back a player they want instead or something

I also think we definitely have to look at the QB position future. We all know Watson is here AT LEAST through next year, but with the current state of things, we can't trust him. Brissett at least allows us to stay competitive through next year IMO

My only critique of Stefanski right now is that he seems to have a tendency to play injured QB's that should not be playing.

JMO here but Baker wanted to play, he didn't want to come out and I commend him for that attitude.. But the adult in the room has to be the HC.. And Stefanski didn't act like the adult in the room..

Now, suddenly, he's doing his job. All I'm saying is he should have done that with Baker. Who knows what might of happened. In the end, I think Baker would still be gone and Watson would be here..

Love it. I'm all in on Stefanski now. He still does some dumb stuff, like taking that timeout in the wrong order, but he can learn those as he goes. Guys like Reid/Belichek/Carroll took decades to master the minutia. I trust he'll nip those small mistakes out in time.

The way he's winning with so much adversity is mind boggling. If he ever runs into a lucky season with light injuries and favorable ref calls (aka Steelers/Ravens type seasons) I think he'll win the SB.

Maybe I'm just too optimistic but I'm seeing things from him I've waited ages to see in a Browns coach.

Don’t forget to add an extension for AB too!!



Random old article on Berry when he was hired


As the kids say nowadays: Let’s goooooooooo

Haslam aligned the contracts of Stefanski, Berry and DePodesta on five year deals with all set to expire after the 2024 season.

They are all getting extended after this season and I would anticipate their contracts will align again.

They might. I don't think the 3 are tied at the hip, so there could be some deviation. I guess I would need to know what is a standard extension for a GM and head coach? I could see the number being 4 years, but if 5 is the number other receive, then we probably do that.

Contract extension

Coach of the year

Sexiest man alive

George Clooney’s stunt double

I'm just thrilled that he stuck to the gameplan yesterday without any headscratcher plays trying to outsmart the other coach. We couldn't afford to take any of those risks with the rookie qb, and it paid off in the end.

He DOES kinda look like Clooney!

I have been a Stefanski critic. If he can finish this season off strong and make the playoffs, I will quiet those criticisms.

My biggest criticism of Stefanski was no signature wins. Nothing that we could point to since the Pitt game to get into the playoffs in 2020 in a league year with no fans. But he has answered that bell repeatedly this season. I think he has shown a lot of growth. The team is playing hard and seems ro respond to him. They believe and are resilient. Frankly we are winning games we would have lost the last two years.

My next biggest criticism has been doing so little with so much. This year he's doing the opposite.

There can't be any collapses imo. Need to finish this season strong, but I would love to see that and an accompanying extension if so.