DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski sign contract extensions with the Browns

Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski sign contract extensions with the Browns

Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski are here to stay.

The Browns announced that Berry and Stefanski have signed contract extensions.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry leading the Cleveland Browns," Cleveland Browns Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said. "Since the day they were hired, each has worked tirelessly to help the Cleveland Browns win. We are proud of what they and the team have achieved, but Kevin and Andrew would be the first to say that Browns fans deserve even more. Their leadership, collaborative approach, and ability to overcome obstacles bode well for the future of this franchise.

"Last season was a prime example," Dee and Jimmy Haslam continued. "Despite facing multiple player injuries and using five different starting quarterbacks, Andrew and his staff built a roster that adapted well, while Kevin and his staff led the team to its second playoff appearance in four years, earning Coach of the Year honors for the second time in that period. They are two of the brightest people we know, and selfless people who only care about what is best for the Cleveland Browns. We are thrilled that Kevin and Andrew will remain with the team for the future."

Berry and Stefanski were first hired by the Browns in 2020, and since then, the Browns have a record of 37-30 (.552) — the highest winning percentage for the team over a four-year stretch since 1986-89. As an organization, they have seen a level of success not seen in some time. In their first season at the helm in 2020, the pair helped the team to its first playoff appearance since 2002 and first playoff victory in 26 years.
The Browns also finished the 2023 season with an 11-6 record and another trip to the postseason. The 11 regular season wins tied for second-most in team history, trailing only the 1986 team, which had 12 wins. Following the 2023 season, Stefanski (2020 and 2023) joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Paul Brown (1951 and 1953) as the only coaches in team history to record multiple seasons with at least 11 regular season wins.
Cleveland dominated at home during the 2023 season, as the Browns finished with an 8-1 record at Cleveland Browns Stadium and set a team record for wins at home. Since 2020, the Browns are 24-10 (.706) at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Browns established a prominent run game over the last four years, as they are third in the NFL with an average of 139.6 rushing yards per game since 2020. Yet they've also developed a blend of the run and pass game as well. During the Browns 77-year history, the team has surpassed 6,000 scrimmage yards in a single season just seven times; under Stefanski, the Browns have reached that mark in all four seasons.

Cleveland had seven players selected to the Pro Bowl for the 2023 season, the club's most since sending eight in 1988. During his tenue, Berry has inked five of the players — G Joel Bitonio, DE Myles Garrett, TE David Njoku, G Wyatt Teller and CB Denzel Ward — to contract extensions, while WR Amari Cooper was acquired via trade in 2022 and LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was a second-round draft pick in 2021.

Berry also added the contract extensions of WR Jerry Jeudy – who the Browns acquired in a trade with the Broncos in March – and S Grant Delpit – who was drafted by the Browns in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Stefanski earned accolades of his own over his first four years as a head coach. He was named the Coach of the Year in 2020 and in 2023 and joined Forrest Gregg (1976) as the second coach in franchise history to earn the honor.
Under the first four years of Berry and Stefanski's leadership, the Browns have turned the page to a new chapter of history within the organization. Now, with the extensions in place, they are poised to lead the Browns through the next chapter of the organization's storied history.

"Kevin, the way that he was able to lead and manage through challenges in adversity this year was absolutely phenomenal," Berry said in his end-of-season press conference on Jan. 22. "And we have a smart, adaptable, emotionally intelligent leader who the crazy part is, he's not even close to his ceiling. And I know that our organization is in really good hands both now and for the foreseeable future with him."

https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/new...sign-contract-extensions-with-the-browns

...does it say how long somewhere?

No.

I bet those details are soon to come.

I felt relatively sure this was going to happen but seeing it as a done deal puts any possible question marks to rest. Nothing makes 100% sure the deal is done until the deal is signed on the dotted line. Happy that this is done and there is one more thing behind us now.

Great news now that it is official.

Also, likely safe to assume that DePo was or will be extended as well since he, Berry and Stefanski's contracts were all set to end at the same time.

Or DePo rides off into the sunset "my work here is done" style?

This must be a tough day for you seeing this news. Only to be worse if they announced a DePo extension as well.

Hang in there.

I'm pretty sure they are trying to wrap up Paul Depodesta's contract to keep all 3 of them on the same cycle.


That's what we did back in 2021 when we got them on the same cycle.

Congrats Berry/Stef! So happy to see it

LOL - The Rish will be upset with this news as well. KS just doesn't prioritize winning...

great to see this. continuity should bode us browns fans well. next is great QB play.

Right!!! Big mistake!! Both should be gone!!!!

I'm sure.

DePo is just taking longer because he's still crunching the numbers and has yet to inform Haslam of what his contract should be.

Probably. His contract came later last time.

That said, maybe not if he was to ride off as someone else mentioned.

He basically steered the team in to the coach and probably advised to hire Berry. He has set guardrails that have helped lead to a solid roster. He has set up a solid analytics department that runs deep in the office.

Maybe he feels his work is done?

On March 18, 2022, DePodesta helped to facilitate a controversial trade for Deshaun Watson. Watson and the Texans' 2024 sixth-round draft pick were traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns' first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024, as well as the Browns' third-round pick in 2023 and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024. As part of the trade, Watson signed a new, fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns, making it the largest contract and most guaranteed money in NFL history.

link

Not sure why you're posting this here, mac?

I stand by the following two statements…

1. I don’t think Stefanski is as good a play caller as people think. I think he’s a very good play designer. Play calling is something different.

2. I’m happy with the extensions for both Stefanski and Berry. Continuity feels good. The Browns are not a laughing stock. I think we have a good organization in place.

Now let’s win a division! Is Stefanski the first ever four year coach to get an extension without ever winning a division title? “In appreciation of always finishing third or worst in your division, we’d like you to stick around for four more years.”

Even if that deal does not work out at least he tried to win. How many Cleveland teams over the years don't make the big move to try to win big. This FO did. Baker was never going to win anything. They knew that. What we do know if that doesn't work out Watson will not be here in a couple years and this FO will swing for the fences when they can. I have no issue at all trying to win.

I'll just point out that getting players (often backups last year) to execute play calls isn't really play calling either. A coach doesn't call the outcome.

Did a play not work because of the call or did someone mess up (wrong assignment/read)/miss a throw/get beat (other team made a play)/fall down (things happen)? Did it look like a play was there to be made if something hadn't gone wrong? Other teams' players get paid, too, and DCs don't get hired for being awful play callers. I'm not sure some people "fully" realize how hard it is to win with backup QBs (and RBs and OL) and how thin the margins are.

I think he is more good than bad as a play caller. How good that is is certainly debatable.

I’ve hated plenty of coaching and GM hires but I like the Ski & Berry hires and I’m glad it’s worked out so far. Still need to see what comes of the DW trade but the team overall is one to watch since the day they arrived.

I know it’s an unpopular take in some quarters (Vers and I had a lot of back and forth on this) but I just really prefer exceptionally smart people with a proven track record of difficult personal accomplishments for complex, dynamic jobs. It doesn’t always work out of course and we all love the story of a hard luck savants or worker bees who just grind up through the ranks but I’ll take my odds with the guy who managed to play football and still graduate from Harvard with a bachelors in Econ and a masters in computer science in 3 years to manage my team. And the guy who also graduated as an all Ivy League player and has coached just about every offensive position group at the pro level to coach the team.

I really love each’s professional demeanor and that they don’t get worked up by momentary crap. So many fans want hot headed bulls for coaches that visibly reflect their own anxiety and frustration but the best ones usually stay cool and calculated under fire. When coaches start losing their cool in adversity, the team is usually not far behind.

A lots riding on this year, mostly for DW. And the verdict will mostly be in on the trade if he’s anything short of ‘decent’. If he’s decent to good most of the year (not even considering elite), this team could go deep. The injury and recovery gods will have a big a say either way but I have more confidence in the roster and it being prepared to play on any given Sunday than just about any other time since 99.

I agree with your point except for the bolded part.

This is where the DW trade discussion begins to unravel. The discussion should be about DW and HIS play and what we gave up to get him...and when that point looks weak, the discussion turns to some fanciful projection of what the previous QB could or couldn't do.

BM has 2x the number of playoff wins as both DW and Kirk Cousins. BM has the same number of playoff wins as Lamar Jackson. BM took US to the playoffs the year before his shoulder got destroyed and was one Rashard Higgins fumble or Chad Henne jailbreak away from getting to the AFC Championship game. He won his division in what was supposed to be a re-building year AND his 2nd playoff game against a Super Bowl favorite Eagles. The bolded point above ^ is factually and statistically incorrect.

Those who evaluated the QB position projected that DW would be a QB to take us deep into the playoffs. He still may...even while never having done so before. For me, evaluating the trade has nothing to do with BM or whatever the team thought of him. It's about DW and HIS play versus what we gave up to get him. So far, that has been a failure.

If one wants to have a separate discussion about which QB is better - BM or DW - then so be it. If one happens to think DW is the better QB...be sure to avoid discussing playoff wins and division titles.

I have heard that a lot. If you try and fail is that a sign of success or failure?

I'm not saying the deal will fail. There's still three years to go with which to determine that. But every trade and every draft pick made in the NFL, especially first round draft picks, all 32 GM's are "trying to win" with their decisions. Some succeed and some fail. It sounds as if you are almost advocating a participation trophy for trying. That's not how any of this works.

If this fails it will be no less of a failure than drafting Johnny Football. In both cases people were trying to make decisions to help the Browns win. If this decision fails the end result will be no different. With the exception that if this fails it will come at a much higher cost.

Ahhh. Depodesta "did the deal" to bring Watson here.

From what I heard (from someone in the know) the reason we have Watson is Haslam. Haslam wanted him and made sure Berry brought him here.

Yeah, I think it's pretty safe to say that Haslam was the one laying down the biggest deal in NFL history. Especially since he had to put $250 million in escrow to get it done. But who knows, maybe DePo did the deal and just sent him an email.

LOL!

Of course he did.

Unlike you I don't think he was the one with any final decision. I think everybody bought in.

Why are you posting up a Wiki link?

Actually, it was a fax that he was going to claim didn't go thru. But little did he know, Sashi fixed the fax machine before he left.

Lolz.

What evidence do you have Depo was behind this? We have no idea who first came up with the idea. Nor do we know what went on behind closed doors. What we do know is who made the ultimate decision. Haslam. The fact he signs the checks shows he made the ultimate decision. In actuality I've never seen anywhere that Depo is involved with major personnel decisions. That's the job of the GM and his staff. Depo has always been known mainly as a numbers guy. It seems as though your reaching to a major conclusion here.

Mac, what you're saying about Baker is true, but he is playing in a weak division. When he got the ball back against Detroit for Tampa's last drive I said to friends that Baker will throw an INT. 2nd throw he did game over just like more than a few times with us. I like Baker and have no axes to grind over him, but I really feel as most of our fans do, he could not lead us to a SB and our FO obviously felt the same way. Let's see how the next 3 years pan out to reach a definitive result and then we all can make our assessments. By the way and it's JMO, Spencer Rattler has Baker Mayfield written all over him. Again, JMO

I agree with you about waiting things out and seeing how it goes over the next three years. Only then can we know how this thing plays out.

And I don't really disagree with you that Baker plays in a much weaker division than the AFC North. But there is one thing that's undeniable. To this point over the past two seasons Baker has done more than watson.

In 2023 Baker threw for just over 4k yards while completing 64.3% of his passes with 28 td's and 10 int's. No matter how anyone slices it those are some damned fine numbers.

The story is still yet to be written but that doesn't change where things stand at this juncture.

Rotflmfao. Still making up stories I see

Agreed.

I am sure that Depo was involved in the Watson discussion, but he didn't make any decisions any more than anybody else involved.

Depo's value to the team and the others in management is he provides historical and projected data to those people and is probably heavily involved in cap management. He is also a valued confidant to ownership.

He is the navigator, not the captain.