MIKE BROWN: Browns parting ways with three assistants surprising

The Cleveland Browns surprised many when they parted ways with three assistant coaches last week.

The Browns have moved on from offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney.

What happened with Stump Mitchell?

Prior to this season, the Browns have enjoyed one of the top-ranked running games in the NFL under Mitchell, a former standout running back during his NFL playing days with the then St. Louis Cardinals and later, the Kansas City Chiefs.

This season, the Browns lost star running back Nick Chubb to a season-ending knee injury early in the year in their loss at Pittsburgh. But using a variety of backs in Chubb’s absence, Cleveland still finished in the upper half of the league in rushing yards per game.

What T.C. McCartney did for the Browns

McCartney coached the Browns’ tight ends which saw players such as David Njoku attain career-best numbers at the position.

Alex Van Pelt had to make adjustments all season

Van Pelt was the offensive coordinator on an offense which had to adjust weekly when so many players, including their starting tackles, were lost for the season to injuries.

The Browns finished 11-7 overall and reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 campaign in spite of losing so many players to season-ending injuries.

That’s why it’s so surprising they would let such veteran assistants go. It’s a gamble on Cleveland’s part, because coaching continuity is a staple to success in the NFL.