Where Will We See the Vrabel Effect?
Credit: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Cleveland Browns made a big move this offseason by bringing in Mike Vrabel as a consultant after the Tennessee Titans let him go early in the offseason. Not often do you hear about a consultant being one of the more influential people in an NFL training camp. But through the first couple of days of practices, there is already audible buzz about the type of impact he’s making on this team.
Last season, while Vrabel was leading the Titans to a 6-11 record, the Browns finished with an 11-6 record and a playoff berth. The Browns are bringing most of that quality team back from last season, and a couple of small adjustments are probably all this 2024 version needs to be a true Super Bowl contender. Despite last season’s record, Vrabel is one of the most respected coaches around the inner circles of the NFL, and there is a quiet confidence that he can help make those tweaks to get over the hump. Here are three places the Browns will see the Vrabel effect.
Improving the Tight Ends
Vrabel is a defense-first coach, but oftentimes a defensive-minded coach can be a great resource for the offense because of the different perspectives they can offer. To this point, Vrabel has spent a ton of time working with the tight ends, especially with David Njoku and his blocking.
Njoku is an elite pass-catching tight end and has been a solid blocker. There’s a difference between solid and elite, though, and if Njoku were to become an elite pass-blocker, that would elevate the offense. Vrabel has also been working with the other tight ends, as well, and coaching them up could even be more important.
After Njoku, Cleveland’s tight end depth becomes pretty bare. Currently, Jordan Akins is their second tight end, which is a less-than-ideal situation for Cleveland unless Vrabel can unlock an extra gear. It’s clear that Vrabel is keying in on the tight end, and even though the Browns have Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore out wide, controlling the middle of the field can be the difference in how competitive this offense can be this season.
Transitioning Rookies to the NFL
Njoku is one of the team’s veterans, but Vrabel has also taken some rookies under his wing. While the coordinators are there to focus on the X’s and O’s, as a consultant, Vrabel can devote more time out of his day to ensure that the players are adjusting to the team’s concepts. Defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr was selected with the 54th overall pick after being a standout defensive tackle with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Hall was a star in Columbus, so he didn’t have to pay special teams. In the NFL it appears that will change, at least early in his career, and Vrabel is helping him get more comfortable.
“Especially on the kickoff, it was kind of hard to understand it at first, but because it was just something new to me,” said Hall. “I never played kickoff a day in my life, but just trying to use what God gave me, I feel like just going out there and just working as hard control what you can control. Coach Vrabel was like, don’t be too hard on yourself, take it easy, but also just continue to be a sponge and just be a student of the game.”
An Outside Voice on Defense
Make no mistake, though, Vrabel is still a defensive coach at heart. He is going to be involved during the week, with the main difference being he won’t be on the sideline for game days. As great as Cleveland’s defense was last season, Vrabel can unlock more from this group.
The Browns’ defense was statistically one of the NFL’s best last season, but they let the team down too often in the red zone. Vrabel can give an outside look at the team from week to week and give his advice while not stepping on toes. Vrabel was a Hall of Fame linebacker, then became an elite defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans before taking over the Titans. A team can never have too many quality coaches and Vrabel brings a ton to this team.
It’s hard to imagine that Vrabel is going to be with the Browns for more than a year because of the quality coach he is. Someone is going to get an elite defensive coordinator next season, or maybe even a head coach. For now, though, he’s in Cleveland, and the Browns need to take advantage of every day they get with the Hall of Famer.
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