Browns will miss Callahan

As a general rule, the comings and goings of the Browns' coaching staff rarely make a dent in my thought processes. 

With rare exception, their departures matter little because there is always someone out there on the National Football League landscape good enough and smart enough to replace them. The Browns have two rare exceptions, though, in Bill Callahan and Jim Schwartz.

Both are exceptional at plying their craft, Callahan responsible for the offensive line and choreographing the terrific ground game aspect for the offense, and Schwartz brilliantly coordinating the entire defense. They helped Kevin Stefanski reach the postseason in half of his four seasons in Cleveland.

That changes now with the news that Callahan, with the Browns' blessing, is leaving to be the offensive line coach for his son, Brian, the new head coach with the Tennessee Titans. That's two major changes on that side of the football with Ken Dorsey recently replacing Alex Van Pelt as coordinator.

The esteemed elder Callahan is one of the two assistant coaches on the Browns staff Kevin Stefanski could ill afford to lose. That dynamic will change dramatically with his departure.

There are going to be numerous changes on that side of the football in 2024 with new philosophies, a new quarterback now that the Browns have fully committed to Deshaun Watson, and the expected return of Nick Chubb and half of the offensive line from injury. 

And now that the Browns have allowed the Titans to poach Callahan, it will be interesting to see whether the Browns morph back into the run-first offense Stefanski prefers or sides with Dorsey, who leans more toward the forward pass.

The only difference there is Dorsey had Josh Allen as his quarterback in Buffalo the last few seasons.  Watson is nowhere near Allen's class when it comes to throwing the football. Not even close.

The return of Chubb, assuming he is fully covered from his devastating knee injuries last season, added to the RPO artistry of Watson conjures up interesting possibilities for Dorsey to consider. 

Also take into consideration the return of the offensive line, when healthy considered one of the best in the NFL. And that is where the loss of Callahan comes into play. Veteran observers of the league firmly believe there is no better coach of that unit. 

If the tide of injuries strikes the OL again in the new season, the Browns certainly can't expect a repeat of the miracle season that surprisingly prolonged a season that certainly would have ended a lot sooner elsewhere.

Most of that was due to Callahan's season-long cobbling together a line good enough to land the Browns in mid-January football. That won't happen in 2024 because Callahan's sage wisdom now resides in Tennessee.