Kevin Stefanski's owners meetings appearance likely to talk new-look QB room, Mike Vrabel

ORLANDO, FLA. — Kevin Stefanski walked past a small group of reporters in a hallway of The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes on the first day of the NFL owners meetings Sunday. The Browns coach smiled and shook a hand or two, but kept going along to the next task at hand.

Stefanski will have to stop and chat for a lot longer Monday morning. That's when all of the AFC head coaches are made available to the present media at the coaches' breakfast.

For Stefanski, it'll be his third formal availability, albeit maybe the smallest group of media of the three, since the Browns' season came to an end. However, this one may be his most interesting based upon where it falls on the calendar.

The owners meetings fall a month after the NFL combine, and a month before the draft. They also fall two weeks after free agency started and two weeks before the Browns' voluntary offseason program begins.

Here's a look at some of the potential topics about which Stefanski is likely to face questions from the small group of beat writers present in Florida during his half hour.

What do Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley provide the quarterback room, and Deshaun Watson?

Monday will be Stefanski's first chance to talk about the quarterback room overhaul the Browns underwent during free agency. That includes the signings of former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston and former Baltimore Ravens backup Tyler Huntley.

What is Stefanski's vision for that room with those two additions on top of Deshaun Watson, who has started throwing recently after his shoulder surgery last November, and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson? Specifically, what does it mean for Watson's recovery timeline and Thompson-Robinson's general growth?

Stefanski could also give a general update on Watson's health, although no one expects a definitive timetable out of him. He and offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey visited with the quarterback earlier in the month in Los Angeles, although rules prohibited them talking much actual football during that time.

Of course, there's also the question of Joe Flacco, if only because that remains a hot-button topic with fans. However, it's hard to imagine either Stefanski or general manager Andrew Berry, when he speaks Tuesday, saying too much on that subject.

How about the addition of — and new contract for — Jerry Jeudy?

The Browns have shown how much they didn't just value recently acquired wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for the short-term, but also the long-term. A week after the trade with the Denver Broncos to pick him up was official, the team agreed to a three-year contract extension that keeps him in Cleveland through 2027.

A new deal for Jeudy wasn't a surprise. The surprise came more in the timing of the new deal, which happened months before he actually plays a down for the Browns.

The extension solves at least one potential question beyond next season, when Jeudy was supposed to join his new teammates Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore as free agents. The question for both Stefanski and Berry remains more about what they see in Jeudy that led them to want to accelerate the timeline on an extension.

How did Mike Vrabel end up in the building?

Stefanski spoke at the combine last month about the new additions to the coaching staff. He may not have gotten into specifics about each, but it was a well-covered item.

The decision on play calling remains one that no one expects to hear an answer from Stefanski on until he absolutely has to answer the question. Of course, it's still probably getting asked.

The biggest question on the coaching side, though, involves the most recent addition. Mike Vrabel's hiring as a coaching and personnel consultant came out of the blue like no other decision this offseason.

So, how did that come about? What would Stefanski view as Vrabel's biggest strength in terms of what's being added to the organization?

Maybe the biggest remains Stefanski's own personal belief in himself. Adding a coach with Vrabel's credentials is a move that speaks to a self-confidence in one's own abilities, and standing.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns QBs, Mike Vrabel among likely questions for Kevin Stefanski