Several major, franchise-altering decisions await the Cleveland Browns this offseason, especially in the aftermath of Kevin Stefanski being fired. 

Finding the team's next on-field leader will be the first task for vice president of football operations Andrew Berry. Once that's settled, though, Berry's work is hardly over, as he attempts to fill out an improved roster for 2026. 

In the aftermath of Stefanski's firing, Berry was asked about many of the key decisions that await him in the coming months and weeks. His answers provide the framework for what direction things are heading. 

Here are the key answers from Berry, that fans should keep in mind as the Browns' offseason unfolds: 

“We'll be pretty open-minded. I think there are a number of different archetypes of successful head coaches. I think about Kevin. I think it's easy to forget now that he has two Coach of the Year awards on his mantle that when he was interviewed first in 2019 and he didn't get the job, and then again, I guess it was 2020 and he did. In both of those cycles, he had had no head coaching experience and we were the only team that interviewed him. And so I think our responsibility is to search far and wide. There are good coaches out there. We've just got to do our homework and find the right fit for us. We'll have no preconceived notions as we go into the search.”

One of the biggest lines that stands out in this quote is Berry's reference to the fact that the Browns were Stefanski's only interview in 2019 and 2020, when the franchise ultimately did hire him. The mere mention of that seems to suggest that Berry and company are going to think outside the box when it comes to choosing their next head coach. 

Don't be surprised if, instead of hiring the big names like John Harbaugh or Mike McDaniel, Cleveland ends up with an up-and-coming candidate like Bengals OC Dan Pitcher, Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase or Jaguars OC Grant Udinski. 

"I'll touch what I said a little bit earlier. Ultimately, that'll be the head coach's prerogative. Obviously we'll have a number of discussions about the existing staff, but that'll be the head coach's prerogative."

Recent reports suggest that the Browns are at least discussing the possibility of retaining defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz with potential external head coaching candidates. Perhaps Tommy Rees' name has also come up in those conversations, as well, and we know that both Schwartz and Rees have interviewed for the job. 

Still, Berry made it clear in his end-of-season presser that they won't force Schwartz or anyone on the current staff onto their new head coach. Essentially, be prepared to lose Schwartz if he doesn't get the job himself. 

"I think we saw a lot of progress with Shedeur this year. I think that's both mentally, physically, playing the position. He's still very much a work in progress, like many rookie quarterbacks are. But I think we saw some really good things in terms of his playmaking, his accuracy, his ability to extend with his feet. And I think I'd also give him credit, as well as our offensive staff, for bringing him along in terms of his pocket management, his situational awareness and things of that nature. Now that all being said, we're going to do our work on the quarterback market. It's too important of a position and it's something that has to be solidified. I can't sit here and tell you today whether the solution for, or the starter in 2026 is internal or external. But it's something that we're going to work through over the next several weeks. And quite honestly, the new head coach will also have a lot of input into that as well."

This was one of the most notable answers from Berry's press conference last week. Asked about whether not Shedeur Sanders had done enough to earn the starting job in 2026, Berry was complimentary of his progress but also non-committal to any one solution at QB. 

It's probably a fair approach to take. Berry has to consider all options to try to field the best team possible next season, and that may end up being Sanders. He just can't make any grand declarations in January, especially without a head coach in the building, who will have plenty of say in who is starting at QB.

We'll see what the Browns QB pursuits look like in the months ahead, but for now Berry kept the door wide open. 

“I'd say specifically to, let's say the offense, it's no secret that that's where we're going to invest most of our resources this offseason. I think the reality of it is a year ago when we decided to make the pivot that we did, you also realize that you're not going to be able to accomplish everything at once for the roster. The offensive line, that's a position group that I do imagine will have a fair amount of turnover as we go into 2026. But we also do feel like it was important this year, and quite honestly, going into next year, to give young players snaps, if we're ultimately going to build the core and foundation that we need to win perennially.”

It's no secret that the Browns biggest flaws are on the offensive side of the ball and Berry will have plenty of work to do in the draft and elsewhere to fix it. The tweaks should begin up front in the trenches, where an older o-line group has phased out. 

Rebuilding an entire offensive line in one offseason is no easy feat, but Berry's comments about anticipating a lot of turnover at those positions suggest there's no guarantee anyone from this current group is back. Joe Bitonio may choose retirement, while Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin, and Ethan Pocic (who is now also injured) were playing in the final year of their respective deals.