New Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is coming off a pretty impressive season in Cleveland.
Van Pelt, who worked as the Browns OC from 2020 through last season, coached five (!) different starting quarterbacks in 2023 and still managed to help Cleveland reach the playoffs. One of those signal-callers was 39-year-old Joe Flacco, who experienced a career resurgence under Van Pelt and won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award.
So, why did the Browns let Van Pelt walk after the season? Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot provided insight into the team’s decision during a recent appearance on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast.
“Really just it’s all about new energy, new vibe. Actually, they haven’t even really said it quite like that, but that’s basically what the idea was,” Cabot said, per MassLive. “They are gearing everything towards Deshaun Watson this year and I think they wanted a coordinator that had experience working with dual-threat quarterbacks and that’s their bent. That’s what they like to do. Really, Alex is very steeped in the West Coast scheme. It’s not that he’s not open-minded or open to new things, but I think they just kind of wanted a dual-threat QB expert. And we know that (new Browns coordinator) Ken Dorsey has worked to great success with Cam Newton, with Josh Allen, and they just wanted someone like that.”
Cabot added: “I just have a feeling that there was some kind of a paradigm shift that they were seeking when it came to Deshaun Watson and what he can do vs. what Alex Van Pelt is comfortable with.”
The Patriots were happy Van Pelt was made available this offseason, and head coach Jerod Mayo was immediately impressed by the experienced coordinator’s ability to confuse defenses. Van Pelt also values players over scheme, which could be a beneficial mindset in New England where elite talent might not be in abundance this season.
A gift could be on the horizon for Van Pelt, though, as the Patriots very well could use the No. 3 pick in the draft on an uber-talented quarterback.
