Cleveland Browns made their fair share of additions this offseason when it comes to players on the roster, but perhaps their most impactful move was one that not many saw coming.
It was not expected that Mike Vrabel would be let go by the Tennessee Titans but that is exactly what happened. Following that move, the Browns pounced on the opportunity to bring in Vrabel. Despite not being sure if it was actually possible at first, it all came together for Cleveland.
On Monday, Browns general manager Andrew Berry recalled how it went down:
“It was pretty exciting because I remember when Kevin and I were talking about it, we were like, ‘Do you think he’d do this?’ Like, do you think he’d do this? Or he’s gonna, like, maybe want to you know take the year off with his family? And so like we kind of came in, like, softly, tactfully, and it was like, from the very beginning, ‘Oh, yeah, I’d love to do this.’ Like, ‘Yeah, that’d be great.’ Like, it’s pretty cool, because we had all, you know, we had known Mike from, you know, crossing paths. Kevin was on a committee with him and everything, but to see him day to day, I mean, you would think he’s a first-time NFL QC by how much he’s, like, sprinting up and down the field. So it’s just really, really awesome.”
With the Browns, Vrabel’s title is a coaching and personnel consultant. He is working with the offense, defense, and the coaching staff. He is even serving as a racing opponent for quarterback Jameis Winston following each practice.
So @Jaboowins and @CoachVrabel50 race at practice every day and we thought you all needed to witness it 😅 pic.twitter.com/2TAXeWVl6m
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) July 25, 2024
Cleveland is not ignorant to the fact that Vrabel is likely here on borrowed time and that the Browns probably won’t be able to have him around longer than one season. When the next coaching hiring cycle comes around, Vrabel is figured to be one of the more popular names.
“He’s awesome. And we are lucky because I think, and you all probably see it, we’re probably on borrowed time with him, but we’re going to maximize it as much as possible,” explained Berry. “I think he has such a unique perspective because here’s a former All-Pro player, coached in power five college, defensive coordinator, and then very, very successful head coach in Tennessee. So there’s nothing that he hasn’t seen or that he can’t provide insight into whether it’s how we’re practicing on the field, how we game plan, player development, and player support areas, how we think about acquiring players, whether it’s in the draft or free agency. So, we are certainly getting our money’s worth with Mike, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have him here with us.”
Vrabel was a coach for the Titans for six seasons and went 54-45 during that time. He could have taken a year off like Bill Belichick did from the whole coaching thing and probably went into television for the time being. Instead, he is back in the state where he was born and is ready to help Cleveland out in 2024.
