Safari Achieved: Kitchens secured

[ajz20]

Agreed, just throwing a couple names with prior Kitchens connections out there that we could potentially hear.

I could not imagine a worse hire for DC. I don’t see Dorsey ever allowing it either.

 

[CBBI]

I really don't care one way or the other which one of these guys is the head coach.

I just want the guy that the entire organization believes in and is willing to throw their full support behind.

Dorsey vetted these guys for weeks and weeks, he gathered intel, he conducted the interviews. If Dreamboat Kevin is his man, he's my man too.

 

[Jordan]

That MKC article makes it sound like Stefanski will be HC. She notes how he was the only guy to get a second interview and that he was asked who he’d keep for his staff, but importantly, the same does not hold for Kitchens.

 

[chrisrich91]

Yeah I just don’t see the appeal for a guy like Stefanski to jump ship on the Vikings organization for the OC job here. It’s not even a lateral move for him...it’s a demotion.

He’s been there for 13 years, and now he’s ascended to the position of OC with playcalling duties. What is the rationale for him leaving that situation to join the Browns as Freddie Kitchens’ OC where he will be working for someone he has no ties to and he will not have the ability to call plays?

If we’re getting a Stefanski/Kitchens pairing, I have to believe it’s with Stefanski as the head coach. Which to me almost guarantees that this is Freddie’s final season here.

 

[Frank Stallone]

Yeah I just don’t see the appeal for a guy like Stefanski to jump ship on the Vikings organization for the OC job here. It’s not even a lateral move for him...it’s a demotion.

He’s been there for 13 years, and now he’s ascended to the position of OC with playcalling duties. What is the rationale for him leaving that situation to join the Browns as Freddie Kitchens’ OC where he will be working for someone he has no ties to and he will not have the ability to call plays?

If we’re getting a Stefanski/Kitchens pairing, I have to believe it’s with Stefanski as the head coach. Which to me almost guarantees that this is Freddie’s final season here.

Which is just absolutely fucking insane (and true), but I guess we shall see. Not sure how I feel about this.

 

[MoFlo]

Yeah I just don’t see the appeal for a guy like Stefanski to jump ship on the Vikings organization for the OC job here. It’s not even a lateral move for him...it’s a demotion.

He’s been there for 13 years, and now he’s ascended to the position of OC with playcalling duties. What is the rationale for him leaving that situation to join the Browns as Freddie Kitchens’ OC where he will be working for someone he has no ties to and he will not have the ability to call plays?

If we’re getting a Stefanski/Kitchens pairing, I have to believe it’s with Stefanski as the head coach. Which to me almost guarantees that this is Freddie’s final season here.

His contract is up in Minnesota & unless I missed something, there haven't even been any reports stating Minnesota has even expressed any interest in bringing him back as OC.

There's also reports that Zimmer blocked the Giants from hiring Stefanski as their OC heading into 2018, so maybe Stefanski has a bad taste in his mouth about that.

 

[Frank Stallone]

His contract is up in Minnesota & unless I missed something, there haven't even been any reports stating Minnesota has even expressed any interest in bringing him back as OC.

I saw a few people say that he is still considered a "leading candidate" for the job.

 

[Smooth]

That MKC article makes it sound like Stefanski will be HC. She notes how he was the only guy to get a second interview and that he was asked who he’d keep for his staff, but importantly, the same does not hold for Kitchens.

I mean just earlier in the day, MKC put out an article saying all signs pointing to Kitchens being the guy with this—

Freddie Kitchens has a good chance of being named head coach of the Browns, sources tell cleveland.com, and many signs are pointing that way.

One source close to the situation told cleveland.com that the Browns seem to be closing in on their man, and that it could be Kitchens. Another source told cleveland.com that several assistant coaches have already been asked to stay on.
​

And you also had this from Rapoport earlier in the day—

View: https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1082704211178070017?s=21


I think the second interview could be to see how Kitchens and Stefanski mesh and any “staff” requests could also be strictly on offense, with it being anticipated he’d bring some offensive coaches...

With the way the Browns having guarded Kitchens throughout this process, I have a hard time seeing them hire Stefanski and Kitchens wanting to stay on...

 

[Triple-S]

View: https://twitter.com/brownsnrthjrsy/status/1082699693879103488


Our (perhaps) new coach versus the old one.

good...fucking god.

Bar none Hue is the worst there will ever be. Dude sounds like he was a type of guy involved with the early 2000s Cavaliers.

 

[chrisrich91]

His contract is up in Minnesota & unless I missed something, there haven't even been any reports stating Minnesota has even expressed any interest in bringing him back as OC.

There's also reports that Zimmer blocked the Giants from hiring Stefanski as their OC heading into 2018, so maybe Stefanski has a bad taste in his mouth about that.

This could be true. I was just assuming the Vikings OC job was still his if he wanted it based on this tweet:

View: https://twitter.com/tompelissero/status/1082718559455887360?s=21


But of course it’s very possible that that’s not the case. If the Vikings are moving on from him, then that definitely changes things and I could see him joining as Freddie’s OC. I really hope that’s the case.

 

[CBBI]

The Vikings' bold move to fire John DeFilippo last week and promote Kevin Stefanski to the position caught the attention of several NFL teams who already were considering the rising coach for possible head-coaching openings, league sources said.

There is a dearth of coaching candidates with significant experience coaching quarterbacks and calling plays on the offensive side of the ball, and teams are going to lengths to identify potential candidates at a time when supply may not meet demand. Most if not all of the highly-regarded college coaches with a quarterback/play calling pedigree have given NFL teams signals they are staying at their respective schools (with many of securing contract extensions in the process), and with NFL owners all seeking "the next Sean McVay," it is promoting front offices to research coaches who are not household names.

Multiple NFL teams are conducting preliminary research on Stefanski, a former defensive back in college who has NFL experience with every position group on the offensive side of the ball except the offensive line. The Vikings blocked him from going with Pat Shurmur to the Giants to be their offensive coordinator, and some in that organization believe he should have been named Minnesota's offensive coordinator last year. Now, with DeFilippo fired, he has the chance to call plays and orchestrate what had been a stumbling offense for the final three weeks of the season, with other executives watching closely.

It is not out of the realm of possibility for a playoff push to thrust Stefanski, 36, into a position to interview for head-coaching openings, sources said. He has worked for NFL teams since 2005 and moved steadily up the ranks with the Vikings since 2006, spending seven of those seasons coaching quarterbacks in one capacity or another. He has earned the respect of quarterbacks like Brett Favre in the process, is very well regarded in coaching circles and grew up around professional sports, with his father an accomplished NBA executive.

The Vikings have prized his work and continued to promote him through several head-coaching regimes, he has an Ivy League education and relates well to players. His profile resonates strongly with NFL execs and owners inclined to lean towards bright, young quarterback-driven head coaches, I'm told, and there will be no shortage of those in demand as young quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield (Browns), Josh Rosen (Cardinals), Sam Darnold(Jets), Lamar Jackson (Ravens) and Jameis Winston (Bucs) could be among quarterbacks with new head coaches in 2019.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...kings-thrive-under-the-offensive-coordinator/

LaCanfora article from before Stefanski’s first game as playcaller/OC in Minnesota.

He was clearly on NFL teams radar as a possible head coach before his 3 game OC stint.

 

[DJTJ]

HC: Kitchens
OC: Stefanski
QB: Lindley
RB: Saxon
WR: Henry
TE: Heiden (if let go by Arizona)
OL: Wylie

Looks damn good to me

Maybe I’m wrong, but Heiden’s TE’s were absolutely dreadful in Arizona. Second worst group on the whole roster in terms of performance behind the line, which also was never healthy.

I blame Steve. Just don’t get how every TE you have could play that poorly. No blocking. Gresham seemingly fumbles in every huge moment or dropped a pass. And Ricky Seals Jones and Seth Devalve have a lot in common.

 

[spydy13]

Yeah I just don’t see the appeal for a guy like Stefanski to jump ship on the Vikings organization for the OC job here. It’s not even a lateral move for him...it’s a demotion.

He’s been there for 13 years, and now he’s ascended to the position of OC with playcalling duties. What is the rationale for him leaving that situation to join the Browns as Freddie Kitchens’ OC where he will be working for someone he has no ties to and he will not have the ability to call plays?

If we’re getting a Stefanski/Kitchens pairing, I have to believe it’s with Stefanski as the head coach. Which to me almost guarantees that this is Freddie’s final season here.

The Browns are about to become a high profile gig and Zimmer is probably one shitty year away from being canned, so tying yourself to a place where you have more long term security and a greater light to showcase your abilities for a head coach gig is not a bad thing.

 

[prf100]

I feel like Stefanski will be named the HC. Do you really bring back someone for a 2nd interview in order to offer them the OC job?

 

[MoFlo]

I feel like Stefanski will be named the HC. Do you really bring back someone for a 2nd interview in order to offer them the OC job?

I think part of the reason people are thinking he's gonna be the HC is because it's been labeled as a "2nd interview"..

That may be the case & he may end up being named HC, but at this point there's nothing that's preventing me from thinking this could very well have been an "OC interview" for Stefanski as opposed to a "2nd HC interview".