NFL position coaches are often unnoticed by fans.
If they’re being talked about it’s usually not for a good reason.
However, they carry importance on the staff and can help with both player development and game planning.
Chad O’Shea, wide receivers coach for the Cleveland Browns, plays an important role within the organization.
He doubles up as the passing game coordinator, a key component of today’s NFL.
O’Shea’s responsibilities are even greater now with a young Browns receiving core.
With no Odell Beckham Jr. or Jarvis Landry heading into this season, it’s an inexperienced group.
They’ll need to develop, quickly, to get Cleveland back to having a high-octane aerial game.
O’Shea will be a huge part of making that happen.
Leading by Example
Donovan Peoples-Jones is a perfect guy for these young Browns receivers to look up to.
He’s only heading into year number three himself. However, he’s taken major strides as a professional and knows how to work hard.
His targets more than doubled from year one to year two, and for good reason.
BAKER ➡️ PEOPLES-JONES
TD pic.twitter.com/py8PbyPGEk— Cleveland Sports Fans (@CLE_SPORTS_FANS) November 7, 2021
O’Shea wants third-round pick David Bell to take a page right out of DPJ’s playbook.
He went further in-depth earlier this month in an interview with Nathan Zegura.
“Donovan was a young player when he came in this league, and he learned from some guys that kind of taught him along the way… hey here’s how to study, here’s how to go about your business”, said O’Shea. “That can be really beneficial to you as a player, and that’s what my expectation for Donovan is with, for example, a guy like David Bell”.
As a coach, O’Shea knows there’s only so much instruction he can give to a player.
He’s smart enough to know he can count on DPJ to help the rookie Bell elevate his game.
Familiar Faces
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
That’s the case for new Browns receiver Jakeem Grant.
Grant and O’Shea spent time together in the Miami Dolphins organization in 2019.
Grant impressed O’Shea, as the receivers coach explained in a previous edition of Building the Browns.
“We’re excited to get the player, but I’m even more excited to get the person here in Jakeem Grant”, O’Shea said. “He’s a team guy, very unselfish, works extremely hard, and again we’re so excited to have his talents here”.
Leadership is crucial with so many new and young faces in the Browns’ receiving core.
O’Shea is a coach who understands that while also knowing that pure talent also goes a long way.
He’ll be able to relay that message to some of the younger receivers on the roster and point to Grant as an example of success.
Position for Success
Expectations are high for a second-year man Anthony Schwartz.
However, that doesn’t mean overcomplicating things.
Instead, when asked about what he wants to see Schwartz accomplish, O’Shea kept the goals simple.
“Getting open and catching the ball. We try to make it real simple. I don’t want to put a catch total on it. I don’t ever want to put expectations of certain stats and those things”, said the receivers coach. “For him to help us contribute in winning, he just needs to get open and catch the ball”.
Sometimes it really is as easy as that.
No, getting open and catching the football against an NFL defense isn’t easy.
But the goal for this year for Schwartz is easy in terms of knowing what to focus on.
O’Shea understands this as a coach, which is a win in and of itself.
He’s putting Schwartz in a spot to perform well without making things too complex.
ANTHONY SCHWARTZ FIRST CAREER TD 🙌 pic.twitter.com/s1ot29wWfk
— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) December 26, 2021
Knowing Your Role
One of the best things a young player can do is understand their role.
O’Shea wants exactly that from his young Browns receivers, as he mentioned to Zegura.
“This is a room right now that I’m coaching that just doesn’t have some guys at the top that you’re looking at to be competitive”, said O’Shea. “I really see the entire room having a chance to be competitive in different roles and in different ways”.
The self-awareness and maturity from O’Shea are important.
He knows there are rookies and practice squad guys from last season filling out his room.
Yet, he intends to use that as a strength in getting guys to compete for specific roles rather than depth chart spots.
Man for the Job
The success or failure of Cleveland’s young wideouts doesn’t fall solely on O’Shea.
Someone still has to throw the football to them after all.
Yet, the Browns are counting on him to play a huge developmental role, and for good reason.
He’s a smart coach that understands leadership and character need to play a role in his receiving room in addition to ability.
Listening to his entire interview with Zegura, it’s clear O’Shea enjoys evaluating young guys and getting the most out of them.
Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski should feel confident watching the receivers develop under O’Shea this season.
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