The Cleveland Browns plan to have Minnesota Vikings assistant general manager George Paton back after their initial interview Saturday.
Whether or not George Paton was going to interview with the Cleveland Browns seemed to be a bit of a toss up. Paton has turned down the Browns before and appeared to be on the same track again. Initial thoughts were that Paton was only entertaining the idea due to the hiring of Vikings offense coordinator Kevin Stefanski as their next head coach. Apparently there appears to be genuine interest in the position. Paton was in Cleveland Saturday and will come back to Berea to continue their discussion.
George Paton is just one of the candidates to be their next general manager. Andrew Berry and Monti Ossenfort are also in the mix. The Browns are on their quest towards alignment. That means trying to find the best fit possible to work together with Kevin Stefanski and Paul DePodesta. Berry was in the building previously before departing to Philadelphia prior to this season. Ossenfort has a lot of experience, but no real connection with the front office or coaching staff. While he may provide some objectivity to what the Browns vision is, he may not be on board with everything they want to do.
Cleveland does not appear to be in a rush to hire their next general manager. The Browns took their time when it came to hiring their next head coach. With no decision being made after their first round of interviews this past weekend, it appears that this process could also take a fair amount of time. Cleveland needs to find the best match for their franchise. That could be George Paton, it could also be someone else entirely. The fact he is returning to continue their discussion is a sign that he may be their leading candidate.
UPDATE
George Paton will be in Cleveland today for his second interview.
This could lead to George Paton potentially becoming the next general manager of the Cleveland Browns. It could also lead to Paton deciding to pass on the job leaving Cleveland to explore other options.
