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This Is Believeland – Real Browns Fans Podcast Episode 8: James and Jordan discuss the Nick Chubb extension, a funny drill blooper, and a brand new segment!
Tag Archives: Paul DePodesta
Browns hire Andrew Berry as GM
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The Cleveland Browns have agreed to a five-year contract with Philadelphia Eagles VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry.
Alignment. Shared Vision. Cohesion. Jimmy Haslam stated earlier this offseason that the goal of the Cleveland Browns is to be aligned. Now they appear one step closer to accomplishing their goal. After a long arduous search, the Cleveland Browns will have agreed to terms with Andrew Berry as their next general manager.
Andrew Berry was the Vice President of Football Operations for the Phialdelphia Eagles last season. Once George Paton withdrew from the GM search, hiring Andrew Berry seemed inevitable. Although, Paton really did not seem all that likely to take the job. Paton’s relationship with new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski seemed to be the driving factor behind the two interviews.
Berry will have control over the 53-man roster in Cleveland and will be the youngest general manager in the NFL per Ian Rapoport.
Love it or hate it, analytics is here for the time being. The group led by Paul DePodesta will be dictating all of the moves. DePodesta is Jimmy Haslam’s right hand man and will play a large role in the direction of the franchise. Andrew Berry is going to be the Browns general manager, but Paul DePodesta is still going to carry a lot of pull within in the organization.
The Browns are in a completely different state currently than the last time they went all-in on analytics. There is a lot of talent to work with and they appear closer to being good than bad and there are several potential franchise cornerstones already on the roster. This makes things a bit easier when trying to build a team. It may even lead to a completely different mindset when it comes to the Cleveland Browns and analytics.
Kevin Stefanski comments on Browns GM search
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Kevin Stefanski didn’t have an answer when asked about when the search for the next Cleveland Browns general manager would conclude. Concerning? Possibly.
Kevin Stefanski saying “that’s really not my call” when the was question about the timeline. While there is some truth to that statement, the perception was the Stefanski would be heavily involved in the search for the new general manager. That is at least what Jimmy Haslam preached a few weeks ago. That the team would hire a head coach and he would be involved in the search for a general manager.
What this looks like is that the Browns are considering someone familiar with Kevin Stefanski, George Paton. Paton came in for his second interview with team on Wednesday. What is not known at this time is who the preferred choice is. It really seems like their two options are George Paton and Andrew Berry. Paton being tied to Stefanski and Berry tied to DePodesta and Haslam.
The Browns have reached a crucial point in their GM search. There is someone that the coach clearly prefers and someone that DePodesta and Haslam prefers. The team pounded the table in the sake of alignment, but they may not be as aligned as they say they are at the current moment.
Browns: Andrew Berry’s to-do list
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Andrew Berry is the next general manager of the Cleveland Browns and he will have a lot of things that need to be addressed this offfseason.
The Cleveland Browns will have a large amount of turnover this offseason. Possibly more than in previous years. This could be due to the newly implanted alignment of Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry, and Paul DePodesta versus the previous method of talent collection of John Dorsey. Dorsey compiled a collection of talent, but they were not a team. There was not necessarily a particular vision that Dorsey was working towards, it was all about talent. You can put together the greatest collection of talent ever seen, but if they do not fit it will not matter. Talent can only go so far, at some point they need to be coached and put in a position to win. This has not happened in Cleveland for quite some time.
This is the problem Cleveland faced. There were pieces that did not fit and were led by someone who had no idea what he was doing. This is a terrible combination and ultimately led to their failure. DePodesta will work with Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry to put their imprint on their roster. Andrew Berry has full control of the 53-man roster per reports, but Paul DePodesta will still have an influence on the direction the team heads in. Determining which players fit their vision will dictate who stays and who goes. This means players who may be talented who do not fit may be on their way out.
Supplementing and improving the roster
This goes without saying. Every team has roster turnover. The Cleveland Browns are a team that seems likely to have more than others. A major shift in front office philosophy will see certain players leaving and new types of players coming to town.
Offensive tackles
Greg Robinson and Chris Hubbard were objectively awful in 2019. Before the Browns can even start thinking about how they will put together their offensive scheme, they need to upgrade the tackle position as soon as possible. Cleveland cannot come back with Robinson and Hubbard or players of similar quality. This is the first position that must be improved before anything else is handled.
Defensive line depth
Outside the starting defensive lineman, there is nothing really to be all that excited about on the Browns offensive line. Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Richardson, and Oliver Vernon are great. Whether that starting four remains intact is a different story. Either way, talent needs to be added beyond the starting group. What was seen from the backup defensive lineman when the team was without Garrett and Vernon was far from encouraging.
Fullback
The Cleveland Browns signed a fullback, Johnny Stanton formerly of the Minnesota Vikings. Stanton was signed to a reserves/future contract. With the change in offense, a fullback will now be included in their scheme. Signing Stanton is just step one in the process. Whether or not he makes the team is a different story.
What needs to be considered when adding a previously neglected position back into the mix is that they don’t just need one fullback. They need two. Cleveland needs to have a starter and a backup. Stanton could be either, but another will need to be added before next season starts.
There are only so many fullbacks available at any certain time. Not many are in the league to begin with and even less come through the draft. Cleveland may have to overdraft or overpay in order to properly address the fullback position.
Determining the roster status of players that may be on their way out
This a part of every offseason. This offseason could see a lot more turnover for a multitude of reasons. Certain players have rather high salaries and their production may not equal their current contract. Then there are players who do not align with their vision of the new front office. Finally, there are players that the team may decide they are better off moving on from rather than dealing with their distractions.
The elephant in the room that is Odell Beckham Jr.
Where to start? Odell Beckham Jr. had himself quite the time in New Orleans didn’t he? The new regime may decide that they are better off without the distractions that Beckham can bring to a team. The front office will have to weigh contract and production against what they view as headaches. Beckham is extremely talented, but they may opt to go in a different direction for a multitude of reasons.
Jarvis Landry will probably want out if Odell Beckham Jr. is gone
If the Browns move on from Odell Beckham Jr., they might as well move on from Jarvis Landry as well. Trading Landry’s best friend will not sit well and will definitely lead to some frustration on his part. Add this to the evaluation of Landry in their eyes and he may be on his way out too. It is not about the player, it is about his contract versus his production. Many complain that it is too much to pay the second receiver on the roster.
Kareem Hunt
Many heralded the acquisition of Kareem Hunt. A talented, yet troubled running back who John Dorsey took a chance on, again. Dorsey took the risk of signing Hunt without having to give up anything besides money. This being the only cost may have been all the motivation Dorsey needed in his somewhat reckless quest to improve the roster. Not having to give up a draft pick to his former team to sign Hunt very well could have been the deciding factor.
Hunt was on the free agent market due to his repeated off the field incidents. Now there is a new incident with Hunt being pulled over with marijuana and an open container of alcohol being found in his car. This move seems like a no-brainer. Cut him loose and move forward.
Evaluating their own pending free agents
The status of pending free agents will give everyone a clear picture when it comes to their vision. Will they keep Joe Schobert? What about Damarious Randall? How about Rashard Higgins? All three are due to become free agents and could easily find themselves in a new uniform next season. Analytics love Schobert and Higgins and that may lead to the Browns doing what they can to keep them in Cleveland. Randall will probably end up looking for a fresh start somewhere else.
Things are not going to be quick or easy
This new plan of alignment the Cleveland Browns are embarking on is going to take some time. It is not an easy fix or a quick fix. An overnight turnaround should not be the expectation. There is a lot of work to do. Swapping out the coaching staff and general manager will not make the immediate impact that some expect. The team still has a lot of problems from top to bottom. Putting together a new regime is just step one in a very lengthy process.
Will the Browns move on from OBJ?
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Will the Cleveland Browns do the unthinkable and move on Odell Beckham Jr.?
On the surface this seems like a stupid question. Will the Cleveland Browns move on from Odell Beckham Jr.? No. Of course not. Beckham is one of the best players in the league. It would be foolish to do such a thing. After examining things a bit more closely, it is doesn’t seem so stupid.
Any decision to part ways with Odell Beckham Jr. would not be due to Adam Henry leaving the team. It would not be because of the new regime’s evaluation of the roster. It is not because of Beckham’s arrest warrant. It is the off the field issues combined with what happened during games which could lead them to think this way. The watch, the shoes, the pants, the visor, etc. Everything by itself does not seem like cause to trade the player. When added together, it is a much different story.
The reality is that Jimmy Haslam, Paul DePodesta, Kevin Stefanski, and their next general manager could decide that the team would be better off without him. This group could decide that they are better of moving on from someone who is a distraction to the team.
The Browns are operating in a manner that is going to evaluate the pros and cons of each and every player no matter how talented they are. It is very possible that they decide that there are more cons than pros and move on from the superstar wide receiver.
Browns interviewing Monti Ossenfort for GM
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The Cleveland Browns are still looking to find their next general manager and will interview Monti Ossenfort.
The Cleveland Browns are on a quest for alignment. Finding their next general manager is part of that plan. Cleveland will interview New England’s Monti Ossenfort Friday for their vacant general manager position.
As Tom Pelissero notes, Monti Ossenfort is the college scouting director for the New England Patriots. Houston attempted to interview Ossenfort previously, but the Patriots prevented that interview from happening.
Jimmy Haslam is seeking alignment in his organization. Haslam will look to Paul DePodesta for advice on how to achieve that. The Browns already hired Kevin Stefanski as their head coach. Cleveland is looking to pair Stefanski with a general manager who will work in cooperation in order to achieve their goals.
The Browns were also interested in Andrew Berry and George Paton to be their general manager. Berry had some obvious reservations about the Browns having worked for the team previously. The fact that Berry would not come to Cleveland speaks volumes about just what is happening in the building. Paton was an option due to his familiarity with Stefanksi. Although, it is worth mentioning that he has turned town teams (including Cleveland) in the past. The fact that Paton agreed to interview with the team is a step in the right direction, but still far from anything more than that.
Cleveland appears to have several options that they are exploring. Whether their top candidate actually takes the job is a completely different story.
The Cleveland Browns are a mess
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The Cleveland Browns are a mess from top to bottom. For some bizarre reason, they declined to take action and fix their organization.
The Cleveland Browns did not want to give into the demands of Josh McDaniels. Instead, opting to go with Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski will act as a puppet for Paul DePodesta in his power grab that no one seemed to notice. DePodesta and Co. would rather have someone who will fall in line to their unproven plan and process. Kudos to Paul DePodesta to get Jimmy Haslam to fall for this unchecked power grab. There have been power grabs in Cleveland before. Some have worked (John Dorsey), others have not (Hue Jackson).
The entire coaching search was painted as a fair process that was widespread and at the end of the day, select the most qualified candidate. DePodesta opted to go with his choice from the previous coaching search, making this “in depth process” a complete waste of time.
What would you say you do here?
Jimmy Haslam trusts Paul DePodesta to be the figurehead of the direction they are heading down, again. DePodesta is the Chief Strategy Officer of the Cleveland Browns. What that job encompasses, nobody is quite sure. DePodesta provided a lengthy explanation of whatever it is he does, but he really doesn’t specify what he does.
Just what is this supposed to mean? There is not a clear cut answer that is provided. The entire explanation sounds very reminiscent of a scene from Office Space.
Any and all involvement seems downplayed but reading between the lines of what he says paints a completely different picture. DePodesta states that he will not pick players, only provide the information that allows those who will pick players something to go off of.
“To try and make sure the players we do pick, again align with our vision of what we believe is a winning franchise”.
Paul DePodesta on his involvement in the draft process
Sounds like he is going to be a little more involved than some think. Paul DePodesta may not “pick the players”, but it certainly seems like he will provide those who do make the pick with a group of players that are acceptable according to his standards.
Seems like Paul DePodesta has a bit more power than he is willing to admit and that a lot people fail to realize.
Jimmy Haslam, Paul DePodesta, Kevin Stefanski and whoever else wants to speak can talk about alignment all they want, but this organizational structure still seems broken. The Cleveland Browns may have one vision, but it is a vision put together by DePodesta that expects everyone else to fall in line.
Browns hire Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski
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According to reports, the Cleveland Browns have hired Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski as their next head coach.
The Cleveland Browns search for a head coach has come to and end as they have decided to hire Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski has been with the Minnesota Vikings since 2006. Stefanski replaced John DeFilippo as offensive coordinator in 2018 and held the title for 19 games.
Cleveland has been looking for their next head coach since firing Freddie Kitchens. Now with Stefanski set to be their coach, they will look to hire Eagles Vice President of Football Operations Andrew Berry as their general manager. With Stefanski, Berry, and Paul DePodesta at the helm, expect a heavy analytical influence over how the team handles the roster and their game plans.
Why did this happen?
Kevin Stefanski ultimately won out over the other candidates. Most notably the more accomplished Josh McDaniels. Why did this happen? Well, Stefanski was the choice of Paul DePodesta last season after his enormous sample size of three games as Vikings OC. Why was this case? As we found out Sunday, Stefanski is yielding to DePodesta with nearly everything. It’s pretty easy to see why with DePodesta went with Stefanski. McDaniels wanted big changes within the organization. An organization that has done little to prove it should remain intact. Jimmy Haslam decided to not listen to most likely the only person to say their team has issues. Instead opting to hire someone who will be subservient to their already broken and mismanaged franchise.
Well, Josh McDaniels knows he doesn’t have to cave in to the demands of the Browns. He will get other job offers in the future. Stefanski is looking for his first job. The circumstances are vastly different. McDaniels did not have interest in a DePodesta puppet regime. Apparently that is not a problem for Stefanski. People often will give up a lot in their first chance to be a head coach. McDaniels knows what he wants and it is clearly not what Cleveland currently has in place. Josh McDaniels was able to identify what is wrong with the Browns, communicate that during the interview, and provide a solution to their problems. McDaniels would rather put together a plan to fix things rather than accept their flawed organizational structure.
This was a case of employment vs. unemployment
Paul DePodesta had two options. Recommend Josh McDaniels and be out of a job or recommend Kevin Stefanski and keep collecting paychecks in California in an undefined Chief Strategy Officer role. The nature of humans is to survive. That sometimes means keeping yourself employed. Paul DePodesta’s recommendation of Kevin Stefanski is an act of pure self preservation and nothing more.
Most people feared that the coaching search would be a sham. Possibly leading to Jimmy Haslam hiring Josh McDaniels. Apparently the possibility of Kevin Stefanski being hired in a similar manner did not concern anyone, even though it should have. The team may be aligned, but it will only lead them to their ultimate failure faster.
What is Paul DePodesta’s future?
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The status of Paul DePodesta seems to be up in the air as the Cleveland Browns look to find their next head coach and general manager.
The status of Paul DePodesta has been a talking point since the Cleveland Browns fired John Dorsey. Would Cleveland elevate DePodesta to Dorsey’s role? Would Cleveland look to move on from DePodesta as well? Nobody is quite sure what his future holds.
Daryl Ruiter tweeted the following Thursday about Paul DePodesta and his relationship with those in Berea on a day-to-day basis.
DePodesta works out of La Jolla, California. For someone described as Jimmy Haslam’s right hand man it is a bit strange. Yes, modern technology allows people to work remotely, even across the country. That setup may work well in other situations, but with DePodesta’s relationship with Haslam, not so much. It is easy to understand why people who are actually in the building are miffed when they may be outranked by someone on the opposite side of the country. DePodesta is not in the building on a regular basis. He does not see, hear, or get the feeling of the players, coaches, and other individuals in a position of power. It is hard to truly understand exactly what is going on when not present in the building.
Contract, Stefanski, and McDaniels
DePodesta’s contract expires at the end of the week. Coincidentally this is the same time that the team will have completed all of their interviews. The team is interviewing Kevin Stefanski Thursday and Josh McDaniels Friday.
Some believe that a hire of Stefanski would lead to the team keeping DePodesta while hiring McDaniels meaning the opposite. The only basis for this thought is that DePodesta suggested Stefanski last year and the false perception that New England is not very analytical.
If the team and DePodesta do not come to terms on a new contract he will not be part of the organization in either scenario. There is the possibility that if Paul DePodesta suggests Kevin Stefanski and Josh McDaniels is hired instead he could decline to sign a new contract if offered. This would be the second consecutive year that DePodesta would suggest Stefanski and get overlooked. It would be hard to blame him if he did indeed leave. Three straight coaching searches and being ignored wouldn’t sit well with anyone.