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I still don't see how they can get away with callthe hire a GM when the job descriptions doesn't matter. Sasha is the GM. What they are hiring is a Head Scout.

Dennis Hickey was interviewed.

https://twitter.com/MaryKayCabot/status/690317926583394304

Maybe because Sashi isn't the GM? Plus, the guy was released, we don't have to call him anything and answer to anybody.

Guys, you have to get over the old model. There isn't a strong armed GM anymore.

I thought that Brown referred to the job as VP of Player Personnel, not GM.

Just a heads up, the post you are replying to was made one week ago.

Well ..... it's still a valid point. (I guess)

Browns won't have a general manager; interviewed former NFL GMs Dennis Hickey, Martin Mayhew for VP/Player Personnel



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The Cleveland Browns introduced their executive vice-president of football operations, Sashi Brown (R), and chief strategy officer, Paul DePodesta, during a formal press conference at the headquarters in Berea. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Print Email Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland.com By Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland.com
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on January 21, 2016 at 8:57 PM, updated January 21, 2016 at 9:17 PM




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BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns won't hire a general manager, but they have interviewed former Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey and former Lions GM Martin Mayhew for their top personnel job, sources said.

Former Eagles Director of Pro Personnel Rick Mueller is also on their radar.

Instead of GM, the new executive will be Vice President of Player Personnel. He will not have final say over the 53-man roster because that power has already been given to Browns new Executive Vice President Sashi Brown, the team's former Executive VP General Counsel.

Brown said he expects to make the hire within a week or two, and acknowledged it's a tough time to hire personnel executives.

The Browns have also been blocked by teams from interviewing candidates in large part because they're not offering a promotion to final say over the 53. A league source said the Browns hoped to interview Packers director of college scouting Brian Gutekunst, but the Packers wouldn't grant permission.

"We will find a very talented evaluator, we're confident in that," Brown said during his introductory press conference Thursday. "The hubbub of back and forth about guys getting blocked is fairly natural. It's just kind of one of the oddities of an NFL schedule. At the same time people are building their draft boards and going into free agency and relying on their personnel guys, teams are trying to pluck em out of there, so it wasn't a surprise to us. Frankly we expected it.

"A lot of these guys are really talented and vital to their organizations, so we weren't surprised to know that some of the GMs around the league weren't excited about having their guys walk out the door right now, particularly because some of these teams have set their draft boards already, so there's a lot of proprietary information.''

Related: Sashi Brown non-committal on Josh Gordon
Related: Sashi Brown non-committal on Josh Gordon
Sashi Brown acknowledged it's too early to tell if Josh Gordon will play for the Browns again after three suspensions under the substance abuse policy.

Brown explained that the top personnel man won't have the GM title because his role won't be that broad.

"We do feel like we want someone here who's focused primarily on personnel and talent evaluation,'' said Brown. "It is critical to what we'll be doing. So stretching him into other things was not something (we wanted to do). That person will also be very involved in personnel decisions and driving our personnel function. It was important to get someone that was primarily and almost exclusively focused on (talent acquisition)."

Brown stressed that although he'll have final say over the roster, it will be a collaborative effort, with Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta, coach Hue Jackson and the new personnel chief having major input.

"I do ultimately have the decision-making authority over the 53," he said. "I think anybody who has worked with me understands I want to listen, I want to make sure everyone's input is weighed as we make the decisions that will be Browns organization decisions.''

Hickey, 44, was fired by the Dolphins Jan. 2 after less than two years as GM. He was brought in partially for his ability to develop the team's analytics department, which makes him attractive to the Browns.

But when the Dolphins hired Mike Tannenbaum last year as Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Hickey's role diminished. Before joining the Dolphins in 2014, he spent 17 years with the Bucs.

Mayhew, 50, was GM of the Lions from 2008-15, during which the club went 41-63. They made the playoffs twice, but lost both times in the wildcard round. He was fired at the bye week this season after the Lions got off to a 1-7 start.

Mueller served as Eagles Director of Pro Personnel in 2014-15 being let go after last season. He's also been a Vice President of Player Personnel for the Saints.

Brown explained why he feels qualified to have final say over the roster when he's been general counsel and the salary cap specialist.

"This is my 12th season coming up,'' he said. "I've been involved in a lot of the decisions in terms of 'how do you build a roster?' We think that's as strategic as it is important to have the evaluations of players. That's the strength I bring in terms of strategy of it. We will rely heavily on what we already have – our talented personnel staff and (the new) vice president of personnel. He and I will work together with Paul and Hue collaboratively to make sure we make the best possible decisions for our organization moving forward.

"That really is my role to bring all the information together and make the best strategic decision each and every time. That's going to mean in part – and only in part – using analytics but largely based in talent evaluation. We plan on putting together a great staff and that's what we'll do."

Brown acknowledged that he'll watch more film and that he'll interview players at the Senior Bowl next week.

"(Film study) will become an increasing part of my role,'' he said. "I'm looking forward to working with Hue and the staff here and trusting in our scouts. We have some talented scouts here and will probably add one or two more and making sure when I pull all that information together we're making the best possible decision about players.

"The one thing people will say about me is I do work across departments well and I'm able to keep them aligned strategically and get to a consensus and the best possible decisions."

Louie Cioffi on way back

Former Browns defensive backs coach Louie Cioffi, who's been in that role with the Titans for the past two years, will rejoin Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton in Cleveland, according to Fox Sports. A source also told cleveland.com that former Browns defensive lineman Nick Eason, a coaching intern here in 2013, will be Horton's defensive line coach. He was assistant defensive line coach in Tennessee, and the Titans are trying to promote him to line coach to keep him from leaving.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ss...art_river_index

What could possibly go wrong?

Given the state of the Browns, that's not exactly a feather in your cap, Sashi.



It might be that it's too early in the day, but I don't know WTF he said here.

LOL...........I don't either.

Anything can go wrong, or RIGHT! Here's the thing, we've tried over and over again to follow generally accepted ideas of what a front office is supposed to look like.

It hasn't worked. Really it never worked.. and for you, I mean that even with Banner.

So, we can follow that path again, or maybe it's time to think outside the box. Frankly, there is one little oddity in this (Sashi being responsible for the 53 instead of a GM) but the rest is actually normal. In terms of the FO that is.

What Hue is doing with his staff is, once again, outside the box. At least in terms of titles that have been handed out anyway.

Plenty of thing COULD GO WRONG. But that's always the case.

Just like hiring an offensive assistant.. the "GM" spot will be the same..

Need someone who doesn't mind saying "Im just here to help. This isn't my show." lol

You should love this approach...It's how Banner had personnel reporting to him.

Hey I ain't dead yet

Yeah, but the difference between Banner and Sashi Brown, is that Brown is well thought of

What do you want well thought of or proven winner? Banner involved with winning teams in Philly.

Yes and Mike Lombardi is involved with a winning team in NE. Does that mean we should bring him back?

We haven't even begun yet, and your rolling eyes? Why don't you let this play out before throwing everyone under the bus? What could possibly go wrong, is you Harping and Harping, Over and Over

The Janitor that cleaned out the executive bathrooms at the Eagles HQ was also involved in winning teams in Philly.. Wanna hire him?

What's banner doing now? Is he with a team?

ofcourse not. why would we want any part of winning?

Reread your post and tell me what you prefer? Cleveland last 15 years or New England. So, Banner and Lombardi ain't loved. Can they change Cleveland? To bad, they were never given a chance.

Don't get me wrong I am not a Lombardi fan, but seeing football in Cleveland these last 15 years...I'm desperate! I don't need nice guys give me winners.

I don't see any correlation/relevance of this comment to what is being discussed.

My point is that I think it is poor logic to assume, because one person was employed on a winning team, that it equates to that individual personifying that success here.

Banner pulled the same crap in Philly that he tried to do here, Total Control. That's why he's gone, he made a mess.

j/c:

Man, some of you never cease to amaze me.

Am I one of them?

Yes, but in a good way.

Yes! I made another list.

I'm still in the wait and see camp, although sometimes I slide into the cautiously optimistic camp if I'm having a good day.

That article didn't significantly bump me out of there, but I didn't really like Sashi's interview. I really wanted him to say that he's just a guy that's there to make sure everything hums along between the FO, and that he only had ultimate control of the 53 for the rare times he had to step in and be the tie breaker, and that most of the time the actual decisions makers would be the coach, VP, etc that reported to him. From the interview it sounds like he is actually the one that's going to be running things. I don't like that very much, and it calls back into question his experience and background and how qualified he is to hold his responsibilities.

I see this interview as a momentum killer after 1-2 weeks of good/not terrible announcements. Still need to wait and see.

2 ways to look at this:

1: That he is going to be the final voice in personnel decisions, no matter what. If he likes/dislikes a particular player, he will overrule everyone else.

2: The he will act more like a CEO. He will take all of the input from all sources, decide how to weight the various opinions, look for consensus when possible, break ties, and only overrule others when he feels that a huge mistake is about to be made, based on all of the data the team has presented.

If he functions as the CEO, listening to the right people, about the right things, at the right time, then he'll do well. If he decides that he is right no matter what, well ...... then we will likely have a problem.

These guys always say the right things now, but when the losses start piling up they ALWAYS get power hungry.

http://nfltraderumors.co/browns-interviewed-lions-personnel-exec-brian-xanders-for-front-office-job/

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns interviewed Lions senior personnel executive Brian Xanders for their executive vice president/player personnel opening.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam joins Hue Jackson and Sashi Brown at Senior Bowl

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2016/01/browns_owner_jimmy_haslam_join.html

well our main scout was there...

Come on man....I'd bet most owners go. Plus, it's a pretty sweet place, especially this time of year. Usually upper 60's, low 70's this time of year. Who wouldn't want to spend some time in that?

If he didn't go then there would be posts on here stating that the owner doesn't give a crap.

I believe he is there interviewing potential candidates for the open Player Personnel position.

The only other that usually goes is Jerry Jones. Supposedly Haslam went to make sure everyone is working together well.



There are other, much better, places that have similar weather. Especially when you are filthy rich.

Thanks P.....hope all is well. I suppose that wrestler son of yours is pretty much a grown up man by now.....Father Time doesn't take a break.