By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — “Alignment” is good only if everyone is lined up in the right direction.

“Alignment” was what Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam sought following the firing of GM John Dorsey and coach Freddie Kitchens after the 2019 season.

They wanted a GM and a coach to not only have the same general approach to football, but also have the personalities to work well together.

Looming over the change was Paul DePodesta, the team’s chief strategy officer.

While never stated publicly, it’s obvious DePodesta has emerged as the person with the most football-related influence over the Haslams.

DePodesta pushed for the hiring of Kevin Stefanski as head coach before the 2019 season.

Dorsey went with Kitchens. Both are gone.

DePodesta remained, and Stefanski is now the head coach.

Andrew Berry has returned to be the general manager.

The three Ivy League products are disciples of analytics. Yes, most Browns fans hear “analytics” and they think 1-31.

One win in two years (2016-17).

In 2016, the front office headed by Sashi Brown and DePodesta stripped down the roster. Coach Hue Jackson said he understood what was coming in terms of dumping veterans when he took the job, but he couldn’t stand the pain. Nor did he buy into the emphasis on stats driving the organization.

Alignment?

There were so many hands grabbing the wheel and jerking it in different directions, it set up yet another chaotic crash for Brown,Jackson and eventually Dorsey.

THE SURVIVOR

DePodesta is the one survivor from 2016, and he gained influence. Berry eventually left the Browns for he Eagles during the Dorsey administration. He returned after Stefanski was hired.

DePodesta.

Berry.

Stefanski.

Alignment?

In theory, that should be the case.

The Haslams have been intrigued by analytics because they used data to reveal what customers bought (and didn’t buy) in their Pilot Flying J stores. It helped them make wise choices when it came to ordering inventory. Why can’t it work with player acquisition, if applied the right way?

There was one other problem in 2016 beyond the philosophical difference between the front office and some of the veteran coaches.

DePodesta, Berry and Brown were new to their jobs.

No matter the approach — traditional football or analytics — they were likely to make some major rookie mistakes.

“It has been a great learning experience for me,” DePodesta said in his Thursday conference call. “I feel a lot more comfortable today than I did four years ago in terms of my knowledge of players. ... warning signs. ... that type of thing.”

DePodesta came to the Browns in 2016 directly from the New York Mets, where he was vice president of amateur scouting and player development. He was a “baseball guy,” one of the Godfathers of baseball’s Moneyball approach.

IT’S THEIR TIME

DePodesta has been through drafts with two guys whose views varied widely — the new football age Brown and the traditional Dorsey.

Now Berry comes back to the Browns after spending some time with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Stefanski has been with Minnesota, a solid organization.

DePodesta and Berry have discussed having “a specific plan” for free agency. Spend on offense, especially the line (tackle Jack Conklin) and tight end (Austin Hooper).

Both men and Stefanski use the phrase “quarterback-centric” to describe their big offseason moves. They want to back QB Baker Mayfield with a better line, a strong pass-catching tight end and a role model backup QB in Case Keenum.

Stefanski and Berry have brought a human element to choosing players.

Both rattle off their mantra of “smart, tougher, accountable” in terms of the type of people they want in a Browns uniform. Dorsey tended to let talent blind him to significant character flaws in players.

IT’S MONEY TIME

Now the comes the draft, and the need for a left tackle.

The training wheels should be gone from this group. The temptation will be to trade down in the draft. DePodesta said the team was open to dealing up or down, but admitted, “We do have a philosophy, that more picks is better.”

That’s true, assuming the picks are used wisely.

The decision they make in this draft regarding left tackle has enormous implications for 2020. If they don’t draft a viable tackle at No. 10, they better find one elsewhere.

Other draft decisions are important, too.

But the big test is how they answer the left tackle question.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/04...FNN41QBIhJ86TOk

Rought ro RuRu ....

Had to quit reading after the first line ....

KJ DID NOT GET FIRED TERRY .... just ask Peen, WSU Willie and the sashiettes ...

Man is that silly rabbit in tWouble ... *L* ...

And then it went from bad to worse ... you’ll be hearing from GM & Peen soon Terry ...



...

I don't make the news, I just report it.

Then there's this little gem....



Now, suddenly Pluto will be a hack. You know how that works.

j/c

I am SOOOOOOO over hearing the over-used, completely abused buzzwords "moneyball" and "analytics".

Good grief. You know what it says to me when people throw these words around? It tells me they haven't the slightest clue at all what they actually refer to. They're just using buzzwords to sound "in the know" or to paint a picture.

I'm sure there is contact information at the provided link with how to send Pluto your thoughts about that.

I guess this might provide another hot item to debate and poke each other over during the slow season ....

Most important thing for me in this, is right at the end:


""The training wheels should be gone from this group. The temptation will be to trade down in the draft. DePodesta said the team was open to dealing up or down, but admitted, “We do have a philosophy, that more picks is better.”

That’s true, assuming the picks are used wisely.

The decision they make in this draft regarding left tackle has enormous implications for 2020. If they don’t draft a viable tackle at No. 10, they better find one elsewhere.""

If they get it right and Stefanski can coach - no-one will care about any of the rest of it. . . . get it wrong and we'll be rinsing and repeating sooner than any of us want.

To an extent I agree with you. But to me it's more about the people who are actually make the pick or choice in how they address the LT position and Stefanski's ability to hire his staff.

I mean I really don't feel it will be Stefanski who will be in charge of working with and coaching our new LT. Bill Callahan certainly seems like a qualified man for the job.

So now we're back at looking at who is actually in charge of making the pick. And will they ever actually tell us that anyway? I highly doubt it. As it stands, Andrew berry is the Brown's GM. So the buck stops there.

Let's hope it all works out.

And some of us are sick of hearing how we now have "smart" guys in charge and they will do a great job. It works both ways.

Hue Jackson sucks.

No, I like Pluto. I just read it differently that you and Diam.

Dorsey wasn't fired. It was agreed he should move one when he couldn't agree to some changes. It is subtle.

There is no doubt Depo emerged as the last man standing and his influence has gained traction. Berry is still the guy with the final word. Not Depo.

I am glad Depo is here over John Dorsey, Hue Jackson or Freddie kitchens.

I think Berry, Depo, and Stefanski are going to be a very good team, and field a very good team.

But then again, I felt Dorsey was going to be the guy to get it done, but he turned out to be a bum.

As to the article, I do see alignment. All three of those guys talk the same language. Will it work, no telling until some time passes.

Thus far it seems to be. We have two guys in the FO working to provide the coach with players who fit his vision on how he wants the O to operate.

Hey, you know my feelings of fullbacks, at least the ones we have had. Stefanski deems the FB important, so I am glad we got one, and one who looks like he is more that just a meathead going in to the hole.

Right now I couldn't be happier with Berry. He has made bold moves and went out and got good players at position the coach feels we need.

I couldn't be happier with the strategy Depo has put in place.


It's pretty obvious we aren't ripping anything apart as some feared once Dorsey "resigned". LOL. OK...semi fired, how about we find neutral ground on that one. He should have been fired for the Kitchens hire, and I like Freddie the person and position coach. It became clear pretty quick I didn't like him as the head coach.

We will now see what the draft holds. If the right LT is there and our scouts have them rated, sure take him. Maybe move up if it makes sense. Move back when it makes sense.

As I have said elsewhere, I don't really want the 4th best LT with the 10th pick...4th best being determined that 3 other teams chose someone else.

I only want him if that's the guy we really wanted, but we will never know if we take him. Of course we will say we got our guy, but still, when other teams passed on him for someone else, I can't discount that. Other teams have good scouting departments.

The worst thing we can do is draft for need. Depo said we would stick to our board. If 2-3 tackles go before we pick, there will be better players on the board then the left over tackle.

Becton as an example, he may be quick today, but how is he going to be when he can afford more hotdogs? The guy is big and powerful, but he is a blimp. We don't even know what he weights today. Just sitting around the house, I could see him reporting to camp whenever that happens at near 400 lbs.

I wouldn't touch that guy with a footlong, because he would rip it out of my hands and eat it in 4 seconds.

Terry Pluto is a jerk and he needs to proofread his typos before he releases his next trash column.

Amazing.

Take it Pluto is not a very popular person, go figure!

I stopped reading after the title.

The analytic regime labeling irks the crap out of me.. Its the Berry and Stef show.. period. Let the analytic label go!

I don't think he was amazing.

I am just jerking a chain or two in fun.

I liked John. He just screwed the pooch in hiring Freddie. He should have hired Stefanski. Actually, he should have kept Greg Williams, but Greg is a strong personality and that would have never worked because John didn't want that.

The history of the Browns regimes indicate all had an approach as to how to draft and build a team.

Given the turnover and record. Their best laid plans failed.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-draft/0ap3...d-of-2020-draft


If you take the time and look around at the record of current GM's; you can see success does not come easy.

In the end analysis whatever plan or approach is put to use. Results are the true measure of success or failure.

I am not going to attach a label to our current regime. What I know is Haslam hired them.

Who we end with. How they are coached. And what record they end with will define them.

All I can do is wish them well and hope we win.

Part of the reason I have not gotten into this off season is I am burned out from the process, the hype, and then the results.

I just want to win. When the 2020 team hits the field to play real games we shall see.

We have some talent. We have a unproven head coach and GM. That does not mean they can't be good at their job. It simply means they have not proven a thing one way or the other.

True, but it is obvious the last group on top of the hill couldn't remain, just as the others before.


I still think we would have been better today had we kept John Collins and canned the doofus Savage.

Is that an actual quote?
Did Depodesta actually say "More picks is better"?
Did he actually use the word is after a plural word picks, and not the word are.

What is our language coming to, or should I just say
What R R language commin 2.

... I'm gonna go crawl back in a garbage can now.

He are "smart."

Smrt

Their best laid plans got Jack(son)ed up. Here's hoping Depo's plans don't get (st)effed up this time. At least he wanted Stefanski, so there's that.

It's laughable that people believe Dorsey actually did a good job.

I wouldn't say that. I think he did a very good job in some areas, and you and I are aligned in several areas. He did a good job of turning the roster around, but he did have the picks to do so. Some people seem to ignore the fact that was the plan.

The guy hired a weak coach because he wanted the coach under his thumb...at least that is my opinion, and I get the sense not many people in the building liked the guy. He just struck me as a dismissive gorilla, lumbering around the building. Not a personality many could warm up with. Plus, he looked like a goon. I like my GM looking like Berry looks. Put on some clothes and look like a professional for crying-out-loud. It doesn't have to be some expensive suit, though there is a time for that. How about a nice pair of Khakis and a crisp polo. That works. Short pants and a ratty sweatshirt just don't work for me. This guy is leading my team?

He was hard to watch as well. Pucker your lips up like a fish and say "the game of fooball" 5 or 6 times and you will have it down.

That's fair.

Did he make a few good moves? I'd say yes. Did he do a good job? I'd say no.

I also think Jimmy has his "dream team." If things go awry for him this time, where would he turn to next? I get the overall sense that this group will get every chance to prove themselves and we won't see a changing of the guard after a year or two despite what history has shown.

Your first post in this thread is some of the best pack pedaling I’ve seen in years ...

I will say that I learn something new every day. In the "New Uniforms" thread I've found out just how many fashion experts we have on the board. And in terms of Dorsey it seems as though we have many with the education prowess to perform psychological diagnosis.

Its that 0 + 0 = 0 thing bro ...

Or perhaps he's just referring to this..

Dorsey - Williams Link

Oh, the "suggestion".

The Article, the hype, the opinions, the offseason;
Not just this quoted above, but All of it is all blah blah blah to me at this point.

Which way do the Browns go after Depodesta, Berry and Stefanski leave?

I don't quite understand why John Dorsey had to go, even if they had to decide to move on from Freddie Kitchens.
If It came down to Dorsey or Depodesta I'd pick Dorsey so fast peoples heads would be turning, saying
"Where'd he go"
"Where'd WHO go"

I'll agree, nobody ever did a good job as GM of the Browns; if someone would once agree that doing a "good job" wasn't necessary,
what WAS necessary was "not doing a terrible job" and not pulling gimmicks like;

Aww Forget it, it's too hard to explain.
Football Sense!
FOOTBALL SENSE!

probably more likely 5.1 seconds if he's consistent

looking around.

He Hired Daboll to be HC? or the front runner candidate this past coaching search when you were the last job available and experienced candidates were staring you in the face?

I checked out when they hired Stefanski,
I'm always wrong so the Browns might start winning now.

HA!

The table is set!

The Browns went 7-8-1 in 2018 and 6-10 in 2019, climbing their way out of the worst two years in Cleveland Browns History, 1 win 31 losses.

If the new crew can improve the team enough to win an additional 4 more games in 2020, the Browns should be PLAYOFF BOUND.

Just win!

Glad to see you are still good,

Hue Jackson still sucks.

I'm not sure what your point is. first, I didn't write the article. And second, by the time Hue was fired I think everyone agreed with you.

And I will miss Marvelous Marv down there just a bit above Kentucky. But not Hue here.

Go, Browns!

I don't believe in trading down. Unless you have a proven system in a class organization like New England or Pittsburgh or Baltimore where you can get guys in rounds 3-5 to overachieve and leave in free agency for MORE 3-5 round picks it just sucks. It's a terrible strategy that leaves you with Corey Coleman, David Njoku, Jabrill Peppers etc.

You end up with 2nd or 3rd rate players at a 1st rate price, it's asinine. If you are drafting in the top 10, you need to be striking not wilting. If we think the top player in this draft is going to be ELITE, we should be trying to move up. If money ball see's us move down, which it has shown it will do in the past, I am out. We have too many good players to think we need to be stock piling draft picks.


I said this when the Steelers had Ben talking retirement, they needed to trade up in their closing window, they did not and ended up with Mason Rudolf....gross.

To my way of thinking each year is a different story. To make a general statement about trading up or down is not logical.

Every year each team is in a different stage. Players in the draft are different. Where you are drafting is different. Any trade takes more than one team.

Simple put you can not generalize.

There are way to many factors involved.

FYI- If someone likes the selection or not, Njoku was a matter of trading up.

LOL...add yourself in to the crowd, but actually the word you were seeking is analysis, not diagnosis. But still, a good entertaining post. I like how you brought in uniform and fashion experts. That was good my friend. I hope we can figure out a way to share a brew sometime in the future.

Maybe when things clean up and we actually play games, I can drive up to Nashville and meet at a Browns Bar. When that time comes, I will look for a day when the Preds play at 7pm on a Sunday. A perfect day of sports. Watch the Browns, then the Preds, and finish up at Tootsies for some real country music.

I hooked my wife Pat on hockey about 20 years ago. I took her to a Lightening game in Tampa. Seats on the glass. She's been hooked ever since. A fight between Hatcher...a big goon for Dallas and whoever was right in front of us, banging the glass a foot in front of us...she said, " THOSE GUYS ARE REALLY FIGHTING" I said that's the game. Emotions run high when somebody puts a stick in your face. LOL....I remember it like yesterday.

I always like to say that I went to see a fight and a hockey game broke out.

The last time I drank was when GM met me here for a game some years ago. I had a couple of beers then. It's not like I swore off drinking or anything. I just kind of lost my taste for it. But I'd be more than happy to have a few brews with you and catch up on old times.

jc..

It sure appears that the Browns GM Andy Berry decided against playing moneyball with the #10 pick. Berry didn't trade down "to get more bites of the apple" but stayed at #10 picking the best OT available, Wills from Alabama.

The Browns had a huge need at OT and used our hard earned #10 pick to address that need..kind of like a normal draft.

I won't say that Moneyball is dead, but it is obvious that our GM Andy Berry used his ability to judge talent to make a solid pick at #10. I believe Berry likely leaned on the opinion of our scouting department as well HC Stefanski and OLine coach Bill Callahan...and that is the way it should be.

jmho, mac

...who are you and what have you done with mac?

You just can't let go of your disdain for Depo, can you mac? Depo surely deserves at least some credit for the pick...

or, more likely, you misunderstood what "Moneyball" is all along and they're still just sticking to the plan.

You've created this entire idea in your mind around what "Moneyball" is and it isn't anything like what you think.

We're still doing it..... it's simply using more information and sticking to a plan (and actually HAVING a plan).



Long Live Moneyball!!

I'd rather not give him any credit for the pick, and instead give him credit for supporting the guys making the picks however he can (aka his actual job description).

While Depo didn't make the pick, he should be given credit for identifying value through analytics. I am probably being 'clumsy' trying to convey my thoughts here...

No, you are not being clumsy. I get it. If the pick is bad, Depo does not deserve blame because he had no say in it. If it's good, he deserves credit.

LOL..........just messing w/you. Kinda-sorta.

I don't know if he deserves credit as much as it helps us to validate the processes. It's less about credit than knowing that the processes and ways of doing things we're implementing are on the right track.

Oh dear, it seems that I am not expressing my opinion in the way that I mean. Perhaps 'credit' is a poor choice of words, rather that Depo should be recognized as having 'input' into the selection process through usage of analytics...

I think they blew it! I mean they didn't trade down, right? They weren't drafting a QB so more picks are always better. What a mess!

Maybe DePo doesn't have as much influence as one once thought?

Maybe Depo agreed with the pick because we are building a team on an already strong foundation rather than tearing the team apart. Let's not pretend Depo didn't get the HC of his choice.

I thought we were having fun with purple

Or maybe it was Berry who agreed with DePo to nab Wills...

In any event, I feel like they could do several episodes of the Twilight Zone just based on the last 4-5 years in Berea. And I don't mean a simple twist at the end, I'm talkin that deep, philosophical thought provoking reveal they used to have in the black and white days when you had to contemplate the sanity of mankind.

Still lots of draft left, and even longer to figure out if these were good picks or not... but I'll put this here anyways.

I had BIG concerns about what was essentially seen as a second go at the Sashi Brown regime. Those concerns were mostly born out of my opinion that that group was good at flipping draft picks/players for great value and leveraging an already poor roster (talent-wise) for maximum "rebuild ammo"... but wasn't any good at much else. I was concerned they would pick up right where the left off in terms of dumping good (if expensive) talent.

I'm not saying they're good (or bad), but I think we've seen enough to know that this FO isn't simply that FO again. They were aggressive and spent in FA, they apparently saw who they wanted in the draft and got him instead of trading out for more, lesser-impact picks.

Maybe it was silly to even suggest we were restarting The Plan, but regardless, I'm happy the FO is proving that wrong.

PRP...I didn't misunderstand anything..we have lived it for 4 years now. This draft so far has been conducted like adults who have some knowledge of what a football player is...that is refreshing for a change.

You might like trading down, passing over needed talent to gain draft picks, I happen to believe it sends a message to everyone..may the Moneyball folks will "try to win, NEXT YEAR"

It was a good pick done in a way that most of the NFL would have done it...I applaud GM Berry for doing the smart thing.

There is still a couple days left in this draft.. I will comment that the appearance thus far is that of a team on the same page. Of course none of us is there to confirm or deny.

I agree that on the surface, which is all we have privy to, everyone appears on the same page. BTW- Thanks for the articles you sent me this morning.

Indeed.. this may be the biggest thing thats occurred even above the good pick they made.. being on the same damn page. What a novelty after all these years since 99

One note of caution however. In every case from the past, the message we were told is that everyone was on the same page. Only when things got tough did we find out how incorrect that actually was. That's when the fractures rose to the surface.

Hopefully this time will prove out to be different.

Also true.

Like these picks so far. Geez, I hope we have enough guys left to cut. Did Dobbins go yet? I was surprised he was still around. But so is Mel the K.

Four picks down, and nary a head-scratcher to be found. Good. Very good.

Like this post^

I like this line of thinking, can I apply it to a thought, (one I refuse to believe), that Hue Jackson never had any say in who was on the Browns teams' he coached.

Nevermind, it's water too under the bridge.

I really just was wondering how this draft is going to compare to the one which Brought Kizer,
side by side, didn't they stay put on pick #1 if my memory recalls correctly.

No doubt. As we have seen in the past, the coach is the one to panic first. Butch Davis, who had as much influence as any coach in our rebirth panicked.

We had another who panicked, can't think of his name right now. OK, I can, I brought up Butch not to rub salt.

Butch is a classic example.

I just think it's a natural thing among any group of people. I don't think it pertains to any particular group.

When things are going smoothly, everyone in a group sees themselves working together as being something easy to do. Success breeds harmony. When that same group of people sees what they feel as the wheels coming off, each person in said group looks for answers to right the ship. (Yes, I'm aware ships do not have wheels.)

It's just a survival mechanism we see all the time.

A lack of success sows division.

I've been told boats can fly... lol

They are all 'on the same page'...until they are not.

Sort of like 'don't worry, my dog won't bite'...until it does.

I have to say, I think Berry, Stefanski, and Depo had a very good draft.

Berry and Stefanski getting scheme fit players, Depo reminding them a trade down at this point can be a big advantage. Gain a 3rd rounder to drop 4 slots, and there are 5 players we have ranked the same that all fit what we want to do.

Take the 3rd rounder and take who is left.

Seems like a no brainer to me, except it does take brains.

We have solid football people and people with brains. A good combination.



Also, maybe just a beef of sorts, our guys look sharp. That is important to me.


Freddie and John looked like a couple of Hobo's. They made enough money they could afford to spend $5000 on 4-5 outfits that were tailored to fit and not look some cheap, off the rack Sears sports coat, and maybe get a haircut that cost more than $10..

Even if casual is your thing....Depo goes casual, but he still has a nice pressed shirt or Polo, and some nice slacks with a nice belt and deck shoes or slip one's, He's not lugging around in a $15 sweatshirt and cargo shorts. I can't go to my golf club looking like that.

Dress for success has meaning. It still means something. Think about it, when you dress up, you feel a little special. You think sharper, people look at you differently. People listen a bit more intently. It's true.


Andrew Berry. He get's it. GQ sharp. The guy takes pride. He probably spends $60 a week for someone to shape his beard.


Good for him. That's what I want my guy to look like. Damn Right.




Oh, as a edit, this is just my opinion. If you like the hobo look for whatever reason, cool. I am not pointing fingers.. I am just saying I want my executives looking the part.

I know some people really value image over substance.




Meaningless vanity is a strange tangent to go on about. I guess maybe office people should dress better than football people. I mean since you feel a need to take cheap shots I'm happy to throw them back at you.



I'm sure a lot of common folk hang out there. Relating to common fans instead of snooty people isn't a bad thing. Except in your ivory tower.



Dress for success is something they tell people "trying to become successful". If someone feels a need to "dress up" to feel special or get people to listen to them, they have serious issues that clothes can't fix.




Then maybe you should "hire you some people."






That's a lie. You are most certainly pointing fingers. And in case you missed it"you" don't have any executives. That snooty attitude of yours is disgusting.

Do u think no matter who they drafted Mr. Peen wouldn’t have given them major kudos? ... ..

I guess Ballpeen wouldn’t hire Bill Belichick.

I didn't think it was all that snooty. Appearance does matter when you're in a position of authority.

As Jules said, it would be terrible to have Beilchick here and we certainly wouldn't want Andy Reid in his Hawaiian shirt. I mean they aren't "GQ worthy" of their jobs.

And yeah, it was pretty snooty. I care about results.

The thing is I do agree with him about their draft. At least on paper. We won't know until we see them on the field.

But anyone worth eyes can see it was a diss towards the former regime. As smart as Peen is, he could have done a much better job of disguising it.

I'm not sure. What I can tell is he would have used the way they dressed as a dig at the former FO and coaching staff.

Everyone knows you can’t be successful in the NFL if you don’t dress nice.

Ya, ya, ya I heard that for years as I wore my Browns gear every day to work, including a ball cap, while others thought they had to wear a suit and tie.

I made more money for the dealership, and had a higher customer satisfaction rating than all the others wearing their suits and ties.

Agreed. I’m a casual guy, but I believe that dressing well is important in some circumstances.

Which ones?

LOL I remember Belichick here, walking around in a trash bag.

It was incredibly snooty ... unless of course u think Bake and the rest of the team would have played better last year if KJ and Freddie wore suits and ties ...

I could care less what my GM/HC wear .. thats like 43rd on my priority list ... how high up your is it .... worded that way on purpose ... *L* ...

I know you’ll take it the right way And *L* ... unlike the tight sphincter gang better known as the sashiettes ...

Hey, it just me. I said it was just MY opinion. I don't need a long lecture about substance. You really think I need that?




You might not care. Cool. I do. I don't want the front office looking like a bunch of bums.

It wasn't a dig.....well, maybe it was to a degree.


I can get the coach maybe looing like one of the guys, plus, he was a redneck boy,but Dorsey needed to dress up. He looked like a big goof stormtrooping around the building.



Again, it is just my opinion. I don't know what he made, but he could have shown a bit more respect to ownership and fans and worn a bit better than a $15 sweatshirt and baggy cargo shorts.

I go to the Browns web and they are selling $150 sweatshirts and $95 polos, and John Dorsey looked like a hobo. Face it, he did. The guy was a goof.



Again, JMO

I get what you're saying, I just don't really agree. I'd be lying if, during one of the Dorsey/Freddie PC's, I said I never rolled my eyes at how they looked on camera. I know I'd get a stern talking to if I rolled into work like that, and I don't have anyone reporting to me, don't talk to customers, and certainly am not on TV.

... but I don't care. Identifying pro and college talent is WAAAAY more important than how he looks.

And I don't totally disagree either, but when you are sitting at the top of a $billion deal, I think you should at least look professional casual.


You know, maybe a $90 polo. A pair of slacks you had tailored to fit for maybe $150. Strap on a belt that cost you $70 and some shoes on which you spent maybe $200 Depo dresses that way. You don't have to be like Andy wearing custom $1600 suits. I didn't mention a Navy Blazer. All men need one of those. You might drop $600 on one, but a good one lasts forever, and has enough cloth in the back and sides to allow for some moderate weight gain. Just pay the tailor to give you a few more inches....it's what you pay them for.



You are the leader. Look the part. Dress for success.

The best dressed may not get the job, but the worst dressed isn't.


Just saying. A tip of wisdom shared for you younger dogs. Have some clothes you can mix and match to look like a $million.

A wedding
A funeral
A job interview

Sounds good.

His wardrobe has not improved.

Well that's a good start, but it is not an answer.

I remember when I transitioned to my own business as I went from wearing a Suit and tie everyday to the office at Lake Success, NY 5 minutes from the city lines.

To my office downstairs (no basement due to vacinity to Ocean) So day one working for myself. In my suit and tie with briefcase saying goodbye to me wife and sons. locking the door.

Fast forward to 60 days down the road...I go downstairs with my coffee dressed in my t-shirt and boxer shorts and slippers.

lol. So I was Peen day one and ended up like Pit by day 60



I was the same guy...

j/c

You can get away with one of not looking like a professional or not acting like a professional, not both.

Honestly, if you don't act like a professional it's probably not going to work regardless. People will point out how they dress as kind of an outward example of that lack of behind the scenes professionalism.

It's kind of fun to hear the silly quotes, but over the long haul you've got to do more than drop one liners in press conferences. You've got to have a plan and work it. Motivation only works for the short term if you don't keep a solid foundation underneath it.

Work (usually, depends upon what you do for a living).
Occasions such as funerals and weddings.

Other ones. If I have to explain it, you probably won’t get it.

jc...

I'm encouraged with this draft because it looked less like MoneyBall than any draft Depo's been involved in.

We didn't see our draft team taking unneeded chances just to gain draft picks. I credit the football guys knowing what positions were their priority and who they wanted to fill those positions.


Stefanski and Berry did their necessary homework to evaluate the talent and instead of firing our "football scouts" Link

3 weeks before the draft and it looks like Stefanski and Berry read those scouting reports...

...and that change is a breath of fresh air.

The truth is NONE OF US know how good or bad this draft might be. I've learned to wait to see the rookies on the field before attempting to judge their play. There will be a ton of fluff stories with so called internet evaluators telling us how good so and so is.

My hope..we have football in the fall so we can judge the 2020 team on the field...hope for football!

Good to see you still kicking.


We all hope we have a season this fall.

I don't think it was ever as "Moneyball" as you feared, but Depo isn't "just" a baseball guy anymore. People tend to get better as they gain more experience, so he/we have gotten better. It seems so, anyway.


I agree, I think it was a pretty good draft. As you said, one never really knows until the rubber hit the road, but the initial feeling is we got at least 2-3 really good players.

Guys like Wills and Delpit for sure. They played at a high level for teams that played at a high level. One kid I am really excited to see is that Michigan receiver who was maybe our last pick.

We might have gotten a absolute steal with that kid. Let's hope so. Every once in a while you need to get a all-star type player with a later round pick.

Go Browns, and stay safe

They didn't? We could have had Delpit at 41 but instead traded back a few spots to gain a draft pick before selecting him. I'm glad it worked out, but it still sounds like it was a risk they didn't have to take...


I guess that was a Sonny Weaver going with his gut gamble instead of a serious analysis of what the next few teams needed compared to what was on the board and our odds of still getting our guy...

I agree with what you are saying. Image plays a huge role in confidence in what you represent. Anyone giving you crap on this is just being selective.

With Dorsey and Freddie their relaxed style didn't really inform my opinion on their ability. The League has pushed this relaxed style for HC's on the sidelines so I can't fault a guy like Freddie too much. Dorsey? When I see someone who makes an effort to make it obvious they are going against the grain, for me it just translated in to not taking them as serious as I could.

Someone mentioned BB... if one Googles "Bill Belechik Browns" you'll see a plethora of photos where he is wearing a team polo and slacks. A couple with a sweatshirt or wind breaker and slacks, appropriate to the weather.

Wow. I almost never post here, but damn, two and a half pages about expensive clothes and a sixty dollar shave? I mean, the former front office left a lot of things to be desired, but their sartorial choices weren't one.

Need one? Maybe not. Deserved one and had one coming? I think so.

Hue Jackson really sucks.

I'd bet they had a pretty good idea of what other teams were going to.

You also have to consider that Winfield went the pick after we selected Delpit. I think we would have been happy if we had to "settle" for him. His being on the board mitigated the risk factor to make it worth the trade.

Exactly -

If they had essentially the same grade on 3-4 different players who were available - either at the same position or at different positions considered positions of equal need - then trading back 4 slots makes all the sense in the world. OR you are certain that teams do not need safeties in the picking between the pick you trade and the pick you acquire .... Someone can always trade up, but even so, there are smart risks you can take.

Of course - if there is ONE guy on the board you want and is rated higher than everyone else and is literally BPA and stands alone - take him.

No doubt, but having very clear delineation between players is maybe the top 15 picks of the first round. After that players get grouped. Now that doesn't mean a team might just decide this is the guy based on need, or interview, or whatever.

The fact Winfield was there made the trade a easy decision.

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDo...QIBRAI&ep=6

Director of analytics for the Ravens interview.

That was a good listen. Thanks.