Browns Not Likely To Be Punished For Alleged Rooney Rule Violation; Latest On Kenny Britt
- It does not sound as if the Browns will face any discipline for their alleged violation of the Rooney Rule in their hiring of John Dorsey. La Canfora reports that he spoke last night with John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, and Wooten indicated that his concerns with Cleveland’s GM search have been addressed. Wooten added that he has no issue with the hiring of the highly-qualified Dorsey (Twitter links).
- The waiver period for claiming the contract of former Browns wide receiver Kenny Britt ends tomorrow at 4pm, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes. While Cleveland would love for someone to claim Britt off waivers, thereby absolving the Browns of the balance of his salary, that seems unlikely at this point. Florio writes that Britt wants to sign with a playoff contender if he clears waivers, and that the Patriots could be a team to watch in that scenario.
Dave Gettleman Is Giants’ Top Choice For GM
We have heard over the past several days that former Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is emerging as a frontrunner for the Giants’ newly-available GM job, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that Gettleman is currently the team’s first choice to permanently replace longtime decision-maker Jerry Reese. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports hears the same thing, and he says it would be an upset if someone other than Gettleman got the job.
As Rapoport observes, Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch almost always hire individuals with ties to the organization, and Gettleman served as the Pro Personnel Director and the Senior Pro Personnel Analyst with Big Blue before he was hired by Carolina in 2013.
Gettleman was able to get the Panthers out of salary-cap hell and lead the team to the playoffs in each of his first three years in Carolina, including an appearance in Super Bowl 50. Carolina finished 6-10 last season but is back in the playoff hunt in 2017 with a roster largely constructed by Gettleman, which is why his ouster in July was so jarring and why it is no surprise to see him back in the GM conversation so quickly. Rapoport notes that Gettleman has stayed in touch with friend and confidant Ernie Accorsi, who is serving as the Giants’ consultant for their search.
New York, though, does plan to give interim GM Kevin Abrams a legitimate chance to win the job. Rapoport and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com report that the Giants also planned to interview former Chiefs GM John Dorsey before the Browns swooped in and hired him (which is perhaps why Cleveland acted as swiftly as it did).
The Giants want to hire a GM before hiring a head coach. If the team hires Gettleman, current Panthers DC Steve Wilks will get serious consideration for New York’s head coaching job, although the desirability of that position will draw a host of top-tier candidates.
Draft Picks, Cap Space Attracted John Dorsey
- Paul DePodesta and John Dorsey have yet to meet, with their first summit set to come when they watch Sunday’s Browns-Packers game together. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports the team’s chief strategy officer was not in on the GM’s hiring, and the longtime Browns reporter doesn’t see how this setup will work. The former MLB exec and Dorsey will each report to Jimmy Haslam, with some potentially contradictory philosophies, while the Browns attempt to move on from a chaotic period that was largely caused by disparate-thinking voices in the building.
Sashi Brown Attempted To Help Browns Find Football Exec?
The Browns were officially without a top decision-maker for less than 12 hours, firing Sashi Brown and hiring John Dorsey on Thursday. That process, though, unfolded for the past several weeks.
And Brown himself might have been part of it. The Browns enlisted the help of Hall of Famers Bill Parcells and Ron Wolf to help land a football executive, Michael Lombardi of The Ringer reports (on Twitter). The former Browns GM added Brown was involved in this process. Lombardi, however, points out Brown thought he would join the new football-based exec instead of being replaced.
Jimmy Haslam appeared to be toying with that notion as well. The owner initially wanted to bring in a football voice to complement Brown rather than replace him, but after research, he decided Brown couldn’t be part of the new equation. Interestingly, Brown lieutenants Paul DePodesta and Andrew Berry will. And each won’t have to report to Dorsey, in a unique arrangement.
Rumors about the Browns searching for execs with stronger football backgrounds came out of Cleveland back in mid-October, and although the Browns denied it, that point in time seems to add up with the five- to six-week search process multiple outlets have reported encompassed this shakeup effort.
Wolf’s involvement is interesting given that he’d played this role before. The former Packers GM has done this at multiple junctures in the past. He served in a consultant role and recommended the hire of Mike Holmgren as team president and also met with Haslam late in 2015, doing so prior to Haslam’s decision to bring in the new-age front office.
Wolf’s son, Packers exec Eliot Wolf, was mentioned as a possible candidate, but it’s clear the Browns were not especially interested in going through traditional channels via offseason interview process to fill this vacancy.
Pollard Alliance To File Complaint Against Browns
The Browns say that they satisfied the Rooney Rule by interviewing Doug Whaley for their GM job. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, however, is not satisfied with their explanation. John Wooten, the chairman of the group, says that the Browns failed to comply with proper procedure by not telling the league about the Whaley interview. 
[RELATED: Pollard Alliance Releases HC, GM Candidates]
“For whatever reason, [owner Jimmy] Haslam or whoever is running their operation there did not report that they had interviewed a minority candidate before they announced that they had signed John Dorsey,” Wooten told PFT. “That threw the whole thing into question, because everybody was asking, ‘Who did they interview?’ Well, we checked with the league, and the league said it had not received any information on who they interviewed or anyone that they intended to interview. Under league rules, the fact that Doug Whaley and John Dorsey were not in the league, they could in fact talk to those guys, but you still have to report you talked to Doug Whaley, and they didn’t do that.”
Initially, Wooten said he was “livid” about the team’s quick hiring of Dorsey because the Whaley interview had been kept under wraps. He’s not quite as angry now, but he has asked civil rights lawyer (and former candidate for the NFLPA’s top job) Cyrus Mehri to file a complaint with the league.
“That’s where we are,” said Wooten. “We’re still waiting for the league to clear this up. We’ve put it on their table. It’s their responsibility. It’s the team’s responsibility to tell the league, and the league gets it to us. We’ll let the league decide what they want to do there [as far as any punishment].”
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/17
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted to active roster: S Justin Currie
New York Jets
- Activated from non-football injury list: CB Jeremy Clark
- Waived: CB Robert Nelson
Browns Release Kenny Britt
The Browns have released Kenny Britt, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. Because the trade deadline has come and gone, Britt will be subject to waivers. 
This marks John Dorsey‘s first move as Browns GM, and it’s a massive one. This past offseason, the Browns signed Britt to a four-year, $32.5MM deal. He was a monumental disappointment, however, with just 18 catches for 233 yards and two scores to date.
The story on Britt hasn’t changed much since his collegiate days. Although he is a tremendously talented athlete, his suspect work ethic has prevented him from fulfilling his true potential. The Titans used a first-round pick on him in 2009, but he floundered after his first two NFL seasons. The light appeared to go on for Britt last year when he eclipsed 1,000 yards for the Rams, but one has to wonder if he was motivated strictly by his impending free agency.
There was internal conflict between head coach Hue Jackson and former Browns czar Sashi Brown about whether to play Britt, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Jackson was not a fan of the temperamental wide receiver, so it sounds like Dorsey is off on the right foot with his coach. Jackson benched Britt on Oct. 29 against the Vikings and sent him home early when he missed curfew on the eve of their Oct. 15 game against the Texans (Britt was injured, but did not make it back to the team hotel until 1 a.m.).
The league’s 31 other teams will have an opportunity to claim Britt, but it’s not terribly likely that anyone will take on his contract. Meanwhile, the Browns are out $10.5MM – the amount fully guaranteed to him at the time of signing.
Latest On Browns, John Dorsey
The Browns dominated the news cycle on Thursday by canning top decision maker Sashi Brown and, hours later, replacing him with ex-Chiefs GM John Dorsey. On Friday morning, owner Jimmy Haslam formally announced Dorsey as the team’s new GM and shed some light on the team’s power structure going forward. Here’s a look at the highlights from Haslam plus more news on the Browns’ future plans:
- Haslam says the current plan is for head coach Hue Jackson, Dorsey, and executive Paul DePodesta to report to ownership (Twitter link via Andrew Gribble of ClevelandBrowns.com). “[Hue] and John will be working closely together for a long time,” Haslam said.
- Because DePodesta reports directly to Haslam, Dorsey will not have the authority to fire him, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer hears. The Browns also want to keep Andrew Berry as the Vice President of Player Personnel. Dorsey, will have the opportunity to hire and fire others in the personnel department, but it sounds like he has been asked to work with both DePodesta and Berry.
- Haslam reiterated that Jackson will be the coach in 2018. He then went a step further, adding: “I think it would be a mistake to just zero in on ’18. We’re planning on Hue Jackson being our football coach for a long time,” Haslam said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon).
- Dorsey has control over the 53-man roster in his contract, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). That means he’ll run the draft, free agency, and all other facets of constructing the team. In Kansas City, coach Andy Reid had control over the 53-man roster.
- The failed A.J. McCarron trade on the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline had nothing to do with the team beginning to pursue Dorsey five or six weeks ago, Haslam insists (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal).
- Things reached a boiling point between Jackson and Brown in August when the team cut cornerback Joe Haden, despite already having plenty of cap space, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports hears. Jackson’s frustration was later compounded when Haden signed with the rival Steelers. Jackson was also riddled with anxiety on draft day since the front office was undecided about the No. 1 overall pick until the morning of the draft. The latest source of tension came from the McCarron deal. Robinson hears that some senior members of the coaching staff felt that Brown had either gotten cold feet or purposely sabotaged the trade.
Browns Interviewed Doug Whaley
Prior to hiring new GM John Dorsey, the Browns also formally interviewed former Bills GM Doug Whaley, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). They also informally touched base with a few other possible candidates. 
A cynic might look at the Whaley interview as a cheap ploy to satisfy the NFL’s “Rooney Rule,” which stipulates that a minority candidate must be interviewed for every GM and head coaching job. As soon as Sashi Brown was shown the door, it was reported that Dorsey was the frontrunner for the job. Less than 24 hours later, Dorsey was hired. It seems unlikely that Whaley ever had a real chance of landing the position.
Before news of the Whaley interview came out, John Wooten, the head of Fritz Pollard Alliance, said he was “livid” over the Browns’ immediate hire of Dorsey.
“I think John Dorsey is a very top quality GM,” Wooten told Jarrett Bell of USA Today Sports. “I am livid that the Browns would totally ignore the work all of us to make the Rooney Rule meaningful.”
With multiple GM vacancies expected to open up this offseason, it’s possible that Whaley will get some real bites. Then again, he might have to rebuild his reputation before landing another NFL GM job. The Bills’ best record during Whaley’s tenure was 9-7 and they did not qualify for the playoffs in any of his four seasons at the helm.
Browns Hire John Dorsey As GM
That didn’t take long. The Browns have reached an agreement to make John Dorsey their next general manager, Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com report (on Twitter).
This move comes hours after the team fired executive VP and de facto GM Sashi Brown. The Browns announced the move.
Jimmy Haslam had already spoken with several executives to get a read on this search, and it’s clear that was done while Brown was in his final weeks as the team’s top decision-maker. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets this process unfolded over the past “several weeks.” He adds Hue Jackson was consulted.
Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com reports (on Twitter) Dorsey will receive a four-year contract. The Akron-based Browns insider reports the team interviewed two candidates formally and spoke with “two or three more.” Interestingly, Ulrich adds Dorsey will report to ownership along with Jackson and Paul DePodesta — the team’s chief strategy officer who was a key part of the Brown-era front office. So, a blending of philosophies will occur in Cleveland in an interesting arrangement.
Dorsey, though, will have final say over the 53-man roster, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports (on Twitter).
Morsensen tweets a handful of candidates were considered for the job; they just weren’t affiliated with teams presently. This made for an interesting search, all while Brown was still working as their top executive. Haslam will speak at a press conference Friday.
“We are thrilled to have John Dorsey lead our football operations,” Dee and Jimmy Haslam said. “John has been immersed in the NFL for 26 years, won two Super Bowls, built sustainable winning football teams and is highly respected for his football acumen. We know we have a critical and very positive opportunity ahead of us to profoundly impact the foundation of this football team.”
The Browns did not have to adhere to the usual waiting period to conduct interviews with GM candidates. Since the Chiefs fired Dorsey in June, he was free to interview with any team. Dorsey served as Kansas City’s GM before being abruptly canned. Prior to that, the former linebacker spent many years working with the Packers. He was once thought to be a possible Ted Thompson successor, but he will instead work on one of the most unique rebuilding projects in NFL history.
“Football is what I know, it is what I love, it is what I have worked my whole career at, and I thrive on every element that goes into building a winning football team,” Dorsey said. “I have spent a majority of my football life with two franchises that also have storied history, and I think I have a feel for the mentality of the fans in Cleveland and what it would mean to recreate the success this franchise once had. I also have quickly realized how passionate Jimmy and Dee are about bringing a winning team to the city and would have not taken the job if I didn’t think the right ownership was in place.
“I am eager to work with Hue, his staff, and our personnel department and help bring us the success these fans so deserve.”
Dorsey will take on a much bigger challenge than he did in coming to the Chiefs in 2013. Although the Chiefs were 2-14 in 2012, they had a not-that-distant history of being a competitive franchise. The Browns are an incredible 1-27 since their new regime took over in 2016 and have not made the playoffs since 2002. They have not had a winning season since 2007.
Jackson said earlier today he did not want full personnel control, believing it was too much for a head coach to handle. He’ll now work with Dorsey, who has experience working alongside — and not necessarily above — a head coach. Dorsey and Andy Reid worked in tandem to rapidly rebuild the Chiefs, who rebounded from that 2-14 2012 campaign to make the 2013 playoffs at 11-5 and qualify for three AFC brackets in four years.
The Browns’ new leadership structure will have a bounty of draft picks to work with thanks to Brown’s unorthodox methods. Cleveland has five first- or second-round picks in the upcoming draft. The Texans’ second-half struggles could have the Browns armed with two top-10 choices.
Cleveland’s scorched-earth rebuilding effort also has the team equipped with a staggering $108MM in cap space, so it will be interesting to see how Dorsey and Co. proceed.