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Andrew Berry

Browns Extend HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry

June 5th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be on tap for this offseason, the Browns’ extension agreements with Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry are now official. The team announced its fifth-year HC-GM combo is signed long term.

This represents rare territory for the Browns, who shuffled through numerous coaches and GMs during the Haslams’ first several years as owners. After two playoff berths in four seasons, Stefanski and Berry did enough to show ownership they should be at the wheel for the foreseeable future.

Rumblings of the Browns readying extensions for their power brokers emerged in March, and a recent offering from cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot pointed to the deals being close. The Browns have posted their best four-year win percentage under Berry and Stefanski since the 1986-89 run. Although this regime has not matched the Marty Schottenheimer-Bernie Kosar teams in terms of consistency or postseason accomplishments, it has elevated one of the NFL’s perennial doormats to a contender position.

“Despite facing multiple player injuries and using five different starting quarterbacks, Andrew and his staff built a roster that adapted well, while Kevin and his staff led the team to its second playoff appearance in four years, earning Coach of the Year honors for the second time in that period,” Jimmy and Dee Haslam said, referencing the 2023 season, in a statement. “They are two of the brightest people we know, and selfless people who only care about what is best for the Cleveland Browns.”

Since the Haslams acquired the Browns in October 2012, they have employed six full-time head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Stefanski) and six front office bosses (Tom Heckert, Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, John Dorsey, Berry). Prior to the Stefanski-Berry 2020 debut season, the team had gone 1-for-21 in playoff berths since rebooting in 1999. While the Browns have seen some stumbles (particularly at quarterback) during this duo’s tenure, their 2023 showing presented cause for optimism. With two 11-win seasons since 2020, the Browns are now 37-30 since Stefanski and Berry took over.

Stefanski, 42, joins Bill Belichick, Bruce Arians and Ron Rivera as HCs to win two Coach of the Year honors since 2000. The second one certainly solidified the play-caller’s case for an extension. The Browns gave Stefanski a five-year contract in 2020. Teams almost never make HCs lame ducks, the Dallas situation notwithstanding, and Stefanski is the longest-tenured Browns HC since Belichick (1991-95). None of the current Browns franchise’s coaches match Stefanski’s longevity or success, and the ex-Vikings OC managing to steer last year’s team to the playoffs marked quite the accomplishment given the circumstances.

The Browns withstood season-ending injuries to Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb and their top three tackles yet managed to win 11 games. Stefanski coaxed a stunning resurgence from late-season free agent signee Joe Flacco, who claimed Comeback Player of the Year honors despite only starting five games. Winning a playoff game proved too daunting a task for this ragtag cast, but Stefanski’s 2020 Coach of the Year offering produced a playoff upset (over the Steelers). That win came with Stefanski at home with COVID-19, though the Browns nearly toppled the No. 1-seeded Chiefs a week later.

Due to the 2022 Watson trade, Berry’s path has been a bit rockier. The Browns became the first team since the 1976 49ers to give up three first-round picks for a veteran quarterback, and Jimmy Haslam pinned the idea for guaranteeing Watson’s entire five-year, $230MM contract on his GM.

Watson has struggled, with his 2023 health issues coming as replaced starter Baker Mayfield — who succeeded under Stefanski in 2020 before struggling amid injuries in 2021 — found his footing again in Tampa. As the Browns have no choice but to make it work with Watson, the roster Berry has assembled has proven successful despite its QB.

Draft choices under Berry’s predecessors still represent some of the top Browns pieces. Berry, however, reached extensions with Chubb, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Wyatt Teller. The GM also extended Joel Bitonio while acquiring Amari Cooper for only Day 3 draft choices. Berry acquisitions, along with the team’s Jim Schwartz hire, put pieces in place for a No. 1-ranked pass defense to help the battered offense last season. While Berry’s draft acumen remains to be fully seen due to the team not having a first-round pick for the past three years, the 36-year-old exec has made some pivotal contributions during his second Cleveland stint.

Berry, who rejoined the Browns two weeks after Stefanski’s hire in January 2020, initially served as a staffer under John Dorsey and de facto GM Sashi Brown during the 2010s. The Browns are still waiting for their Watson bet to pay off, but the team will give its decision-makers more time to operate around that monster contract.

Browns Nearing Extensions With Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry

March 25th, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Notorious for making GM and HC changes during their time as Browns owners, Jimmy and Dee Haslam are close to finalizing agreements to keep their current decision-makers in place.

Rumors surfaced about about extensions for Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski in February; the Haslams said Monday (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) the deals are close to being completed. This would be a rare development for a Browns franchise that has not seen many coaches or GMs worthy of extensions since rebooting in 1999.

Since Jimmy Haslam acquired the Browns in October 2012, he has employed six full-time head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Stefanski) and six front office bosses (Tom Heckert, Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, John Dorsey, Berry). Before the Stefanski-Berry tandem, none of the Haslam-era HCs or GMs made it through a third season. Extensions were not exactly on the radar, but the Stefanski-Berry partnership has bucked the trend.

The Browns are 2-for-4 in playoff berths since hiring Berry and Stefanski in 2020; they were previously 1-for-21 since the NFL gave Cleveland an expansion franchise in 1999. While the Browns have not seen their Deshaun Watson move pay off yet, ownership still appears comfortable with handing out its extensions for a head coach or general manager.

Coming in as yet another HC-GM pairing (Dorsey-Kitchens) did not pan out, Berry and Stefanski saw their first offseason precede the Browns’ first playoff berth since 2002. Stefanski earned Coach of the Year honors that year and has since collected a second such honor, doing so as the Browns lost Watson, Nick Chubb and both starting tackles yet advanced to the postseason anyway. Stefanski coaxing stunning play from Joe Flacco, who lingered in free agency until November, secured the ex-Vikings OC the second award. It looks like the latter offering, which came three years after Stefanski helped Baker Mayfield rebound from a woeful 2019 season, will lead to a second Cleveland contract.

Berry’s extension case is a bit more complicated. He has been the GM in place for the team’s recent upswing, having helped build up a high-end offensive line. Berry was in place for the Jack Conklin signing and hammered out the extensions for Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio. Berry also extended Dorsey draftees Chubb and Denzel Ward. Of course, the Watson move has been Berry’s defining act as GM. Jimmy Haslam also placed the idea on fully guaranteeing Watson’s $230MM contract at Berry’s feet.

Berry is one of the NFL’s youngest GMs, at 36. He also was in place as a Brown lieutenant as the team attempted one of the more radical rebuilds in NFL history. Berry was with the Browns during their infamous 1-31 stretch from 2016-17, holding the VP of player personnel title during that period. He left to join the Eagles, returning in 2020 to become a GM at just 33. While his second Cleveland run has brought QB hiccups, the Browns assembled a quality roster — one DC Jim Schwartz helped maximize last season — as they have attempted to fix the signal-caller concerns.

Given the early returns on that controversial trade, hatching the idea of fully guaranteeing Watson’s deal could shift to blame soon. But the Browns retooled their coaching staff to better accommodate Watson this offseason; the Berry-Stefanski pairing will have a chance to continue this path beyond their initial Browns deals. Despite struggles in 2021 and ’22 due largely to Mayfield’s shoulder injury and then Watson’s 11-game suspension, the Browns are moving forward with contracts that will presumably run into the late 2020s.

Latest On Potential NFL Trade Deadline Change

March 13th, 2024 at 5:49pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like some NFL teams have made progress in their quest to push back the trade deadline. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, there were two recent bylaw proposals to move the trade deadline back from its current date of the Tuesday after Week 8.

[RELATED: Teams Proposing Pushing Trade Deadline From Week 8 To Week 10]

The Steelers proposed a bylaw that would see the deadline pushed back a week, which would make it the Tuesday after Week 9. The Browns, Lions, Jets, Eagles, and Commanders were looking to push it back even further, proposing the deadline fall on the Tuesday after Week 10.

The NFL moved the deadline to Week 8 back in 2012, but they didn’t make an adjustment when they added a week to their schedule in 2021. That’s led some GMs to propose pushing the deadline back and lining it up with other major sports’ trade deadlines.

While the hypothetical recently gained some traction, there were reportedly some GM and owners who questioned if the change even needed to be made. While Browns GM Andrew Berry previously expressed his belief that pushing the deadline would help improve the “competitive integrity” of the NFL, there was some fear that a deadline move could only incentivize tanking. Berry seemed to disagree with that notion, though, saying last month that a deadline change would only keep teams more competitive.

“We think as a league it makes sense to give teams the most flexibility as long as possible to have the best product down the stretch run of the playoffs,” Berry stated (h/t Spencer German of Browns Digest). “We wanted to make sure we maintained the competitive integrity of the season so you don’t get into player dumping late in the year.”

The next round of league meetings are set for March 24-27.

Teams Proposing Pushing Trade Deadline From Week 8 To Week 10

February 28th, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Ben Levine

FEBRUARY 28: A half-measure move to Week 9 has generated some traction, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The 49ers, Commanders, Eagles, Jets and Lions are joining the Browns’ push to propose moving the trade endpoint back. That said, disagreement exists among GMs and owners if the deadline needs to be moved at all.

Competitive balance reasons emerged when we last heard this matter brought up, and Jones adds the league wants to protect against potential tanking, something that could conceivably arise by giving sellers two extra weeks to determine their paths. The next round of league meetings are set for March 24-27.

FEBRUARY 27: While we heard a few months ago that the NFL is unlikely to delay their current trade-deadline setup, that won’t stop some teams from pushing for a change. During an appearance on PFT Live, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said the Browns and several other teams have proposed pushing the trade deadline from the end of Week 8 to the end of Week 10 (via PFT on X).

[RELATED: NFL Unlikely To Move Trade Deadline]

While teams have a handful of reasons for pushing for a change to the deadline date, Berry noted that the most obvious logic is because the NFL never adapted the date when switching to an 18-week schedule. The NFL moved the deadline to Week 8 back in 2012, but they kept their deadline the same when they added a week to their schedule in 2021.

“We want to retroactively correct the fact that the trade deadline never moved when the season expanded to 17 games,” Berry told reporters (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “If, at some point in the future, the regular season expands to 18 games, we wanted to be proactive in terms of the positioning for the trade deadline.”

Further, Berry and rival teams believe that pushing the trade deadline back would only benefit the NFL as a whole. The expanded opportunity to improve a team via trade would assist with the “competitive integrity” of the league, according to the executive.

“We think as a league it makes sense to give teams the most flexibility as long as possible to have the best product down the stretch run of the playoffs,” Berry stated (h/t Spencer German of Browns Digest). “We wanted to make sure we maintained the competitive integrity of the season so you don’t get into player dumping late in the year.”

Berry also simply pointed to rival sports leagues as a reason for pushing back the NFL trade deadline. MLB’s trade deadline checks in around two thirds of the way through the season, while the NBA and NHL come after the half-way point of the campaign. The NFL deadline comes in at about 45% of the way through the season, and Berry noted to reporters that the proposed change would push that mark to about 55% of the way through the season. The GM also noted that a Week 10 deadline is notable because it’s been more than a decade since a team has been eliminated from postseason contention earlier than Week 11.

The NFL’s deadline change in 2012 led to an increase in in-season trading, and another change would only help to further increase the number of deals. After the 2022 deadline featured a record 10 trades on deadline day, multiple teams reached out to the league office about the prospect of moving the deadline back. Nothing came of it in time for the 2023 campaign, and while the NFL doesn’t sound overly receptive to making a change in 2024, Berry and his counterparts appear to have a strong argument when the owners meet next month.

Browns Expected To Extend HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry

February 12th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns dealt with a slew of injuries on offense in particular during the 2023 campaign, but they still managed to qualify for the postseason. In the wake of that performance, continuity on the sidelines and in the front office is expected.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry are each in line for extensions this offseason, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes. The pair arrived in Cleveland in 2020 and are under contract through 2024. Their collective showings would make it little surprise if ownership signed off on a new set of deals in the near future.

Cleveland ended a lengthy playoff drought and advanced to the divisional round in Stefanski’s first campaign at the helm. He earned Coach of the Year honors that season, but the team’s record dropped to 8-9 and then 7-10 in subsequent years. Amidst whispers in some circles about he and/or Berry being on the hot seat, things did not go as planned with running back Nick Chubb suffering a season-ending injury in 2023. The same was later true of quarterback Deshaun Watson, leading the Browns to rely on Joe Flacco under center down the stretch.

The latter won Comeback Player of the Year for his showings after arriving as a free agent midseason, which has helped his value considerably. The Browns are interested in retaining the former Super Bowl MVP despite having Watson atop the depth chart. Stability at the QB spot in 2024 would be a welcomed development as the team looks to build off a record of 11-6.

Stefanski earned his second Coach of the Year award as a result of the Browns’ ability to reach the playoffs despite their injury woes. Watson’s ailment marked another underwhelming development in his Cleveland tenure, which of course has been the defining aspect of Berry’s time with the franchise. The Browns sent Houston a package including three first-round picks to acquire the three-time Pro Bowler, something which was contingent on a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230MM contract. Watson’s suspension to open the 2022 season, his elbow injury this year and less-than-spectacular play in between led some to believe a change could be made in the organization.

However, a December report pointed to the Stefanski-Berry partnership likely being safe moving forward. This latest update confirms that sentiment, and Cleveland will be set up for stability if extensions are indeed worked out in the coming months. Both will have notable leverage in negotiations given the team’s performance this season as they aim to take a step forward in 2024 and beyond.

Browns Expect RB Nick Chubb Back In 2024, Also Want To Re-Sign QB Joe Flacco

January 24th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s safe to say that the Browns’ 2023 campaign did not go according to plan. Still, thanks to some elite defense and wily moves from general manager Andrew Berry, Cleveland turned a seemingly lost season into a playoff appearance. Berry recently addressed the futures of both the player whose injury derailed their season and the player who may have salvaged it, per Jake Trotter of ESPN.

After only two games, a season-ending injury to running back Nick Chubb completely changed the outlook of the 2023 season. Without their star rusher, the Browns were forced to depend on second-year running back Jerome Ford and a re-signed veteran in Kareem Hunt. Even combined the two weren’t quite able to replicate the production lost in Chubb’s absence, leaving the team to depend on the quarterback position. When injuries seemed to ravage the quarterbacks room, as well, the team signed veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who eventually unseated the Browns’ backups and took his place as a starter for Cleveland, leading them to a 4-1 record as a starter before a first-round playoff exit.

Berry made it clear that, despite Chubb holding a $15.83MM cap hit in 2024 and Chubb’s contract containing an out wherein the team can cut him with only $4MM of dead cap after the fact, he expects Chubb to be on the team in 2024. “No one in the organization, nobody wants to see that carry in Pittsburgh be the last time that he carries the ball for the Cleveland Browns,” Berry told the media. “Obviously, there are things that we’ll have to work through, but (moving on from Chubb) would not be our intention.”

One of the things to work through is likely that cap number in 2024. Chubb is heading into a contract year, so it’s naturally a good time to start looking into an extension, if that’s what the team prefers. Doing so would allow them to hold on to Chubb, who likely still has plenty left in the tank, while structuring new cap numbers that push big hits further into the future. Chubb has incentive to take a new deal, as well, since he has already received all the guaranteed money on his deal and that 2023 potential out could leave him high-and-dry.

Flacco, on the other hand, seems to hold a bit more leverage in his negotiations. Berry praised Flacco for playing winning football but stopped short of expressing an expectation for his return, as well, claiming that it will depend “on the availability and the cost.” Flacco has made it clear that his one-year deal in Cleveland was meant to give himself the flexibility to look for other deals at the end of the season, and he certainly played himself into a favorable position there.

Chubb is widely expected to return to Cleveland in 2024. It’ll likely be under a new deal that grants Chubb new guaranteed money while lessening his impact on the team’s cap space. Flacco, though, is expected to test the waters of free agency. He likes to take jobs that give him a strong chance at a starting role, so unless he feels that the Browns give him the best chance to start, it’s hard to picturing him returning.

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry Not In Danger Of Being Fired

December 2nd, 2023 at 10:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2023 season has not gone according to plan for the Browns from an injury perspective, but the team is in a playoff spot entering Week 13. As a result, the job security for head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry is not a talking point.

Both entered the season with considerable expectations given the strength of Cleveland’s roster, and the annual regression in the win-loss department which had taken place during their three-year tenures. However, season-ending injuries to the likes of running back Nick Chubb and, more recently, quarterback Deshaun Watson have not prevented a 7-4 start and the strong chance of a postseason berth. The team’s success so far has chased away the possibility of a change on the sideline or in the front office.

Both Stefanski and Berry are “here to stay,” Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). The former earned Coach of the Year honors in 2020 after leading the team to a record of 11-5 and making it to the divisional round of the playoffs. A step back to 8-9 followed, though, along with a 7-10 mark in 2022, the first year with Watson at the helm (though his suspension delayed his Browns debut until Week 12 during that campaign). That regression led some to believe the heat could quickly increase on the Stefanski-Berry regime barring improvements.

No coaching change took place this past offseason, to no surprise, and Stefanski’s coaching performance in 2023 has likewise unsurprisingly earned him a longer leash. The Browns are tied to the decision to acquire Watson – a move which included a trade package of three first-round picks followed by a fully guaranteed $230MM contract – and the repercussions which will come from it. The former Texans Pro Bowler has not lived up to expectations so far in Cleveland, but the team’s ability to win without him in the lineup or playing to his previous level when on the field has drawn rave reviews.

That will continue to be tested as Joe Flacco is set to start in Week 13 with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson sidelined. Adding the veteran late in the season could prove to be a shrewd move if it allows the Browns to continue winning with a severely shorthanded offense and push for a postseason berth in the crowded AFC. Even if that does not prove to be the case, though, both Stefanski and Berry appear to have earned themselves extra leeway heading into the offseason.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 6th, 2023 at 9:25am CST by Sam Robinson

The latest NFL general manager hiring cycle only produced two changes, but each took over for an executive who appeared in good standing at this point last year.

Steve Keim had held his Cardinals GM post since January 2013, and the Cardinals gave both he and Kliff Kingsbury extensions — deals that ran through 2027 — in March of last year. Arizona has since rebooted, moving on from both Keim and Kingsbury. Keim took a leave of absence late last season, and the Cardinals replaced him with ex-Titans exec Monti Ossenfort.

[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]

As the Cardinals poached one of the Titans’ top front office lieutenants, Tennessee went with an NFC West staffer to replace Jon Robinson. The move to add 49ers FO bastion Ran Carthon also came less than a year after the Titans reached extension agreements with both Robinson and HC Mike Vrabel. But controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk canned Robinson — in place as GM since January 2016 — before last season ended. Adams Strunk cited player unavailability and roster quality among the reasons she chose to move on despite having extended Robinson through the 2027 draft months earlier. The Titans are now pairing Vrabel and Carthon.

The Bills reached an extension agreement with GM Brandon Beane two weeks ago. Hired shortly after the team gave Sean McDermott the HC keys, Beane has helped the Bills to five playoff berths in six seasons. Beane’s deal keeps him signed through 2027. Chargers GM Tom Telesco has hit the 10-year mark leading that front office, while this year also marks the 10th offseason of Buccaneers honcho Jason Licht‘s tenure running the NFC South team. Although Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich and later admitted he reluctantly extended his former HC in 2021, the increasingly active Colts owner has expressed confidence in Chris Ballard.

Here is how the NFL’s GM landscape looks going into the 2023 season:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  5. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  6. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
  7. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  8. Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
  9. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  10. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  11. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  12. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  13. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  14. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  15. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  16. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  17. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  18. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
  19. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  20. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  21. Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
  22. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
  23. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  24. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  25. Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
  26. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  27. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  28. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  29. Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  30. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
  31. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  32. Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

Browns Eyeing Pass Rush Addition

April 22nd, 2023 at 2:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns have already invested heavily on defense this offseason, bringing in a new coordinator and multiple big-ticket free agents. Further moves along the edge in particular can be expected.

Cleveland has made one addition to their current pass rushing group, inking Obo Okoronkwo to a three-year, $19MM deal. The former Ram and Texan is set to take on a starting role alongside Myles Garrett, something which appeared to be necessary once it became clear Jadeveon Clowney would not be re-signing with the Browns. The latter has yet to find a new home.

Garrett and Okoronkwo are in line to start and carry a heavy workload, but the Browns are lacking in experienced depth beyond those two. Cleveland used third- and seventh-round picks on Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas last year, and have room for at least one more addition either in the upcoming draft or free agency. General manager Andrew Berry confirmed that the team is preparing to bring in more new faces in the pass rush department.

“I would expect us to add more than that,” Berry said, via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “We’re going to get to 90 eventually. I can’t say if that’s going to be on draft weekend or in May or in August, but I’d expect us to add to that room.”

Garrett earned a third straight Pro Bowl nod in 2022 after notching 16 sacks for the second consecutive season. The Browns’ next leading producer in terms of sacks was new Colts defensive tackle Taven Bryan with only three, however, highlighting the team’s need to invest in Okoronkwo and others this offseason. The draft and free agency each present options for Cleveland to consider.

The Browns aren’t set to pick until No. 74, but they own eight total selections. They should have a number of Day 2 and 3 prospects to choose from, though any rookie likely won’t be counted on to provide much of an immediate impact given the nature of the team’s depth chart. After the draft is over, veterans at all positions who have yet to catch on to a roster will receive increased attention. With respect to edge rushers, that means Clowney, along with the likes of Frank Clark, Yannick Ngakoue and Leonard Floyd will likely come off the market quickly. Any of those names could be paired with another draft addition to provide the Browns with a more complete edge group entering the 2023 season.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

June 30th, 2022 at 10:48am CST by Sam Robinson

Wednesday, we took a look at how the 2022 offseason changed the HC landscape. While 10 new sideline leaders are in place for 2022, not quite as much turnover transpired on the general manager front. Five new decision-makers, however, have moved to the top of teams’ front office hierarchies over the past six months.

The Bears, Giants, Raiders and Vikings rebooted their entire operations, hiring new HC-GM combos. The Minnesota move bumped out one of the previous top-10 longest-tenured GMs, with 16-year Vikings exec Rick Spielman no longer in power in the Twin Cities. The Steelers’ shakeup took the NFL’s longest-tenured pure GM out of the mix. Kevin Colbert was with the Steelers since 2000, and although he is still expected to remain with the team in a reduced capacity, the 22-year decision-maker stepped down shortly after Ben Roethlisberger wrapped his career.

Twelve teams have now hired a new GM in the past two offseasons, though a bit more staying power exists here compared to the HC ranks. Two GMs (the Cardinals’ Steve Keim and Chargers’ Tom Telesco) have begun their 10th years at the helms of their respective front offices. They have hired three HCs apiece. The Buccaneers’ Jason Licht is closing in on a decade in power in Tampa Bay; Licht will now work with his fourth HC in Todd Bowles. Beyond that, a bit of a gap exists. But a handful of other executives have been in power for at least five seasons.

Here is how long every GM or de facto GM has been in place with his respective franchise:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  5. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  6. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
  7. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2019
  8. Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013; signed extension in 2022
  9. Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
  10. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  11. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  12. Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans): January 14, 2016; signed extension in 2022
  13. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  14. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  15. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  16. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  17. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018
  18. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  19. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  20. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
  21. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  22. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  23. Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
  24. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
  25. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  26. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  27. Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
  28. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  29. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  30. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  31. Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  32. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018
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