Paul DePodesta, Browns chief strategy officer, is back in a position of authority after two years of deferring to former GM John Dorsey. (Browns Wire)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Takeaways from conference call with Paul DePodesta, Browns chief strategy officer …
1.The dots connecting the Browns to a trade down from No. 10 are becoming more prominent.
The offensive tackle group at the top of the draft is being classified as “good, not great.” At least two reports have linked the Browns to Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland, who was not included in the first tier of tackles but now is projected to go somewhere in the 20s in the first round. Jim Nagy, a veteran scout and director of the Senior Bowl, has suggested there is not a huge difference between the first and second tiers of offensive tackles. And now, new speculation singles out the Denver Broncos actively seeking to move up from No. 15 into the top 10 to select a wide receiver.
One of Paul DePodesta’s tasks is to compute the value of potential trades, weighing the pluses of additional picks v. the player chosen at No. 10. Although DePodesta stated the Browns “really feel good about what we might be able to acquire right at No. 10,” he wouldn’t rule out trading down.
“I wouldn’t really put anything past us,” DePodesta said. “I think we do have the philosophy that more picks is better. When you have more draws, you have a better chance of hitting on more guys. I think we believe in that, generally, but that does not mean that we will always be trading back as a result. I think we are pretty flexible on that front. If there is an opportunity that we think makes sense to go in either direction, I think we would be open to pursuing it.”
With a week to go, I would say the odds have moved slightly in favor of the Browns moving down some from No. 10. I’d put it at 55 percent to 45 percent in favor of a trade down.
2.So who would make the final call on a first-round trade in the new Browns’ front office?
In 2016, DePodesta clearly was in agreement with then-GM Sashi Brown for trading down two times in the first round, from No. 2 to No. 8, and then from No. 8 to No. 15. The players taken in those vacated spots were quarterback Carson Wentz by the Eagles and offensive tackle Jack Conklin by the Titans. The Browns famously ended up with wide receiver Corey Coleman at No. 15.
When Brown was replaced by GM John Dorsey, DePodesta’s influence in player transactions vanished. Dorsey made all the personnel calls in the 2018 and 2019 drafts. But now DePodesta is back in a position of authority.
On Jan. 14, DePodesta described his role as someone “to not only help us create but also implement [a] shared vision, and then ultimately make sure that we stick to it, really relentlessly … that is really my role.”
So I asked DePodesta if he has to sign off on major trade, or is it up to GM Andrew Berry to decide yes or no.
He said, “I do not think this is about anybody having veto power over anyone else. We know that in this environment, AB has to make the final call. Just like on Sundays in the fall, [head coach] Kevin [Stefanski] has to make the final call. We often talk about that we all have a headset on, but someone has to have the main headset where they make the call. That is going to change depending on the type of decision or even the time of the year, but I think it is pretty clear next week that AB has that control headset on.”
3.Although it is widely assumed that the Browns need to draft a left tackle and plug him in immediately, DePodesta taps the breaks on that sentiment. Remember, he comes from Major League Baseball, where draft picks don’t make it to the big club for 2-4 years.
“I do think you can run into problems when you go into the draft with the idea that you are solving needs for that season. Sometimes that can be a mistake,” DePodesta said.
DePodesta spoke of the natural learning curve that all rookies face. That learning curve may be steeper this year when you consider most, if not all, of the NFL OTA and minicamp season may be wiped out by the Covid-19 pandemic.
I asked DePodesta how the uniqueness of this offseason will affect the Browns’ draft strategy.
“It is something we have talked a lot about internally,” he said. “I don’t know that it will have a dramatic impact on what we do just because I actually think our expectations for a rookie, even in a normal year, are pretty level set.
“That being said, the reality is, especially this year, the rookies aren’t going to have as much time on the field as they normally would in a typical offseason. I think we should at least be aware of that.”
4.One trade the Browns have no intention of making is one that involves Odell Beckham Jr.
DePodesta thoroughly shot down rumors of trade talks with the Vikings and also recurring speculation that Beckham is unhappy in Cleveland and wants out.
On the bogus rumor of talks with the Vikings, DePodesta said, “I will just say it was completely false. It is frustrating a little bit, obviously. I think it is pretty clear what we are trying to build at this point. We have done an awful lot in free agency. We are excited about what we have a chance to do in the draft, and we are really building around a core of players that we think have a chance to be a championship-caliber core. The idea that we would take away from that core at this moment just does not make a whole lot of sense and is really not something that we are exploring at all. It is completely false.”
On the idea of Beckham wanting out, DePodesta said, “I would probably leave that to Odell and Kevin [Stefanski] to talk about. I am not going to speculate on it, but I have no reason to believe he doesn’t want to be here. Odell has been very good this offseason. He has been engaged with Kevin. I think he is excited about the possibilities of what this offensive system could bring for him, and we are excited to have him.”