With Paul DePodesta off to MLB and Todd Monken embarking on his first NFL head coach job, GM Andrew Berry is clearly in charge of all Browns football operations. (TheLandOnDemand)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Leftover takeaways from NFL owners meetings …
Kevin Stefanski didn’t survive an 8-26 record the past two seasons, but Andrew Berry did.
Berry not only survived it, he emerged with more authority than he’s had in six previous years as Browns general manager.
It was disclosed in a Q&A session with Berry at NFL owners meetings this week that the current organization chart of Browns football operations calls for coach Todd Monken to report directly to Berry.
Technically, that is not a change, according to a Browns source.
Originally, when the Stefanski-Barry partnership was formed in 2020 by former chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, both men reported to owner Jimmy Haslam and were overseen by DePodesta, who worked remotely from La Jolla, CA.
But when Stefanski and Berry received contract extensions following the 2023 playoff season, an unreported change occurred, according to the source. At that point, Stefanski — despite earning his second NFL coach-of-the-year award in four years – was realigned to report to Berry.
That foretold a diminishing of authority for DePodesta. He would leave two years later for his first love, Major League Baseball, as a top executive with the Colorado Rockies.
The 2024 adjustment in the organization chart also explains how, and why, Stefanski could not block the firing of coordinator Alex Van Pelt after the Browns made the playoffs despite having to play five quarterbacks that season.
Berry wanted Stefanski’s staff and offensive system adapted to fit the playing style of Deshaun Watson. Ken Dorsey was hired to replace Van Pelt, which indirectly led to offensive line coach Bill Callahan leaving to join his son in Tennessee.
(Stefanski has reunited Van Pelt and Callahan on his new coaching staff with the Atlanta Falcons.)
The Browns are now clearly a GM-dominated football operation.
That’s not unique. It puts the Browns in the company of the Bills, Eagles, Seahawks, Packers, Rams, Lions, Saints, Buccaneers and Colts.
If you attach a team’s record to its GM, here is where Berry stands compared to the GMs of the teams listed above:
* Brandon Beane, Bills (2017 first season), 98-50 (regular season), 8-8 (postseason), .646 overall.
* Howie Roseman, Eagles (2016), 101-63 (10-6) .636.
* John Schneider, Seahawks (2010), 161-99-1 (13-9) .616.
* Brian Gutekunst, Packers (2018), 82-49-2 (2-5) .607.
* Les Snead, Rams (2012), 123-105-1 (10-6) .568.
* Brad Holmes, Lions (2021), 48-36-1 (2-2) .561.
* Mickey Loomis, Saints (2013), 117-96 (4-5) .545.
* Jason Licht, Buccaneers (2014), 93-104 (6-4) .478.
* Chris Ballard, Colts (2017), 70-78-1 (1-2) .470.
* Andrew Berry, Browns (2020), 45-56 (1-2) .442.
“I think Andrew over the last year has done a very good job,” Haslam said when discussing the firing of Stefanski on January 5. “I think that core that Andrew has put together this year will help move us forward. We hope to have similar results this coming year.”
Offensive line carousel
Less than one week before the start of Monken’s first offseason conditioning program, the Browns’ revamped offensive line is far from complete.
For now, new additions Elgton Jenkins, Zion Johnson, and Tytus Howard could line up anywhere. The Browns would like to position Jenkins at left guard, Johnson at right guard and Howard at right tackle. But that could change.
“Still a lot of work to be done,” Berry said. “I think as we look at that offensive line group, [they are] good players, but also very versatile. And particularly, like with Elgton and Tytus, both of those guys are players who can play at a quality starting level at [multiple] positions across the offensive line. And that's super helpful because it really is a war of attrition with that position group.”
Berry said that 24 teams last year played with less than 50% of their starting five.
“So to have that resiliency built into a position group where you have guys that can start all across the line of scrimmage, it's really important, in addition to the flexibility it gives you going into the draft,” Berry said.
“We feel good if we had to line up and play today that we could with that group of linemen. But it certainly doesn't pigeonhole you into anything as you get to drafting again.”
Both Berry and Monken have suggested Jenkins could wind up at center. In that case, they might move reserve Teven Jenkins to one of the guard spots.
None of this flexibility, however, hides the fact the Browns still don’t have a final answer at left tackle. Even if they opted to draft Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauignoa with the No. 6 pick, it doesn’t solve the void at left tackle.
Pro days
The Browns had reps at all the major pro days, but Berry didn’t attend any of them.
I asked him his philosophy on pro days attendance.
“I'd say No. 1, every GM probably has their own process,” Berry said. “Number two, as a general manager, you're not the personnel director, you're overseeing the entire football operation.
“That's certainly a part of it. Probably the bigger thing is, I'd say a lot of us that maybe don't hit the pro day circuit go out a lot in the fall and see these guys.
“For me, the biggest part of the pro day is if you haven't seen a guy move around live or let's say it's a prospect that you're going to have play in another role or another position, maybe you get to see that in the workout. But for someone that you've seen multiple times in the fall, you've seen them live and you've seen them at the combine work out. The question is like, okay, you only have so much time, how [productive] can that actually be?
“And then the other thing is they're always all on film as well. So every pro day that's out there, you get to [see] on film.”
I asked Berry about using the pro days to talk directly with trainers, equipment managers and strength coaches to gather further insight on a prospect.
“You should be doing that in the fall,” he said.
Brownie bits
Berry’s update on running back Quinshon Judkins, who had surgery on December 23 to fix a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula: “He's progressing really, really nicely. I'd imagine that we're going to see him in some form or fashion this spring and, knock on wood, should be full-go [for training] camp.” …
The Browns have no second thoughts about hard-balling Jim Schwartz, who resigned as defensive coordinator after getting passed over for the head coach job. The Browns doubled Schwartz’s salary to about $5 million after 2023 and added years to his deal. They apparently did not ask him his plans if he were passed over and thought he’d honor his contract as DC no matter the coach. Unless the Browns change their minds, Schwartz will sit out the 2026 season. The Browns will not hold him to the option year hold for 2027 …
The Browns have not been informed if they will play an International Series game in 2026 in Paris (v. New Orleans) or in London (v. Jacksonville).