The Next Big Question - Assistant GM

[Mr. Scot]

Outside of maybe a few lower level assistant positions and such, it looks like the coaching staff is pretty well in place. That leaves us with the question of who to get for the Assistant GM / Vice President / likely successor to Marty Hurney job.

Andrew Berry - the only known candidate thus far - is out, having taken the GM job in Cleveland (good luck with that) but the attempt to hire him highlighted a problem. The Eagles were able to refuse permission to interview because the job was technically a lateral move and didn't involve final roster say. Other teams could very easily do the same thing.

David Tepper would have the option of going ahead and moving Hurney out of the way, but there's been no indication so far that he seems inclined to do that. If he isn't, the other option would be to look at less qualified candidates or at somebody who's currently unemployed. Not sure either of those routes is exactly desirable.

Regardless, with Berry taken, here are some other potential options. I'm talking primarily about guys who, at least conceivably, could be had right now as opposed to guys you'd have to wait until after the draft to have a chance at.

Brandon Hunt: Pro Scouting Coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers

Hunt fits the pro personnel background that Tepper is said to want for this position. And given their relationship with Tepper, the Steelers might be more willing to give permission than the Eagles were. One problem: Word is that the Steelers have Hunt tagged to be Kevin Colbert's replacement should he retire or move on. If that's so, they might also be inclined to say no.

Trent Kirchner: Co-Director of Player Personnel, Seattle Seahawks

If Marty has a say in this, Kirchner could be a definite option thanks to his Panthers scouting background. There's still the question of whether Seattle would be agreeable, but the fact that they've actually got two people doing this one position might make a difference.

Ryan Cowden: Vice President of Player Personnel, Tennessee Titans

Another guy who has a history with the Panthers, but also a guy who has pretty close to the same title and unlike Kirchner, doesn't have a "co" alongside him. Might conceivably make the Titans less likely to be willing to part with him.

Monti Ossenfort: Director of College Scouting, New England Patriots

The other guy who interviewed for the Browns GM job. Outside of Hunt, this is the guy for whom the transition would be most clearly a promotion. But like Hunt, he could be eonline for a promotion with his current team if Nick Caserio would have got another job.

Lake Dawson: Assistant Director of College Scouting, Buffalo Bills

This might be our best shot at getting interview permission, though with a history. Dawson was one of the sham interviews that Jerry Richardson conducted before doing what everybody knew he was going to do and reinstating Marty Hurney. With that said, Dawson is highly qualified for the job and Bills GM Brandon Beane might be more inclined than others to do the Panthers a solid.

Terry Fontenot: Director of Pro Scouting, New Orleans Saints

Jeff Ireland would obviously be a great hire and there's the benefit that he and new Head Coach Matt Rhule are friends. But again, lateral move and good luck getting permission from the Saints on that one.  Still, one of Ireland's subordinates is a guy whose name has been on the rise. And perhaps Irelend could convince his employers to let Fontenot have a shot at something bigger with his old Baylor buddy.

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With regard to Caserio, he's one of the guys that could be considered for the actual GM position if the team moves on from Marty Hurney after this next draft (as some have speculated they could). Other candidates like Kevin Colbert and Omar Khan become more viable at that time as well.

There were rumblings that the Patriots might be willing to move on from Caserio sooner because they'd rather not have him be part of their offseason plans if he's not staying with them. No way that'd be for a downgrade job though.

I'm sure other possibilities are available, but those are the names that come to mind right now.

[SmokinwithWilly]

I'd lean toward Fontenot. NO, no matter how much I despise them, has really been making moves with a plan in place. Their drafts have been good, not only filling needs, but getting value with their picks. I hate to give NO any kind of credit, but hiring a guy who has been part of that and understands the value of having a plan for the future could really add to the FO. 

[bigpoppa]

It's "Assistant to the General Manager"

[Mr. Scot]

6 minutes ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

I'd lean toward Fontenot. NO, no matter how much I despise them, has really been making moves with a plan in place. Their drafts have been good, not only filling needs, but getting value with their picks. I hate to give NO any kind of credit, but hiring a guy who has been part of that and understands the value of having a plan for the future could really add to the FO. 

I like the idea of Fontenot. Would also be happy with Dawson or Hunt.

And not that it means anything, but all three would be minority hires (so was Berry).

[LinvilleGorge]

We're going to run into issues trying to interview candidates currently under contract if we don't give them control over the roster. Hell, we already have.

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, LinvilleGorge said:

We're going to run into issues trying to interview candidates currently under contract if we don't give them control over the roster. Hell, we already have.

Certainly looks that way.

As mentioned, you could just move Marty out of the way, but Tepper doesn't seem to want to.

(doesn't exactly say great things about his judgment when it comes to football matters)

[Mr. Scot]

A note regarding Hunt from a Pittsburgh TV guy...  

 

[Mr. Scot]

Another name that could be in consideration if we were to wait until after the draft and part ways with Marty, George Paton. He interviewed for the job here before when it went to Dave Gettleman.

There are also rumblings that Eliot Wolf might want out of Cleveland (who wouldn't) but I'm leary. I'm not sure he'd be where he is on his own merit if not for his dad.

And as far as someone else you could consider right now without worrying about needing permission, there's John Dorsey. Not necessarily a huge fan of that idea either, though.

[Mr. Scot]

Related: An item from PFT asks whether Andrew Berry really has the power his contract says he has.

Also FYI, Berry is only 32 years old, just two years older than our still wet behind the ears OC.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Berry “will have final say over roster decisions.” More accurately, his contract will give him that power. As a practical matter, the question is whether he’ll actually have it — and whether he’ll ever dare to use it.

It’s a not-uncommon dynamic in situations like this. Given league rules that prohibit hiring executives who are under contract with other teams, the new job must be a sufficiently big job to circumvent the ability of the executive’s current team to block the move. Given that the Eagles, Berry’s most recent employer, blocked a request by the Panthers to interview Berry for something other than the G.M. job, it’s fair to wonder whether the Eagles would have declined an opportunity for Berry to return to the Browns if he had anything less than final say over the roster.

When Dolphins V.P. of football operations Bill Parcells hired Jeff Ireland from the Cowboys in 2008, Ireland got contractual final say — even if no one believed Ireland could actually trump the Big Tuna. And when the Browns hired George Kokinis from the Ravens to serve as G.M. with coach Eric Mangini, Kokinis got contractual final say. Even if he didn’t actually have it.

By all appearances and based on reports that surfaced at the time, Kokinis likely made the mistake of thinking that his final say was something more than words on paper aimed at allowing the Browns to hire him. His tenure quickly ended after he and Mangini didn’t see eye to eye, and as Mangini acted like the one with final say, contracts notwithstanding.

Now, it’s a fair question to raise as to Berry, given the influence of chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta and new coach Kevin Stefanski. With both of them firmly in place, and with the magic words necessary to the contract of Berry allowing the transaction to happen, the magic words get included, and everyone moves forward.

So moving forward, what will happen? Given years of dysfunction and disharmony in Cleveland, whether Berry actually will be given the power he has been granted, or whether actually exercising that right will create problems for Berry, are potentially intriguing topics to monitor.

[Mr. Scot]

Posted elsewhere, Caserio is being speculated as a possible front office hire down the road by Albert Breer.

Breer added that Tepper has been seen speaking to Caserio at a lot of league events.

[Thompcat]

What is the thought of Caserio coming here? Would he be a good hire to take over frim Hurney?

[Mr. Scot]

13 minutes ago, Thompcat said:

What is the thought of Caserio coming here? Would he be a good hire to take over frim Hurney?

Wouldn't take a lot to be an improvement from Hurney, but yeah. He's been part of a successful, well organized, well run football operation for quite a while.

I've listened to some interviews and such that he's given. He talks fast, and he knows of what he speaks.

[Jared Patterson]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Wouldn't take a lot to be an improvement from Hurney, but yeah. He's been part of a successful, well organized, well run football operation for quite a while.

I've listened to some interviews and such that he's given. He talks fast, and he knows of what he speaks.

I think he is excellent in pro scouting, not the best at drafting though. Although idk how much say he had in drafting, but his pro scouting is fantastic. 

[Mr. Scot]

6 minutes ago, Jared Patterson said:

I think he is excellent in pro scouting, not the best at drafting though. Although idk how much say he had in drafting, but his pro scouting is fantastic. 

Tepper is looking for someone with a pro scouting background.