We heard earlier this morning that the Browns are doing their due diligence on potential replacements for first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens. That report was not particularly surprising, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has since dropped a much more intriguing nugget. Per Florio, Cleveland GM John Dorsey may also be on the hot seat.
Florio’s sources have indicated that “questions have emerged” regarding Dorsey’s future in Cleveland, with one source saying the GM’s job is “not completely safe.” It still sounds more likely than not that Dorsey will be back in 2020, but it’s nonetheless notable that ownership is even considering a change.
After all, Dorsey came to the team in December 2017 and has infused a great deal of talent into the roster in a short period of time. In some respects, he may even be a victim of his own success. If you had told most people that the Browns, who have almost always been a doormat since their rebirth in 1999, would have posted at least six wins in 2018 and 2019 after finishing 0-16 in 2017, those people likely would have said that Dorsey has things headed in the right direction.
But given the expectations that came with Dorsey’s high-profile acquisitions over the past couple of years, the team’s 6-9 record in 2019 is an abject disappointment. And he was the one who spearheaded the Kitchens hire, and he also forced former OC Todd Haley onto former HC Hue Jackson, which created a disastrous relationship.
Plus, a GM is not just a fantasy football player. He must not only accumulate talent but also determine how that talent will complement each other and how personalities will mesh. Obviously, Cleveland has been a disaster in that regard this year.
Florio says chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta could be a factor in Dorsey’s fate. There were rumblings earlier in the year that DePodesta could be elevated over Dorsey, and while that didn’t happen, current rumors suggest that if DePodesta were willing to relocate to Cleveland on a full-time basis, he could end up with much more power. Or, ownership could fire Dorsey and let DePodesta choose his successor.
Even if the smart money is on Dorsey staying and Kitchens going, this is clearly a situation worth monitoring, and one that seemed completely unrealistic at the start of the season.
It’s a cluster****.
Welcome to my life as a Browns fan.
Its been a very short time. Dorsey built the current Chiefs team. Give it some time
But it’s still a cluster****, by definition.
This is all because of a Tweet from Michael Lombardi….I don’t buy it. Kitchens I feel is toast (thankful) but I don’t see Dorsey going.
I agree. The Kitchens hire was a miss but Dorsey has changed the outlook.
No thank you !! I do feel for you and other Browns fans as your GM has made draft and trade mistakes one after another !!!
Dorsey isn’t the problem. He’s caught a lot of undeserved heat lately, but the only big mistake he’s made was hiring Kitchens. He has a chance to fix that.
and OBJ, Zeitler for vernon= 4 takles + 1 sack. Callaway, Every awful playcall Kitchens has made. Wilkes defense. It all ends up in bowl, you can pull your own tickets.
Callaway we already knew would be similar to Josh Gordon, and no one saw Vernon falling flat on his face like he did or all the other injuries the Browns front 7 have suffered
The Zeitler move was bad (mostly in hindsight), but I don’t think it was fireable.
The logic was that Garrett would likely be double teamed a lot, so having a reliable pass rusher on the other side could create a lot of problems. It didn’t turn out well, but it was a decent idea at the time.
Agreed. Remove Kitchens, get the right guy, and make sure Mayfield doesn’t let his ego get out of control and you’ve got a team that just needs to gel. They need time together – doesn’t happen over night.
Yeah I agree, I was optimistic going into this year but I think any realistic Browns fan knew this was still a process. I realistically expected 8-9 wins, maaaaybe 10 if a few things broke their way. The Super Bowl talk was premature.
Wasn’t one of the major problems of this decade that the Browns has such a Short leash on head coaches?
What a surprise that OBJ is taking down another HC.
Dorsey walked into an ideal situation with the insane amount of draft capital accumulated by the previous regime. He really has no excuses. Also he should be tied to his passing on Darnold, Allen, and Jackson and instead picking Mayfield. If Mayfield doesn’t take a major leap next year Dorsey needs to go.
Everyone else passed on Jackson — even the Ravens passed on him once. It’s like saying that 20+ other MLB teams should be blamed for passing on Mike Trout.
Allen and Darnold are still statistically below average. Allen is going to the playoffs and he’s better than last year, but still not in the upper echelon of QBs. Darnold has upside and might be solid with a legitimate supporting cast instead of the college skill players he has, but he still hasn’t proven anything either.
I don’t really think you can knock the Browns for picking Baker when the guys they passed on aren’t really any better, and the one guy who is was passed on by the entire league.
Clean house and buy the best GM and HC money will buy. I’m sorry this franchise is trash and unless you pay a ridiculous amount of money no one good will come there. Quit hiring unproven coaches.
Dorsey is quite simply a jerk and wear thin on office personal. He simply wears out his welcome. Just ask KC. It is really had to get fired by the Hunt Family. He wore out his welcome and after number Chris Ballard had just left for Indy. He isn’t a nice person.
The Browns need to hire Kevin Costner!