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Ken Kovash

Browns Announce Front Office Moves

May 29th, 2020 at 10:23am CST by Rory Parks

New Browns GM Andrew Berry announced a series of additions, promotions, and title changes on his player personnel staff today.

The entire list can be found here, courtesy of the team’s official website. Some of the moves, like the hiring of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as vice president of football operations and the addition of former Colts GM Ryan Grigson, have been reported previously.

Grigson, though, finally has a formal title: senior football advisor. He and Berry have a long-standing professional relationship, but Berry said his familiarity with Grigson is not the reason he was brought on board. “[Grigson] is here because I think he is very good,” Berry said. “He has a very established track record as a personnel evaluator from his time in St. Louis at the time, Philly and then obviously, Indianapolis. General Manager experience, rebuilt the Colts into a winner very quickly, Executive of the Year. And that is something that is valuable to me.”

Adofo-Mensah, who spent seven years with the 49ers, will be a part of all roster and strategy decisions and will also assist Berry with day-to-day operations (he is essentially the assistant GM). “I think [Adofo-Mensah] brings a nice blend of both an insider and an outsider perspective to football,” Berry said. “He is humble, high integrity, a continuous learner, true growth mindset and he has fantastic interpersonal and people skills … I think he is really a perfect fit to add to the mix.”

Meanwhile, former assistant director of scouting Glenn Cook, who has been with the Browns since 2016, has been promoted to vice president of player personnel. He will lead the day-to-day operations of the player personnel department, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Cook will also be in charge of college and pro scouting. He will be assisted by Dan Saganey, the new director of player personnel.

Of course, there are also a number of new-age, analtyics positions. Nate Sterken will serve as the new lead data scientist, Andrew Jackson is the data architect, and Ken Kovash is the vice president of player personnel process and development. Berry has been lauded for the work he has done in his first few months on the job, and his roster looks like one that could compete for a playoff spot in 2020. Today’s moves are another step towards his putting his stamp on the organization.

Extra Points: Combine, Draft, Colts, Browns

February 11th, 2016 at 5:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL announced the 332 participants who will perform at the NFL Scouting Combine, with potentially high-value quarterbacks Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch and Carson Wentz among the prospects invited.

These quarterbacks figure to be jostling for the right to either go No. 1 overall, in the event the Titans trade their pick, or be the first signal-caller off the board.

Despite coming from Division I-FCS North Dakota State, Wentz looks to be out front right now, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears (video link). The 6-foot-6 Wentz’s rise to this point comes from being the only quarterback scouts have seen throw since the season ended, Cole notes, with Wentz impressing the scouting armada at last month’s Senior Bowl.

Sources told Cole, however, younger QBs Goff and Lynch may have higher ceilings due to their age and potential for physical growth and calls this race a fluid situation.

Here’s more from Cole and others from around the league.

  • Although Ronnie Stanley rates as the top tackle prospect by many outlets, GMs and other NFL sources are questioning the Notre Dame lineman’s work ethic, Cole reports (video link). Stanley’s decision to train for the Combine in Las Vegas resides the crux of this concern, one GM told Cole.
  • The Colts rearranged their coaching staff, shifting multiple assistants to different position groups, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Jim Hostler will shift from coaching the wide receivers to coaching the tight ends this coming season, and Tim Berbenich will transition to the assistant quarterbacks coach job after he served as a defensive assistant last season.
  • The Browns adjusted their analytics-geared front office again on Thursday, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Former director of football research Ken Kovash will now assist new player personnel VP Andrew Berry in running the scouting department. Kevin Meers, a source tells cleveland.com (via Ulrich), will now lead the research department. Meers and Berry will report to new football operations VP Sashi Brown, who has final say on the 53-man roster, Ulrich reports. Meers, Berry, Brown and new chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta are all Harvard graduates.

AFC North Notes: Burfict, Browns, Suisham

February 11th, 2016 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after word broke a month ago that Vontaze Burfict would face a three-game suspension for repeated on-field safety violations, reports indicated that the Bengals linebacker would meet with commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss the penalty. That meeting, which Burfict hopes will help get his suspension reduced, hasn’t happened yet, but it’s set to take place within the next week, according to Coley Harvey and James Walker of ESPN.com.

Here’s more from out of the AFC North:

  • Browns director of football research Ken Kovash has received a promotion from the team, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). The team is still determining his new title, but Kovash is expected to help new VP of player personnel Andrew Berry run the Browns’ scouting department.
  • Chris Boswell converted 29 of 32 field goal tries for the Steelers in 2015, but veteran kicker Shaun Suisham, who spent the season on IR, fully intends to reclaim his job this year, as he tells Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “The first thing I need to do is get healthy,” said Suisham, who continues to recover from a torn ACL. “If I’m healthy, I think I will be in good position to get my old job back.”
  • Few NFL teams restructure contracts as frequently as the Steelers do, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, who takes an in-depth look at why Pittsburgh is constantly moving around money, how it benefits the club, and how it can backfire as well.
  • Hue Jackson‘s first major challenge will be carrying out a culture change in the Browns‘ locker room, Bud Shaw of Cleveland.com writes. Shaw wonders if the Browns will now put more emphasis on character in the draft now that Jackson is part of the organization.

Zach Links contributed to this post.