The Browns have brought in a new general manager whose goal is to turn around the franchise – quickly. Owner Jimmy Haslam fired Vice President Sashi Brown last week after the team won just one game in two seasons. That same day, Brown was replaced by former Kansas City General Manager John Dorsey.
WKSU commentator Terry Pluto says Dorsey is partly credited for reviving the Chiefs during his four years there.
Terry Pluto says former Browns Vice President Sashi Brown made some big drafting mistakes that sealed his fate with owner Jimmy Haslam. Brown passed on quarterback Carson Wentz with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft. He also passed on quarterback DeShaun Watson with the No. 12 pick this year. Both players have become rising NFL stars, despite suffering season-ending knee injuries recently.
Why Dorsey wants the job
Pluto says Haslam had been looking to hire Dorsey for the last month.
"He's not coming in here to talk about the long rebuilding plan. He's a turnaround guy. He's a fix guy."
In Kansas City, Dorsey took over a team that won two games when he arrived and led them to a 45-17 record over four seasons.
"The first thing he had to do there is fix the quarterback problem. He went out and traded for veteran quarterback, Alex Smith. I could see [Dorsey] doing something like that here. Trading for a veteran quarterback, drafting a quarterback and keeping DeShone Kizer."
And Pluto says Dorsey has money to spend in Cleveland. The Browns have $100 million in salary cap space.
"One reason he was fired in Kansas City was because they felt he chewed up cap money too fast."
Pluto says if Dorsey turns the team around, he should send Sashi Brown a thank-you note for putting the building blocks in place.
"They have two draft picks in the first round and three in the second round. And on top of that, because the Browns have been so young, they have a low payroll. So he can go on a spending spree for free agents or trade for players who maybe other teams think their contracts are too high. This is why he took the job."
The head coach question
Haslam has said that coach Hue Jackson's job is safe for 2018, despite his 1-28 record. "That's written in pencil rather than ink," Pluto says. "I think Jimmy Haslam said this because he didn't want talk of, 'Hue's coaching for his job.' "
Pluto says Jackson will be under the microscope these last few weeks of the season.
Is a turnaround possible next season?
Pluto says it's possible the team could drastically improve next season, mostly because the bar is set so low it's "underground."
"With that kind of draft and that kind of free-agent money and if you fire it all out, you can get a 6-10 or 7-9 record."
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