Browns host Vikings’ George Paton for 2nd interview for GM job
Coach Kevin Stefanski says Cleveland not in rush to make hire.
New Browns coach Kevin Stefanski avoided publicly lobbying for George Paton to become his general manager, but Paton receiving a second interview proves the franchise is dead serious about its courtship of the Minnesota Vikings assistant GM.
The Browns hosted Paton on Wednesday at their headquarters in Berea for his second interview, a person familiar with the meeting confirmed. The interview lasted roughly eight hours and ended at about 5 p.m. without a hire. Paton also interviewed with the Browns this past weekend.
“We’re working through that process,” Stefanski said of the GM search Wednesday night during the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. “And we’re going to make sure we take our time and are methodical about it.
“I don’t think we have a timeline. But I think we’re huddling up and having a lot of good discussions and see where it goes.”
The Browns interviewed New England Patriots director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort and Philadelphia Eagles vice presi
dent of football operations Andrew Berry on Friday. Neither Ossenfort nor Berry has had a second interview scheduled.
“I think we’ve had some really qualified candidates in there,” Stefanski said. “It’s always fun to talk football with all of them. So I think we’re gathering information as we go.”
The Browns have said they planned to interview three to five GM candidates, so will more contenders emerge?
“I think that remains to be seen,” Stefanski said.
Paton worked with Kevin Stefanski for the past 13 seasons in Minnesota, and they could soon reunite as the new GM-head coach tandem in Cleveland.
“My relationship with him is very similar to my relationship with most all of the people in that building,” said Stefanski, whom the Browns hired Jan. 12 as the successor to Freddie Kitchens. “It’s a great place. I’m going to miss a lot of those people, and I’ve reached out to them and told them that. But definitely a bunch of special people in that building.”
Paton has emerged as the front-runner to succeed former Browns GM John Dorsey, who mutually agreed Dec. 31 with owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam to part ways coming off a 6-10 season.
Paton has never been a GM, but he interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts for the position in 2017. He also has declined many interview requests from other teams over the years.
Asked about Paton being groomed to become a GM, Stefanski said: “I think we’ve brought in some really good candidates. I don’t want to single anybody out. I just know that Dee and Jimmy have done their due diligence to make sure that we bring in some really qualified people and again getting to get them in our building and talk to them and understand that shared vision that we all have, I think it’s been a good process.”
Paton worked as a scout and player personnel executive with the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins before joining the Vikings in 2007. He has worked with Vikings GM Rick Spielman at every stop. The Vikings promoted Paton from director of player personnel to assistant GM in 2012, the same year they elevated Spielman from vice president of player personnel to GM.
A UCLA defensive back from 1988-91, Paton played in professional football leagues in Italy and Austria.