Browns hire Berry, 32, as general manager
The Browns have a new general manager, and they don’t need any time to get to know him.
Andrew Berry, 32, was named Cleveland’s GM and executive vice president Tuesday, returning to the team after a oneyear stint in the Eagles’ front office. Berry was the Browns’ vice president of player personnel from 2016 through ’18, when the team went 131 over two seasons and was mired in dysfunction.
But owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam believe in Berry and will align him with new head coach Kevin Stefanski, 37, the former Minnesota offensive coordinator hired this month. Berry’s fiveyear contract was reported by the Associated Press and others Monday.
Berry will be reintroduced at a news conference next Wednesday at the team’s facility in Berea.
Berry is the NFL’s youngest GM and the second African American in that position. He joins Miami’s Chris Grier as the only minority GMs in a league that has been condemned for its hiring practices.
He also is the fifth head of football operations hired by the Haslams, who have shown little patience with coaches or decisionmakers since they bought the franchise in 2012.
“We are thrilled Andrew will lead our football operations,” the Haslams said in a news release. “We have always been profoundly impressed with him as a consummate professional who has meticulously studied his craft every place he has worked and is extremely dedicated to utilizing every resource to improve an organization and to enhance his own knowledge. He will be a tremendous partner with Kevin as he embraces the critical nature of his relationship with the head coach.”
Berry joined the Browns in 2016 after seven seasons with Colts. With Indianapolis, he worked his way up from scout to leading the team’s department.
O’Brien is GM in Houston: The Texans added general manager to Bill O’Brien’s title, a role the head coach has been filling since the firing of Brian Gaine in June.
The team also said that Jack Easterby, who worked this season as executive vice president of team development, was promoted to executive vice president of football operations.
Team owner Cal McNair said in a statement that he “was encouraged by the progress that our team made on the field this year which was due in part to our new structure, operating approach and the leaders within our football operations group.”
The Texans won the AFC South title for the second straight season and the fourth time in five years. They beat Buffalo in the wildcard round and built a 240 lead against Kansas City in the second round before the Chiefs rallied for a 5131 victory.