Cleveland Browns firing John Dorsey would be a mistake

The Cleveland Browns could be preparing for another massive overhaul in the offseason, but firing John Dorsey would be a mistake.

The Cleveland Browns did not live up to expectations in 2019 and it has put a lot of the staff on the hot seat. Firmly on the hot seat is head coach Freddie Kitchens, who could be coaching his last game on Sunday against the Bengals. However, it also appears John Dorsey’s seat is hot as well.

The Browns general manager has received criticism for how he has built the roster because despite the talent on the roster, Cleveland was unable to utilize the talent to win on the field. Instead of the talent fitting like pieces to a puzzle, it seemed like it was more of a random jumble of talent.

Dorsey is also fully responsible for the hiring of Freddie Kitchens, despite his limited experience as a coordinator and no experience as a head coach. Kitchens was clearly over his head as the head coach and his inexperience cost the Browns wins throughout the season.

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There have been several reports throughout the weekend that Dorsey could be on the hot set, including Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reporting Dorsey is “not completely safe.” The most noticeable report has come from former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who has heard from two sources that Kitchens would not be the only change in Cleveland.

However, firing Dorsey after just two seasons in his role would be a mistake by the Browns. There are still holes on the roster, but Dorsey has done a phenomenal job of filling the massive holes that were left on the roster when Dorsey first took over the job in December 2017.

In two offseasons, Dorsey has found the team’s franchise quarterback, two playmaking wide receivers, the 2019 league leading rusher, and the future starting cornerbacks, including one who has already been to a Pro Bowl. He has also added role players to supplement the stars on the roster. He and the rest of the front office has built a roster capable of winning games, but the coaching staff has been unable to turn the talent into performance and success on the field.

The problems with the coaching staff does fall onto Dorsey’s shoulders, however. The Browns seemed like they were firmly set on hiring Kitchens as head coach from the start of the interview process and did not hire the best man for the job. But Dorsey did listen to his franchise quarterback, Baker Mayfield, who felt Kitchens’ coaching and offense would elevate his play.

The hiring of Kitchens as head coach was designed to get the best out of his quarterback and the rest of the players. It was clear Kitchens was well liked by the roster, but Kitchens was unable to make the adjustments needed to be a player’s coach, but still instill discipline and have the respect of the players.

Dorsey has shown he can accumulate talent, through trades, free agency, and the draft. Although he has been unable to fill all of the holes on the roster, most notably the offensive line, he’s only had two offseasons to fill all of the holes. Of course he has missed on adding talent, but no general manager is ever perfect.

With another offseason or two, Dorsey will have the opportunity to fill the rest of the remaining holes on the roster. If Cleveland can continue to build their roster, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be contenders in 2020.

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The Browns should be patient with Dorsey instead of firing him after only two years. Changing regimes generally leads to a roster overhauls, so the Browns would be starting from square one once again if they decide to fire Dorsey and put another person in charge of the roster. It would be a mistake the organization has made several times before.

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