Cleveland Browns could be close to hiring George Paton as general manager
By Dan Justik
The Cleveland Browns have been in the process of finding their next general manager, and George Paton could reportedly be the hire in the coming days.
The Cleveland Browns are still without a general manager close to three weeks after parting ways with John Dorsey. However, that could be changing in the near future, as the Browns reportedly could hire Vikings assistant general manager George Paton in the next few days.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Monday that Paton interviewed for the position on Saturday and that the Browns are expected to hire their general manager early this week. It was unknown if Paton would interview with the Browns, as he has been selective in interviewing for certain positions over the years.
Paton has been with the Vikings for 13 seasons and currently serves as Minnesota’s Vice President of Player Personnel and assistant general manager. Paton has worked side-by-side with Vikings general manager Rick Spielman since the 1990’s when they were both with the Chicago Bears.
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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and Paton clearly have a long working relationship with each other, as Stefanski was in Minnesota for every year Paton was with the organization. With the Browns preaching alignment this offseason, joining Paton and Stefanski would create a clear and similar vision between the front office and the coaching staff.
The Browns are trying to recreate a model of a partnership between the head coach and general manager. This type of model has become popular after the success of the San Francisco 49ers since they hired Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch together in 2017.
Paton has been a highly sought after general manager candidate for several seasons, but has been patient about the jobs he is a candidate for. He has wanted to find the right situation before taking a job. He has withdrawn his name from candidacies in the past if he is not comfortable with an organization or its situation.
Cleveland would be a situation Paton would likely be comfortable in because of the presence of Stefanski and the process the organization will undergo when making decisions. Having a head coach he has a long relationship with will allow Paton to work similarly to the way the Vikings front office works.
The Browns have reportedly interviewed two other candidates for the general manager position: Eagles Vice President of Football Operations Andrew Berry and Patriots Director of College Scouting Monti Ossenfort. Berry has long been considered the favorite for the general manager vacancy, but the Browns could be looking in a different direction after conducting interviews.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has also said that current assistant general manager Eliot Wolf will remain with the team in his current position. Cleveland’s Vice President of Player Personnel Alonzo Highsmith was expected to leave the team after Dorsey’s departure, but currently remains with the organization.
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It is unknown what type of changes Paton would want in the front office if he became general manager, or even if Haslam will allow other changes in the front office, but it appears Wolf and Highsmith will remain with the team for the time being. Those situations could be worked out in the near future if the Browns do decide to hire Paton this week.