Former Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey hired by Detroit Lions

Former Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey has been hired by the Detroit Lions, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Dorsey and the Browns mutually parted ways when the team fired Freddie Kitchens and were on the brink of hiring Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry. This season, he worked as an advisor for the Philadelphia Eagles front office.

Now, Dorsey has been hired as a senior personnel executive, assisting first-year general manager Brad Holmes in Detroit.

Despite an inarguable knack for scouting college talent, and aggressively pursuing trades at the professional level, Dorsey fell out of favor as general manager prematurely in his stops with the Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. Dorsey is credited with drafting quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb, and cornerback Denzel Ward, cornerstone pieces to Cleveland’s rebuild. In Kansas City, he added defensive tackle Chris Jones, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.

As great as he is at recruiting Pro-Bowl-caliber talent, Dorsey’s short-coming happens when he tries to take sneaky shortcuts in building rosters. In Cleveland, his decision to hire Kitchens as head coach after a half-season as an interim play-caller was a dangerous maneuver. Pair that bad hire with somewhat neglecting an offensive line build and defense, and the Browns were in a serious rut last season.

Not to mention, Dorsey loves rolling the dice on players with troubled-pasts. Remember when receiver Antonio Callaway parked in a different lot? Then he failed a drug test a few days later? Or when linebacker Mychael Kendricks pleads guilty to insider trading? Let’s leave that list alone right there.

Dorsey also doesn’t really understand how cap space works. He ran into trouble with the cap in Kansas City and walked a dangerous tight-rope by tying money into Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. in Cleveland.

The good news for Detroit?

Dorsey is not your GM.

Hopefully, in a senior personnel executive role, Dorsey will be able to spend his time scouting talent, what he does best. His first tall-task will be replacing quarterback Matt Stafford after reports surfaced that he will not be back in Detroit in 2021.

When Ole’ Buddy Boy gets to recruit “real football players” is when he’s at his best. Hopefully, he sticks to that. Between Dorsey’s gum chomping and new coach Dan Campbell biting off knee caps, Detroit is loaded with “football guys” that could turn that organization around.