Is it a good idea for Browns to keep Andrew Berry? – Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio – In nan end, Jimmy Haslam didn’t want to rustle it up.

That’s portion of nan logic nan Browns proprietor decided to support GM Andrew Berry aft nan firing of coach Kevin Stefanski.

Haslam knows what it’s for illustration to occurrence everyone – GM, coach, etc. He has been done this respective times. Not overmuch of thing has worked since Haslam bought nan Browns successful 2012.

His astir successful tally has been pinch Berry and Stefanski. While their grounds was 45-56, they delivered playoff teams successful 2020 and 2023. They won nan only playoff crippled (2020) since nan Browns returned successful 1999.

I judge Haslam was looking for a logic to bring them some back. He likes moving pinch them. When Haslam said nan franchise is not “dysfunctional,” he is correct. By that, nan Browns didn’t person their accustomed in-fighting and finger-pointing.

Prior regimes would person eaten each different live aft nan Deshaun Watson waste and acquisition disaster. Coaches and beforehand agency group would person been blaming each other. There would person been ugly, self-serving whispering campaigns successful nan media.

As I wrote in a erstwhile column, Berry and Stefanski were people acts to nan end.

My consciousness is Berry’s integrity and dependable manus handling nan beforehand agency and his narration pinch nan coaching unit is why he is being fixed a chance to rebuild nan squad and thief find a caller coach.

This is nan correct move.

Why is Berry back?

He had a amended twelvemonth than Stefanski.

Haslam didn’t opportunity that directly. He praised Berry’s 2025 draft. He praised nan GM for adding veterans specified arsenic Maliek Collins and Tyson Campbell. He was thrilled nan Browns recovered a kicker successful Andre Szmyt.

The Browns led nan NFL successful games started by rookies. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger is apt to beryllium nan NFL Defensive Rookie of nan Year. Mason Graham is simply a coagulated protect tackle pinch important upside. Running backmost Quinshon Judkins has nan expertise to beryllium a 1,000-yard rusher.

As for nan rookie QBs Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabreil … we’ll see.

The draught time waste and acquisition of nan No. 2 prime to Jacksonville is simply a awesome affirmative for Berry. The 3 picks from nan 2025 draught successful nan woody are Graham, Judkins and moving backmost Dylan Sampson. They besides person Jacksonville’s first information prime successful 2026.

Jacksonville utilized nan No. 2 prime to prime Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who play ended early pinch a knee injury.

Berry get his chance

As for Stefanski, Haslam praised nan erstwhile coach but admitted he thought nan squad should person won much than 5 games this season.

The grounds of 8-26 in nan past 2 seasons is crushing nan instrumentality guidelines

“Ownership takes afloat work for wherever we are,” said Haslam. “To triumph 8 games successful nan past 2 years is unacceptable. We are going to springiness you a amended product. Our fans merit better.”

Ownership sent nan squad into this downward rhythm pinch nan Deshaun Watson deal. In nan end, only ownership tin o.k. a waste and acquisition that progressive six draught picks, a $230 cardinal guaranteed statement for a QB who was facing a suspension and much than 20 civilian suits for intersexual misconduct pinch massage therapists.

The wounded prone Watson started only 19 games successful his 3 seasons pinch nan Browns.

“There are a batch of examples of teams going from past to first successful nan NFL,” said Haslam. “Do I deliberation we person nan halfway of a team? Yes. Do we person activity to do successful rebuilding nan roster? Absolutely.”

Based connected my emails, I’m successful nan number erstwhile it comes to wanting to clasp Berry. One logic for my belief successful staying pinch Berry is nan 2025 draught and immoderate different roster moves.

It’s besides because a caller GM would travel successful and astir apt rip isolated nan roster – that’s what caller GMs do. I don’t want to spot that.

Also, erstwhile Berry yet had a draught pinch his ain first-round prime aft 3 years of those selections going to Houston for Watson, he brought talent to Cleveland.

Now, he has to do it again.

I'm grateful to my readers who person publication maine for decades. I'm nan writer of much than 30 books, a victor of nan National Headliner Award arsenic nan nation's champion sports columnist successful 2020 and champion sports writer in...