We should get an opportunity to hear from the Browns’ GM for the first time since the season began
The Cleveland Browns produced a transformation on the offensive side of the ball in their win against the Baltimore Ravens last week with Jameis Winston under center. That performance opened the door to many questions as to what we witnessed on the field for the first seven weeks.
Fortunately, the bye week gives us an opportunity to ask them for the first time this season to Andrew Berry, the Browns’ general manager. While nothing has officially been announced yet, Berry typically will have media availability during the team’s bye week each year.
What happens on the field later this afternoon could have a huge impact on the overall vibes and specific questions that he will be asked. Regardless of the result, the bulk of the questions should focus on the abysmal start to the season, and his answers should give us all insight into how he views it from his perspective.
I have ventured to make a list of ten questions that I would ask if given the chance. I would not waste any time asking for definitive answers on the fate of Deshaun Watson, Kevin Stefanski, or even his own.
Likely, Berry’s press conference won’t come until the NFL trade deadline has passed so there will be questions about moves made or not added to these.
He will not shed any light on his true thoughts to questions like those, and we are likely to hear that everyone is expected back until it’s official. That said, these are the questions that I came up with.
- How do you explain the 1-6 start?
- What do you think was behind the lack of focus and intensity from the team to start the season, and is there anything you’d do differently during camp and preseason to prevent it?
- In hindsight do you wish that you would have done more to bolster offensive tackle during the offseason?
- Did you expect the tackles to come back sooner than they were able to return?
- The offensive performance was bad, how much of that would you attribute to the new offensive staff merging new philosophies?
- Now that you are back in the first round in the next draft, is quarterback a position you’d consider at that selection if your evaluation of one lined up?
- Throughout your time here as GM, your philosophy seems to be patient in playing younger players, has watching guys like McGuire and Hall impacted your outlook? In other words, how has it impacted your analysis of weighing the cost-benefits to maximizing a player’s rookie contract?
- To my understanding the organization decided to implement significant changes during the offseason to your processes of managing overall player health, what have you learned from that?
- The Browns are at the forefront of analytics in the league, are there instances when data can cause you to adopt something too early or overspend time and resources compared to the return on investment?
- With making the playoffs an uphill battle, how valuable is it for you to get an evaluation on Dorian Thompson-Robinson this season? Is there a magic number of games you’d like to have as a sample?
What questions would you ask Berry if given the chance? What answers would you like him to give these? Let us know in the comments below.