Browns Exec VP/Football Operations Sashi Brown said the team's overhauled front office is "not just a bunch of mathematicians" as people "like to make it out to be," according to a three-part interview with Terry Pluto of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. Brown: "It's a catchy story. It's analytics. It's different." Brown said that the Browns "have not abandoned traditional scouting." Brown: "We are relentless in our drive to uncover any competitive advantage. Some of that may be data-based analytics, but internally we just view it as research. We don't have all the answers, but we want to see what we can find." Pluto noted the Browns "hope to blend old-school football and new-school analytics." Brown also talked about Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta, who was hired from the Mets' front office. Brown: "He's been a part of a lot of winning cultures and organizations, albeit in baseball. But we felt a lot of that is transferrable to football, and our experience with him has proven that out." He added, "At the end of the day, it's football but it's also an organization. There are folks out there who are talented and you would want by your side, no matter if you're building a company, an organization or a team. Paul fits that category. ... He is a truly, truly a great thinker" (CLEVELAND.com, 9/10).
LOOKING FOR STABILITY: Pluto notes the Browns have "had five different front offices run drafts in the last eight years." Brown said the team is "going to do some things that are traditional, some that are innovative." Brown: "One of the competitive disadvantages we've had in Cleveland is lack of continuity." Brown said team Owner Jimmy Haslam III is "committed to producing a front office, coaching staff and people who will work together and focus on winning." Brown: "In the offseason, we started putting the foundational cornerstones together for something that's going to last over time" (CLEVELAND.com, 9/10). Brown also discussed the team on the field, trades and new coach Hue Jackson (CLEVELAND.com, 9/10).
