Andrew Berry We have our VP of Player Personnel (Sources say)

[sdballis]

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/692488447311925248

 

Browns are hiring Colts pro scouting coordinator Andrew Berry as VP of Player Personnel, per sources. This is the Browns' top personnel job.

 

Don't know anything about the guy but discuss as you may.

[hoorta]

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/692488447311925248

 

Browns are hiring Colts pro scouting coordinator Andrew Berry as VP of Player Personnel, per sources. This is the Browns' top personnel job.

 

Don't know anything about the guy but discuss as you may.

 

http://www.colts.com/team/staff/andrew-berry/4df06065-ecdb-4aed-bcac-61fbbc2f0114

 

FWIW, If true- we're going to have the smartest Front Office in the NFL....

[The Gipper]

 

http://www.colts.com/team/staff/andrew-berry/4df06065-ecdb-4aed-bcac-61fbbc2f0114

 

FWIW, If true- we're going to have the smartest Front Office in the NFL....

Oh...Fuck NO! These are all freeking Harvard guys. Sachi Brown, DePodesta, this guy.

 

The guy in my avatar would have bitched to high heaven about this:

 

Here is his quote:

 

The Ivy League presidents? Why I’ll never let those sons of bitches in the White House again. Never, never, never. They’re finished. The Ivy League schools are finished… Henry, I would never have had them in. Don’t do that again… They came out against us when it was tough… Don’t ever go to an Ivy League school again, ever. Never, never, never.”

 

Disclaimer: My son goes to an Ivy League school.

[The Gipper]

And another:

 

It's the President's personal property. I will never give up my tapes to a bunch of Kennedy-loving Harvard Democrat cocksuckers.

 

And again:

 

 

Harvard Class of Never

The President, however, suspected the worst. “He’s one of these Harvards, isn’t he?” Nixon asked. “I checked his record. He’s a Harvard, class of ’63.” 39 Actually, Cooke is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.40 An imaginary Ivy League background was enough for Nixon. “The guys from the best family are most likely to develop that arrogance that puts them above the law,” Nixon said. “They all are that way. All these Harvard people.” Later, he added, “Remember that any intellectual is tempted to put himself above the law. That’s the rule that I’ve known all my life. Any intellectual, particularly—watch what schools they’re from. If they’re from any Eastern schools or Berkeley, those are particularly the potential bad ones.”41 Ellsberg, Halperin and Gelb were all think tank intellectuals with Ivy League degrees, and Nixon privately referred to them as “the three Jews. . . . Basically, who the hell are these people that stole the papers? It’s too bad. I’m sorry. I was hoping one of them would be a gentile.”42

So....if the Browns have all these Harvard guys in the front office....and they draft Goff....from Berkeley.....Tricky Dick would want to bomb the Browns out of existance.

Edited to pink so that certain people can tell that this is sarcasm.

[Zombo]

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/692488447311925248

 

Browns are hiring Colts pro scouting coordinator Andrew Berry as VP of Player Personnel, per sources. This is the Browns' top personnel job.

 

Don't know anything about the guy but discuss as you may.

 

Alrighty then.

 

Never heard of him. Another Harvard guy.

 

At least if we fuck up this time, we will be fucking up with real smart guys.

 

Zombo

[TexasAg1969]

And another:

 

It's the President's personal property. I will never give up my tapes to a bunch of Kennedy-loving Harvard Democrat cocksuckers.

 

And again:

 

 

Harvard Class of Never

The President, however, suspected the worst. “He’s one of these Harvards, isn’t he?” Nixon asked. “I checked his record. He’s a Harvard, class of ’63.” 39 Actually, Cooke is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.40 An imaginary Ivy League background was enough for Nixon. “The guys from the best family are most likely to develop that arrogance that puts them above the law,” Nixon said. “They all are that way. All these Harvard people.” Later, he added, “Remember that any intellectual is tempted to put himself above the law. That’s the rule that I’ve known all my life. Any intellectual, particularly—watch what schools they’re from. If they’re from any Eastern schools or Berkeley, those are particularly the potential bad ones.”41 Ellsberg, Halperin and Gelb were all think tank intellectuals with Ivy League degrees, and Nixon privately referred to them as “the three Jews. . . . Basically, who the hell are these people that stole the papers? It’s too bad. I’m sorry. I was hoping one of them would be a gentile.”42

So....if the Browns have all these Harvard guys in the front office....and they draft Goff....from Berkeley.....Tricky Dick would want to bomb the Browns out of existance.

 

That seals it then. Wentz it is.

[hoorta]

Oh...Fuck NO! These are all freeking Harvard guys. Sachi Brown, DePodesta, this guy.

 

Disclaimer: My son goes to an Ivy League school.

 

They need to hire a guy from Yale for "competitive balance". Calvin Hill anyone?

[gftChris]

Btw, this is official now.

[gumby73]

 

They need to hire a guy from Yale for "competitive balance". Calvin Hill anyone?

Berry out of Harvard, probably responsible for Colts drafting FB Tyler Varga out of Yale maybe closest thing we see to a Calvin Hill balance. As for "find a sucker(most call GM) as a scoutmaster & call him VPPP." A 1st ever hire of such. I got to barrow a avatar in Don't Know. We'll See (but for years damn we need one). But in Hue I trust. I think?

[miktoxic]

Hue's prob got nothing to do with these hires.

 

i wonder if he feels as if the walls are starting to close in around him?

 

maybe they can hire hue 2 suits? one would be his 'yes' man the other would be his 'get the fuck out my face!' man.

[Unsympathetic]

This is a great hire - exactly the opposite of what Browns typically have done.

 

Smart, unassuming, hard-working, and driven - of course Nixon wouldn't want to work with him, Gipper.. not because Berry is actually deserving of suspicion, but because Berry could spot Nixon's BS a mile away and show other people that the emperor's words have no clothes.. so Nixon had to attempt to poison the water first. Nixon's skill was conning people, and so he was instantly worried that anyone he couldn't con would ruin his ability to continue conning everyone else who was already under his spell.

[flyingfooldoug]

Hmmmmm, Harvard Browns. Oh well, I guess if they suck at football, we should have a pretty competitive chess team

[Osiris]

And another:

 

It's the President's personal property. I will never give up my tapes to a bunch of Kennedy-loving Harvard Democrat cocksuckers.

 

And again:

 

 

Harvard Class of Never

The President, however, suspected the worst. “He’s one of these Harvards, isn’t he?” Nixon asked. “I checked his record. He’s a Harvard, class of ’63.” 39 Actually, Cooke is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.40 An imaginary Ivy League background was enough for Nixon. “The guys from the best family are most likely to develop that arrogance that puts them above the law,” Nixon said. “They all are that way. All these Harvard people.” Later, he added, “Remember that any intellectual is tempted to put himself above the law. That’s the rule that I’ve known all my life. Any intellectual, particularly—watch what schools they’re from. If they’re from any Eastern schools or Berkeley, those are particularly the potential bad ones.”41 Ellsberg, Halperin and Gelb were all think tank intellectuals with Ivy League degrees, and Nixon privately referred to them as “the three Jews. . . . Basically, who the hell are these people that stole the papers? It’s too bad. I’m sorry. I was hoping one of them would be a gentile.”42

So....if the Browns have all these Harvard guys in the front office....and they draft Goff....from Berkeley.....Tricky Dick would want to bomb the Browns out of existance.

 

Right, a failed president and con artists should be behind one of the biggest political scandals in history should be the model for the type of person the Browns should hire into their front office. I work in Cambridge at an institute affiliated with both MIT and Harvard and interact with people like Brown and Berry all the time. From what I've seen, we should be getting excited, not quoting Nixon's anti-intellectual bullshit.

 

This is a great hire - exactly the opposite of what Browns typically have done.

 

Smart, unassuming, hard-working, and driven - of course Nixon wouldn't want to work with him, Gipper.. not because Berry is actually deserving of suspicion, but because Berry could spot Nixon's BS a mile away and show other people that the emperor's words have no clothes.. so Nixon had to attempt to poison the water first. Nixon's skill was conning people, and so he was instantly worried that anyone he couldn't con would ruin his ability to continue conning everyone else who was already under his spell.

 

Amen.

[calfoxwc]

An excellent front office. The hires are being lauded around the NFL.

 

That is impressive. These are very smart, personable guys who are highly

respected by NFL folks who know them, and it is obvious that they are smart

enough to let Coach Hue to BE head coach, and he'll be a great one.

 

Hue Gotta Believe !

[Zombo]

Hmmmmm, Harvard Browns. Oh well, I guess if they suck at football, we should have a pretty competitive chess team

Revenge of the Nerds!

 

Z

[Unsympathetic]

we should have a pretty competitive chess team

 

Or, we might actually have a team that calls plays that aren't predictable? One that calls both a run and the play-action pass which faked that same run at the start?

 

You know.. chess.

 

 

I realize you wanted that comment to be an insult.... but the fact that you don't realize that the strategy is the same is.. sad, really.

[Osiris]

 

Or, we might actually have a team that calls plays that aren't predictable? One that calls both a run and the play-action pass which faked that same run at the start?

 

You know.. chess.

 

 

I realize you wanted that comment to be an insult.... but the fact that you don't realize that the strategy is the same is.. sad, really.

 

I don't get the anti-intellectual attitude a lot of people have on this board, and in this country, for that matter.

[gftChris]

 

I don't get the anti-intellectual attitude a lot of people have on this board, and in this country, for that matter.

Not just over there.

[One Post]

Nobody getting a raise this year because of the new hires.

[gftChris]

Nobody getting a raise this year because of the new hires.

Sashi probably getting a *big* raise. And Jimmy, because, why not?

[The Gipper]

This is a great hire - exactly the opposite of what Browns typically have done.

 

Smart, unassuming, hard-working, and driven - of course Nixon wouldn't want to work with him, Gipper.. not because Berry is actually deserving of suspicion, but because Berry could spot Nixon's BS a mile away and show other people that the emperor's words have no clothes.. so Nixon had to attempt to poison the water first. Nixon's skill was conning people, and so he was instantly worried that anyone he couldn't con would ruin his ability to continue conning everyone else who was already under his spell.

Sure....I posted that stuff about him just for fun......and right, we need balance: Get a Cornell guy!!

 

But, doesn't this photo look like Nixon is about to catch a football? The only thing is that he is doing his best Quincy Morgan imitation and looking away.

Can we say that Nixon dropped the ball in more ways than one?

[The Gipper]

 

Right, a failed president and con artists should be behind one of the biggest political scandals in history should be the model for the type of person the Browns should hire into their front office. I work in Cambridge at an institute affiliated with both MIT and Harvard and interact with people like Brown and Berry all the time. From what I've seen, we should be getting excited, not quoting Nixon's anti-intellectual bullshit.

 

 

Amen.

Yea, OK, sorry that I didn't post the entire thread in PINK to demonstrate that I was being facetious. I will try to correct that for you.

[The Gipper]

Revenge of the Nerds!

 

Z

New unofficial Browns fight song?

 

[The Gipper]

 

I don't get the anti-intellectual attitude a lot of people have on this board, and in this country, for that matter.

Again, half of it is facetious.

[Osiris]

Again, half of it is facetious.

 

See now the pink would've really helped.

[Zombo]

Seems we are assembling the brightest of the bright ... but just had a scary thought:

 

Wouldn't this guy have been in the room with a big thumbs up when Banner and Lombardi dumped Trent Richardson on them for a first round draft pick?

 

Oh well, I'm OK with that ... make your mistakes with your first team and excel with your second team.

 

It worked for Belichick, don't see him drafting Tommy Vardell's in New England.

 

Zombo

--Actually, mistakes can happen with good people any time ... Bobby Beathard put together 4 Super Bows teams ... then drafted Ryan Leaf.

[Tour2ma]

I've no idea how good our new ScoutMaster is or could be, but of all the NFL organizations to raid for a personnel guy, how can Indy's be high on a list?

 

Hue's prob got nothing to do with these hires.

If that's the case, then it's his own fault since participating in this hire was one of the ballyhooed points during our HC search.

 

I don't get the anti-intellectual attitude a lot of people have on this board, and in this country, for that matter.

On the board... think Retard.

 

As for the country... because it suits the purpose of some very smart people.

[Zombo]

Pluto on the 28 year old Berry:

 

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2016/01/cleveland_browns_make_a_bold_r.html#incart_river_index

 

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Andrew Berry as the Browns new vice president of player personnel?

This is yet another move that very few people saw coming from the most unique front office in the NFL.

Berry is 28 years old. He has been the pro scouting coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts since 2012. It was his job to put together scouting reports and data on veteran players, then deliver the information to the coach and general manager. His bosses made the final decisions.

Unless someone has inside knowledge of how Berry rated players, it's impossible to know much of his track record.

It's possible the Browns do have someone who knows Berry well. That's Pep Hamilton, the Browns new assistant head coach for offense. Hamilton was the offensive coordinator with the Colts from 2013 through the middle of the 2015 season.

The Browns made another smart move, hiring Harvard grad Andrew Berry as their Vice President of Player Personnel.

The decision to hire the former Harvard football star fits in with the bold and fascinating approach the Browns have adopted with their front office.

Berry graduated cum laude from Harvard with an economics degree. He has a Masters in computer science.

He certainly can talk analytics with vice president Sashi Brown and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta.

But I was told the Colts used very little analytics. They are more of a tradition football front office. Berry did normal scouting. But the Harvard background clearly makes him open to the new way the Browns will be doing business.

WHAT ABOUT HUE?

New coach Hue Jackson was supposed to have a major influence on the decision of who would be hired as the talent evaluator. Everyone from owner Jimmy Haslam to Sashi Brown to Jackson himself said as much.

I don't think everyone was lying about that. One of the attractions of the job to Jackson was to be a part of the process of adding the key player personnel man.

That means Jackson also wanted Berry. That brings the count of Harvard graduates to three in the front office. Brown and DePodesta also attended the elite Ivy League university.

Those who know Jackson describe him as a traditional football coach.

Look at his key assistants. There's defensive coordinator Ray Horton and special teams coach Chris Tabor, both veterans. The top offensive assistants are Al Saunders, Kirby Wilson, Hal Hunter and Pep Hamilton. These guys have been around the league for a long time.

Jackson is surrounding himself with experience on the coaching staff.

Yet, he signed off on Berry.

Jackson knows that Berry is crucial to his success. That's because Berry should have a significant voice in picking players -- based on how the Browns described the job.

So Jackson must sense something special about Berry. Jackson told some people close to him last night that he was impressed with Berry's grasp of football and scouting.

WHO REALLY KNOWS?

I'm not criticizing the hiring of Berry. The Browns are betting on intelligence, character, work ethic and potential. Berry arrives with those intangibles that often are prerequisites to success.

One NFL executive didn't quite know what to make of Berry. But the executive told me that many of the other candidates interviewed were "underwhelming." He was talking about Brian Xanders, Martin Mayhew and Dennis Hickey. All are former general manager with spotty histories.

Unlike Brown and DePodesta, Berry's experience (with the Colts since 2009) has been exclusively on the football side of the operation. That should help, but he has done very little college scouting.

Right now, no one in the front office has set up a college draft board before. They do have veteran scouts such as Chisom Opara, Bobby Vega, Lake Dawson and Ron Hill.

But this is a gamble. I was told Berry "blew away" the Browns during multiple interviews. He will have to prove that the faith shown in him by Haslam and the rest is deserved come draft weekend.

Right now, no one in the front office has set up a college draft board before.

Former Colts president Bill Polian issued this statement through the Browns:

"Andrew Berry is one of the brightest young men we ever had the pleasure of working with. He came to us very early in his career and very soon we realized he was on a fast track. I am not surprised the Browns hired him for this very important position. I assure you he has both the capacity and the will to do an outstanding job. The Browns have made, in my humble opinion, a great hire."

So in the draft where the Browns have the No. 2 and 32 picks, they have three rookies in charge -- Brown, DePodesta and Berry.

Experience isn't everything. The Browns front office (2010-12) of president Mike Holmgren, general manager Tom Heckert and others were NFL lifers. Most of those drafts were a nightmare.

Former GM Ray Farmer (2014-15) was an assistant general manager and pro player personnel director for eight years with Kansas City/Cleveland. He was a scout for five years. He had only two drafts, but early returns are disheartening.

Can the front office collection of Brown/DePodesta/Berry, with its new approach to the draft, scouting and free agency, blend with the more traditional group of Jackson and his coaches?

Should make for some lively meetings.

This much is clear: The Browns are committed to analytics. It's a front office the likes of which has never been in charge of the Browns -- and perhaps any other NFL team.

That makes the upcoming draft even more intriguing for Browns fans.

[The Gipper]

 

See now the pink would've really helped.

Except I wasn't being sarcastic here one bit.

[The Gipper]

 

Can the front office collection of Brown/DePodesta/Berry, with its new approach to the draft, scouting and free agency, blend with the more traditional group of Jackson and his coaches?

Should make for some lively meetings.

This much is clear: The Browns are committed to analytics. It's a front office the likes of which has never been in charge of the Browns -- and perhaps any other NFL team.

That makes the upcoming draft even more intriguing for Browns fans.

Not repeating the entire article....but it asks the question: Can this front office perform the job of drafting rookies and signing free agents well?

My question it: Can they do any worse than the guys we have had running the show. I say not. I say that you and I and a computer with access to draft services like Kiper and CBS/Fox/NFL.com could have done just as well as these guys have done.

So, I definitely count this as an upgrade.