CLEVELAND, Ohio – Current Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and former Browns GM John Dorsey worked together in Green Bay. They are friends and loyal to each other.
So it’s no surprise McCarthy praised Dorsey during his Zoom conference call with the Cleveland media Wednesday.
“John is a good man and an excellent personnel man, too," said McCarthy. “Look at Green Bay, Kansas City and Cleveland. He has an ability to assess and bring in talent.”
The rise and fall of Dorsey is one of the more fascinating stories of the Browns since the return in 1999. He was hired to replace Vice President Sashi Brown on Dec. 7, 2017, and handed a wealth of draft picks and salary cap room.
Dorsey was a “genius” in 2018 when the Browns finished 7-8-1. It appeared Dorsey drafted a long-term answer at QB in Baker Mayfield along with other impact players. Then Dorsey decided not to retain interim head coach Gregg Williams in 2019. Williams had a 5-3 record after taking over for Hue Jackson at mid-season.
Last season, everything fell apart. Dorsey went against Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta (who favored Kevin Stefanski) by promoting offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens to head coach. Kitchens was overmatched. Dorsey at times seemed paralyzed when the team started 2-6. He couldn’t seem to find a way to help his rookie head coach.
By the end of the season, Dorsey went from a GM who could do no wrong to someone who could get nothing right.
As usual with the Browns, emotions blew wildly in extreme directions.
CONCENTRATING ON THE FLAWS
Dorsey’s weakness was taking too many chances on talented players who had a troubled pasts. He tended to bring together a bunch of talent and expect the coaching staff to sort it out.
That’s why he was so successful in Kansas City. He had a strong, experienced coach in Andy Reid. They were a good combination, even if they split after four seasons.
But Kitchens was no Andy Reid. He wasn’t even Gregg Williams. He was the most overwhelmed/least prepared head coach since the team returned in 1999.
Dorsey deservedly was blamed for that hire. I favored giving Dorsey another year with a new coach.
Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam wanted to start fresh ... again. Dorsey lasted 25 months on the job.
General manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski talk on the field before the Week 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
THE NEW GRAND PLAN
I believe they had the current combination of GM Andrew Berry and Stefanski in mind as the 2019 season was coming to an end.
Remember all the talk about “alignment” and DePodesta rising in influence? Berry worked under Sashi Brown and DePodesta in 2016-17. Many people forget he also was one of the assistant GMs with Dorsey in 2018, although Berry’s influence faded.
Berry worked as an assistant GM in Philadelphia in 2019.
In a sense, the grand plan proposed by Brown after the 2015 season has won out over the long term.
Nick Chubb celebrates with Kareem Hunt after running for a touchdown. Joshua Gunter,cleveland.com
TWO BIG MOVES
Dorsey used the 1-31 mess (2016-17) under Brown and the draft picks and salary cap room piled up to make bold moves. Two of his controversial decisions led to the Browns having the best running back combination in the NFL.
Most draft experts thought Nick Chubb was picked too high. Dorsey grabbed the Georgia running back with 35th pick in the 2018 draft. The other move was signing Kareem Hunt. He was waived by the Chiefs following a physical altercation with a woman.
Dorsey originally drafted the Willoughby South and Toledo product in the third round of the 2017 draft.
SOME GOOD, SOME BAD
It’s still to be determined if Mayfield (No. 1 pick in 2018) is going to be a consistent playoff caliber QB. If he can stay healthy, Denzel Ward (No. 4 pick in 2018) can be a very good cornerback.
But there’s no doubt that trading a third-round pick for Jarvis Landry was a steal.
His top pick in the 2019 draft was Greedy Williams, who can’t seem to stay healthy. He has already missed seven of his first 19 NFL games.
I still have doubts about the Odell Beckham and Olivier Vernon deal with the Giants. The Browns traded an excellent starting guard in Kevin Zeitler, safety Jabrill Peppers and a first-rounder (Clemson defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence).
There are plenty of other moves to discuss, such as Dorsey picking offensive lineman Austin Corbett at the top of the second round in 2018. The Browns gave up on him, but Corbett started the last 10 games at guard for the Rams after being traded to L.A. for a fifth-rounder.
MOVING FORWARD
Just as Dorsey benefited from the salary cap and draft capital assembled by Brown, Berry has been put in a good position thanks to a number of Dorsey’s moves.
Berry inherited Mayfield, Chubb, Hunt, Landry, Beckham and others. In their last game, the Browns started 11 players acquired by Dorsey.
I’m very encouraged by the Berry/Stefanski combination. None of this is to second-guess the switch made by the Haslams after 2019 season.
But Dorsey did leave this team much better than he found it, and McCarthy is right to mention that fact.
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