One of the criticisms of the Cleveland Browns front office over the last two years has been the lack of NFL personnel experience between Executive VP of Football Operations Sashi Brown, Vice President of Player Personnel Andrew Berry, and Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta.
On Wednesday, the Browns added someone with 19 years of experience in the NFL front office trenches when they hired Ryan Grigson to serve as Senior Personnel Executive.
Grigson most recently served as General Manager of the Indianapolis Colts from 2012-16. Under his leadership, the Colts made three trips to the playoffs and won two AFC South titles. Grigson was named NFL Executive of the Year in 2012 by The Sporting News. Prior to his time in Indianapolis, Grigson spent eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles working first as a scout before becoming Director of Player Personnel. He also spent time as a scout with the St. Louis Rams.
Grigson will be reunited with his protege Berry in Cleveland. Berry worked under Grigson for four years in Indianapolis. "I know Ryan is an individual with a palpable passion for scouting, a tireless work ethic and an insatiable competitive drive," Berry said in a statement. "His experiences as an NFL player and executive will prove valuable to the mission of our group, while his team-orientation and personal integrity will continue to strengthen our department’s culture.”
“Ryan brings valuable experience to our personnel group,” added Brown. “He was raised as a road-scout and has been evaluating talent in this league for almost 20 years. We place a premium on that experience and on his passion for football. Ryan has much to offer to any personnel department and we are pleased that he chose to join our staff.”
