CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns had to start fresh when they elected to fire general manager Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine in the hours immediately following the season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium on January 3rd.
And start fresh they have, as the Browns are going with a new analytics-based approach in their front office to help new head coach Hue Jackson find the best talent possible to get the team in a position to compete for championships.
The Browns believe that fresh start got more of a boost on two weeks ago with the hiring of Andrew Berry as their new Vice President of Player Personnel. Berry has spent the last seven seasons in the front office of the Indianapolis Colts, the last four of which he served as their pro scouting coordinator.
“I am truly excited about the opportunity to work with the Cleveland Browns,” Berry said in a release announcing the hire. “I look forward to collaborating with Hue, Sashi, Paul (DePodesta) and the personnel staff to make the most informed decisions to benefit our organization.
“Hue is an outstanding coach with a diversity of expertise and proven track record of success, while I think Sashi and Paul are two of the brightest minds in all of professional sports. Jimmy and Dee (Haslam) have made it clear that they are committed to providing a winning team to the most passionate fan base in the NFL and this is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to building the perennial contender that Browns fans deserve.”
Berry comes highly recommended from Pro Football Hall of Fame front-office executive Bill Polian.
“Andrew Berry is one of the brightest young men we ever had the pleasure of working with,” Polian said. “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.”
A cum laude graduate of Harvard who earned a Bachelor’s degree in economics and Master’s in computer science in just four years, Berry started his professional career with the Colts as a scouting assistant in 2009. He became a pro scout in 2011 and was elevated to the position of pro scouting coordinator in 2012.
During Berry’s time in Indianapolis, the Colts won 67 games, four AFC South Division championships, made five trips to the playoffs and played in Super Bowl XLIV.
“We are fortunate to add someone of Andrew's caliber to the Cleveland Browns,” said Sashi Brown, the Browns’ newly-minted Executive Vice President of Football Operations. “Andrew has been part of a strong foundation in Indianapolis and possesses a tremendous understanding of what is needed to lead a successful, high-functioning and comprehensive personnel group.
“He has been trained by some very experienced and highly successful personnel executives in the National Football League. Andrew understands what it takes to build a winning team and the individual traits that are essential in looking at each player that make up that team. Andrew's strategic and relentless approach to improving his craft and this team will positively impact our short and long-term opportunities. We are excited to welcome him to Cleveland.”
Jackson believes adding Berry to the staff will critical, particularly in his areas of expertise, including managing the free agency process, scouting upcoming opponents, evaluating current NFL players and players in order leagues.
Also, Berry assisted in college scouting, preparing for the NFL Draft and was in on contract negotiations through free agency.
“Andrew will be a great leader in our personnel department,” Jackson said. “In spending time with Andrew, it is evident that he has a very strong understanding of the game. His substance and depth in his analysis of how to build a successful team and how he looks at individual players will be a great benefit to us moving forward.
“It is critical to not just rely on one individual, but to have a leader in place that can bring together a comprehensive array of information from our talented and hard-working group of scouts and raise the strategic level and success of our approach.”
