Browns GM Andrew Berry Put on Notice Ahead of Season

Andrew Berry might be running out of time to turn the Cleveland Browns into legitimate contenders.

The Browns’ general manager and executive vice president of football operations was hired in 2020 and found early success, helping guide Cleveland to a rare playoff appearance alongside head coach Kevin Stefanski.

But Berry’s tenure has been a mixed bag, marred by a series of draft misses and aggressive moves, none more controversial than the blockbuster 2022 trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The deal cost the Browns multiple first-round picks and came with a fully guaranteed $230 million contract for a player with significant off-field baggage.

Jay Crawford of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show recently pinpointed Berry as the person under the most pressure within the Browns organization this season.

“We’ve had assurances he’s safe but I don’t believe that for one second,” Crawford said. “We have combed over his draft record. We have combed over his free agency record. We have combed over his trade record. He was at the ship’s wheel when the worst transaction in the history of the National Football League happened.”

Crawford: Andrew Berry’s Career on the Line

Crawford went a step further, questioning Berry’s long-term future in the league if things fall apart in Cleveland.

“His job is not only on the line in Cleveland, his career is on the line. If fired here, which of the other 31 are clamoring to sign him as a GM?” Crawford said. “His resume as an NFL general manager right now is about as bad as it can get.”

Crawford’s co-host, Garrett Bush, added that Berry’s future might not be directly linked to Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year.

“Stefanski is in a different boat. He can always say I’ve got two trophies,” Bush said. “I think there’s a gap between them now.”

Quarterback Situation Still Murky for Browns

Team owner Jimmy Haslam made it clear before the draft that this offseason was a pivotal one for Berry.

“Andrew understands how important the draft is this year,” Haslam said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “He’s got to nail it, but he understands how important it is. Everybody in our organization does.”

While it will take time to fully assess the impact of this year’s draft, Berry once again showed an aggressive approach. The Browns traded the No. 2 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, moving down to No. 5 while also acquiring an additional first-round pick in 2026. With the fifth selection, Cleveland bolstered its defensive front by drafting standout Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.

Berry also addressed the offense by selecting a pair of running backs — Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson — and adding two quarterbacks. The Browns took Dillon Gabriel in the third round and made waves by selecting Shedeur Sanders in the fifth.

As a result, Cleveland enters training camp with five quarterbacks on the roster, including the injured Watson, and no clear-cut starter. The competition will feature veterans 40-year-old Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett alongside the two rookie signal-callers, Gabriel and Sanders, in what is shaping up to be one of the most wide-open quarterback battles in the league.