CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – With their next head coach in place, everyone is anxiously awaiting the Cleveland Browns’ hire of their next general manager.
Kevin Stefanski just doesn’t sound like he shares everyone else’s sense of urgency to come to a decision.
“We’re working through that process and we’re going to make sure we take our time and be methodical about that,” Stefanski said Wednesday night at the 20th annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards.
The Browns spoke with Minnesota Vikings assistant general manager George Paton for a second time Wednesday about their open GM vacancy. Paton visited the team headquarters in Berea with Cleveland’s search committee that now includes Stefanski a source confirmed to 92.3 The Fan.
Stefanski, hired Jan. 13 and introduced the following day, did not want to put a timetable on the completion of the search.
“I don’t think we have a timeline, but I think we’re huddling up and having a lot of good discussions and see where it goes,” Stefanski said.
Patton is the first candidate to receive a known second interview.
The Browns interviewed Patriots director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort and Eagles vice president of football operations Andrew Berry on Friday. Paton interviewed for the first time Saturday.
“I think we’ve had some really qualified candidates in there,” Stefanski said. “It’s always fun to talk football with all of them so we’re gathering information as we go.”
Stefanski declined to say if there are or will be additional candidates considered for the job.
Paton has over 20 years of personnel and talent evaluation experience and having worked with Stefanski for 13 years in Minnesota, he would be a perfect fit and give owner Jimmy Haslam the organizational alignment he was seeking with the latest round of changes.
“My relationship with him is very similar to my relationship with all of the people in that building,” Stefanski said.
The relationship between Stefanski and Paton has many connecting the dots that the two would be a perfect match considering Paton’s experience working with Vikings GM Rick Spielman throughout his career which dates back to the late 90s in Chicago before they moved on to Miami and then to Minnesota.
“I think we’ve brought in some real good candidates,” Stefanski said. “I don’t want to single anybody out. I just know that Dee and Jimmy [Haslam] have done their due diligence to make sure we brig in some qualified people and again, get them in our building, talk to them and understand that shared vision we all have.
“I think it’s been a good process.”
