Paton To Interview With The Browns...Maybe...Probably

I've been in the Spielman good/bad arguments enough so I don't want to debate that here, but I look at this from Paton's perspective and it makes sense to leave the Vikings. There are two basic paths ahead:
1.  Spielman is a great GM and the Vikings continue to ascend/contend and the Wilfs will give him a long contract soon. Spielman is only 57, so he will stay another 5 years or more. The Wilfs might promote Paton to GM when Spielman peacefully retires, but Paton might be in his late 50s, and a lot (even ownership) can change in that time.

2. Spielman is terrible and the Vikings window is collapsing and the team will have a big setback season soon, and the Wilfs will fire Spielman and Zimmer. Paton's big chance? But if the ownership determines the Spielman regime was a failure, why would they think his assistant is the new answer? More likely, Paton is swept away with the housecleaning.
He's probably been told that he is in the team's "succession plan" as Spielman's heir. Succession plans make sense in the military, but I've rarely seen it followed in business because any departure of a person in a leadership position is seen as an opportunity to inject new thinking.

Paton left without an offer...seems like both sides have some thinking to do...

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/01/22/george-paton-wraps-up-second-interview-with-browns/

@"mjollnir_k" said:

@"comet52" said:

@"mjollnir_k" said:

@"comet52" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: Anyone else find it funny that Paton bypassed many opportunities, but this is the one he takes? Is there worse ownership in the NFL? Odd move.

Worse would be Dan Snyder but Haslam has a lock on 2nd place.   If Paton is so smart I wonder why he's willing to do this, especially when DePodesta is going to sit in SoCal calling shots?   

Then again maybe he is ready to take any opportunity to get out from under RS and Zygmunt who haven't exactly built a championship culture here in their 16 years at the wheel.

Other then the Patriots what team has built a "Championship Culture"  and to your detriment Rick has been in charge as GM since 2012 and the Wilfs bought the team in 2005 and have a 126-112 record.  That is including changing  4 coaches in a 15 year period.  Prior to that 7 coaches from 1961 to 2004.  To say they have not been actively trying to bring a champion is ludicrous. 

'To my detriment Rick has been in charge'... I can't even make sense of that sentence..  a middle of the road record and a bunch of coaches means what to me, exactly?   Watching other teams find ways to get to and win Super Bowls while the Vikings fiddle around annoys me.   You know what matters?  Not building buildings, not fiddling around with coaches, not the p.r. about how much they care blah blah blah, not a middle of the road record.  What matters is having a real shot at winning it and I'd say once in 16 years when they rented the last gasp of Brett Favre was that a possibility.    

But yeah I get it.   I point out that we're mostly sucking air for 16 years under Wilf and there is always some guy getting huffy about it, because boy it's so great around here in purple town!    If I hadn't been watching other teams win it all for the last 50 years I might agree with you pal.  

Point that flew right over your head was Spielman and the Wilfs were not in the position to effect the team 16 years ago, so your statement make no sense from the start.  And while I am at the point of Rick and Mike are not the answer I have yet to see anybody that is.  See the Les experiments do not sit well with me, Childress well the really good year with him was due more to the last gasp QB.  Your claim of saying the Wilfs have not exactly built a championship culture is what set me off.  They have changed more coaches then any other owner,  They have also invested more in the team and every position of the team then any other owner.  The fact that it has not produce a Super Bowl is testament to how hard the achievement is, not the idiocy of the front office.  Face it they are playing chess while the wannabe GM on here are barely able to play checkers.  

So you counter dict yourself.  The Wilfs bought the team in 2005 so they just completed their 15th year.  Spielman was the first true GM since Mike Lynn and we all know why he was ousted. 

Yet here you are calling for a coaching changes and calling out the ownership.

Nope most of these super star GM's have taken over losing teams and had the benefit of the drafts that come with losing.  I for one would be pissed if we had 4 consecutive losing seasons and 5 year drought between playoff appearances just to draft the guy.   The Rams were absent 12 years prior to making it to the playoff 2 years in a row yet they missed this year.  As to hanging onto aging players this is where the chess game happens.  If you are going to trade or outright release guys better have a very low falloff or better player in the wings.    

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Canthony" said: I would rather lose Rick over Paton to be honest. 

You know enough of their division of responsibility, management styles, and the personnel decisions each made to actually state a preference? I didn't think so. But make no mistake, Paton is a highly sought after exec for one reason: Rick Spielman.

@"Canthony" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Canthony" said: I would rather lose Rick over Paton to be honest. 

You know enough of their division of responsibility, management styles, and the personnel decisions each made to actually state a preference? I didn't think so. But make no mistake, Paton is a highly sought after exec for one reason: Rick Spielman.

I believe he works closer with the scouting department and I like that. We have been drafting really well and I like to credit that more to Paton as he works directly with the scouting department. I just think and like that he is more hands on with the scouting team as he oversees that for the Vikings. He has done really well as well with finding players for this team. He also has a huge hand in when it comes to draft time. 

I think Paton is more valuable than Rick in my opinion. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Canthony" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Canthony" said: I would rather lose Rick over Paton to be honest. 

You know enough of their division of responsibility, management styles, and the personnel decisions each made to actually state a preference? I didn't think so. But make no mistake, Paton is a highly sought after exec for one reason: Rick Spielman.

I believe he works closer with the scouting department and I like that. We have been drafting really well and I like to credit that more to Paton as he works directly with the scouting department. I just think and like that he is more hands on with the scouting team as he oversees that for the Vikings. He has done really well as well with finding players for this team. He also has a huge hand in when it comes to draft time. 

I think Paton is more valuable than Rick in my opinion. 

And you know this how?

You don't. There has never been any sort of public distinction made between their responsibilities--something that even remotely suggests Paton is the one responsible for decision A and Spielman for decision B. So to think otherwise smacks of more Jersey-level, sports radio, anti-Spielman nonsense. Might as well just come out and blame Spielman for Ponder and Treadwell and give Paton credit for Diggs, Cook, Thielen, Irv, O'Neill, Harry, Harris, Kendricks and Hunter.

The only thing we know for sure is that Rick Spielman spends half the year in college bleachers and not in his office, acting more as a scout than an executive. I could be wrong, but I don't know that I've ever seen Paton on the sidelines or in the bleachers on Saturday afternoons. And even if he does, Spielman is the one who makes the final call on all personnel decisions, so for better or worse, he should (and does) get the credit for those decisions, good and bad. That's just the way it works.

Now, I don't want to sell Paton short. Clearly he's been doing this a long time, has moved up the ranks and has earned the opportunity to be a GM in the NFL. But use your common sense. If you're an assistant exec and you feel you're the one mostly responsible for all your boss's great decisions, yet he continues to get all the credit, do you stick with that boss for 23 years, moving from Chicago to Miami to Minnesota, withdrawing your name from several other GM opps to continue working with him? Of course not.

And yet you provide not a single shred of evidence to support your claim. Interesting. 

Here is what he "officially" does. I simply like how close he is to the scouting of these young players and the draft. I think that will be huge to lose. Working that closely with scouts is a big deal. I could be wrong, but I think it will be a big loss and lets see if Rick can do it on his own. 

@"Canthony" said: Here is what he "officially" does. I simply like how close he is to the scouting of these young players and the draft. I think that will be huge to lose. Working that closely with scouts is a big deal. I could be wrong, but I think it will be a big loss and lets see if Rick can do it on his own. 

I don't want to take anything away from Paton, because he's paid his dues and earned his stripes. He deserves his chance at making those decisions himself.  But to say that he somehow deserves "more" credit for our drafts than Spielman is just silly. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Canthony" said: Here is what he "officially" does. I simply like how close he is to the scouting of these young players and the draft. I think that will be huge to lose. Working that closely with scouts is a big deal. I could be wrong, but I think it will be a big loss and lets see if Rick can do it on his own. 

"Coordinating functions" and "lending expertise" is a lot different than being the one in charge of calling the shots. 

I don't want to take anything away from Paton, because he's paid his dues and earned his stripes. He deserves his chance at making those decisions himself.  But to say that he somehow deserves "more" credit for our drafts than Spielman is just silly. 

Mary Kay Cabot@MaryKayCabot · 58mAs first reported here, #Vikings GM George Paton took himself out of the running for the #Browns GM job today, source tells me; #Eagles Andrew Berry the leading candidate  https://cleveland.com/browns/2020/01/george-paton-takes-himself-out-of-running-for-browns-gm-source-says-andrew-berry-the-leading-candidate.html

I think Paton is just building up frequent flyer miles...

@"BarrNone55" said:

Mary Kay Cabot@MaryKayCabot · 58mAs first reported here, #Vikings GM George Paton took himself out of the running for the #Browns GM job today, source tells me; #Eagles Andrew Berry the leading candidate  https://cleveland.com/browns/2020/01/george-paton-takes-himself-out-of-running-for-browns-gm-source-says-andrew-berry-the-leading-candidate.html

I think Paton is just building up frequent flyer miles...

He's pulled out more often than most 16 year olds.

Via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Paton removed his name from consideration for the Browns G.M. job because Paton “had a number of issues he had to work through, and wasn’t entirely comfortable with how it would all play out.” Paton also left his second interview with “some questions about the power structure and the division of labor.”
Paton’s decision to stay in Minnesota caps a process that Paton was leery to even commence, given his belief that Andrew Berry was the top choice for the job.
It seems, based on Cabot’s article, that chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta wants Berry and that new coach Kevin Stefanski wanted Paton. Which, if accurate, becomes the latest example of a high-level power struggle with strong “I told you so” potential if when Berry, now the presumptive favorite to get the job, doesn’t work out.
According to Cabot, Paton spent roughly eight hours at team headquarters in Ohio on Tuesday for his second interview. He left unsure whether it was a good fit.
In addition to working with Stefanski, the G.M. also will have to navigate DePodesta, a four-year employee (that’s like 40 in Browns years) who seems to be acquiring more power and influence as key figures like Sashi Brown, Hue Jackson, John Dorsey, and Freddie Kitchens come and go.
Paton went before he even arrived, which for him was the right call. While coaches head often get a second chance if the first stop doesn’t work out, General Managers usually get one bite at the apple. They need to make it the best bite they can.

Did he really need to travel to Cleveland twice to figure out the structure there is screwed up?

I mean it's the Browns and all. I wouldn't even want to get to the point where I had to pull out. 

@"BarrNone55" said: Did he really need to travel to Cleveland twice to figure out the structure there is screwed up?

@"Vikergirl" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: Did he really need to travel to Cleveland twice to figure out the structure there is screwed up?

I don't think so but there must have been some reason he went back for a second visit.