Browns GM Berry's Draft Success Warms Fans

0:00On April 29th, six years ago, the Cleveland Browns brought in Andrew Berry as their general manager. His biggest splash was trading for quarterback to Sean Watson from the Houston Texans, a move that handed out massive guarantees and derailed the team. Four years. Without first round picks, Berry's drafts fell flat, forcing constant fixes and turning fans against him in Northeast Ohio. Behind the scenes, owner Jimmy Haslam pushed hard on analytics and hired Paul de Podesta, a former baseball exec with a numbers background. De Podesta helped shape that Watson deal, now seen as one of the worst in football history and his input on picks didn't speed up the recovery. Lately though, Browns fans are warming up to Berry. After years of doubt, his last two draft classes stand out as total successes, shifting the blame away from him and making folks rethink the real, issues in the front office. This year, with their first first round pick in ages, Berry and assistant general manager Catherine Hickman crushed it.

1:00They landed the league's top rookie class by far, grabbing four prospects who look like first rounders in the early rounds, plus extra picks for. Next year, Berry's earning trust now, with a clear vision for building the roster over time. For the first time in his tenure, the Browns feel like they got a real direction moving forward.