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Cleveland Browns: 5 replacements for Sashi Brown not named Peyton Manning

By Nick Dudukovich

SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 29: Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider pats defensive back Jeremy Lane on the helmet before a football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at CenturyLink Field on November 29, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks won the game 39-30. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 29: Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider pats defensive back Jeremy Lane on the helmet before a football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at CenturyLink Field on November 29, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks won the game 39-30. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /
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EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – SEPTEMBER 17: General Manager Rick Spielman and Owner Mark Wilf of the Minnesota Vikings speaks to the media during a press conference on September 17, 2014 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The Vikings addressed their decision to put Adrian Peterson on the commissioner’s exempt list until Peterson’s child-abuse case has been resolved. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – SEPTEMBER 17: General Manager Rick Spielman and Owner Mark Wilf of the Minnesota Vikings speaks to the media during a press conference on September 17, 2014 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The Vikings addressed their decision to put Adrian Peterson on the commissioner’s exempt list until Peterson’s child-abuse case has been resolved. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Rick Spielman, Vikings GM

If you want to play up the hometown guy who deserves the job, Rick Spielman would be your guy.

The Southern Illinois grad and product of Massillon is the GM of the Vikings, so he’d have to be promoted if the Browns were to hire him away. Replacing Sashi would qualify as a promotion, although the argument could be made that Spielman could be made the equivalent of football president should Browns owner Jimmy Haslam want to keep Brown, who was the team’s contract negotiator around.

In the one shot Spielman got to hire a head coach in 2014, he nailed it, hiring Mike Zimmer. Yeah, that’s the same Mike Zimmer the Browns considered in 2013. Zimmer thought he would be granted a second interview, but ownership and Joe Banner decided to hire Chud. This isn’t a shot at Chud, as he only had one year in Cleveland. Who knows what kind of head coach he really could be?

Before taking full-time GM duties in 2012, Spielman was the VP of player personnel, which mean he was responsible for overseeing the drafts. His most notable first-round picks include Adrian Peterson, tight end Kyle Rudolph and linebacker Anthony Barr, while Teddy Bridgewater appeared to be on his way until the Louisville product suffered a devastating injury.

His mark has really been made on defense, a facet of the game the Vikings have been stellar at en route to a 7-2 start in 2017. The Vikings boast eight first or second rounders on their defense, and six of those starters were obtained via the draft.

But speaking of the Bridgewater injury, Spielman went out and got Sam Bradford. The Vikings went 8-8 in 2016, which was a disappointment, but now, without Bridgewater and Bradford, Zimmer and Spielman have the Vikings rolling behind Case Keenum. No one thinks Keenum is franchise quarterback, but none-the-less, he’s giving his fans a reason to believe.

Spielman’s team has faced adversity and has overcome it. It starts at the top with Spielman, and his stabilizing force would be welcomed in Cleveland.

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