The Browns might have just pulled off the shortest general manager search in NFL history. Just hours after firing Sashi Brown, the team has already found his replacement.
The Browns announced on Thursday that they've hired former Chiefs general manager John Dorsey, who will take over a team that went 1-27 in its past 28 games under Brown's watch. Although Brown was let go after less than two seasons with the team, he still sounded optimistic about the Browns' future.
"Obviously, the Browns have not yet achieved the turnaround we wanted for a franchise and the best fans in the NFL, who deserve it more than any other in sports," Brown said in a statement. "I know that turnaround is coming."
If anyone can make the turnaround happen, it's Dorsey, who has a long track record of success in the NFL. The former Chiefs general manager spent 13 years in the Packers' front office -- and 22 years overall with the team -- before making the decision to join Andy Reid in Kansas City after Reid was hired by the Chiefs in 2013.
Dorsey's experience is a big reason why the Browns decided to hire him, according to team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam.
"John has been immersed in the NFL for 26 years, won two Super Bowls, built sustainable winning football teams and is highly respected for his football acumen," the Haslams said in a statement. "Bringing in someone of John Dorsey's caliber, his track record of success and his experience, significantly strengthens our opportunities to build a winning football team and that has been, and continues to be, what we want for our fans."
Dorsey was available to be hired because he was shockingly fired by the Chiefs in June.
The firing was shocking because Dorsey was basically the architect of a Chiefs team that had four winning seasons during his tenure and went to the playoffs during three of his four years. Dorsey was reportedly fired by the Chiefs because he wasn't a good communicator and didn't have great management skills.
One of Dorsey's biggest strengths is identifying and evaluating talent, and that's why this hire could pay off quickly for the Browns. Dorsey is going to have a treasure trove of draft picks to work with in April when he oversees his first NFL Draft with the team. As things stand now, the Browns currently have five picks in the first two rounds, including two first-round picks and three second-round picks.
Dorsey sounds ready for the challenge of turning around a team that's one 1-27 in its past 28 games.
"I have spent a majority of my football life with two franchises that also have storied history and I think I have a feel for the mentality of the fans in Cleveland and what it would mean to recreate the success this franchise once had," Dorsey said in a statement.
One big question that remains following Dorsey's hiring is whether or not the Browns satisfied the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate before making a hire. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the Browns did satisfy the Rooney Rule. However, the chairman of Fritz Pollard Alliance, John Wooten, isn't necessarily buying that for a job that was technically only open for a few hours.
"I'm deeply bothered by it," Wooten told ESPN.com. "I'll be talking to the league about it because it bothers me. It doesn't seem right. Why wouldn't you interview one of the recommended people?"
According to NFL.com, the Browns had been planning to fire their general manager for weeks and had been vetting other candidates in preparation for Thursday's firing, and it's possible they satisfied the rule during that period.
